Summary: (LotR crossover) After the deaths of the Fourth and Rin, Kakashi joins ANBU to be a lifeless Shinobi tool. The Third who's worried of this, sends the young ANBU on an unlikely S-Rank Mission to the large continent known as Middle Earth…R&R!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything of Naruto and LotR, do not sue! They belong to Masashi Kishimoto and J.R.R Tolkein respectfully. I only own my twisting plot that intertwines with Tolkein's masterpiece. I really wanna own Kakashi (grins) but… ah well…
Betas: Thanks to Sherlockian Slytherin and Tsukiyomi the Yami!
Re-Update: 11 February 2007, new format & Proof read. Thanks to my betas!
I'll put this note on every chapter:
Japanese ((text))
Elvish Xx … Text … xX
Any Japanese will have a translation next to it or somewhere in the same chapter.
Author Notes:
Hey, I'm back again with another chapter! Thanks for the reviews! And not to mention the critics (grins), but I like reviewers like that… they're the ones who help me in improve as an author.
Phew, looks like I need to do more explaining huh? I think there's some people who are a bit confused or rather have mixed up the 'body flicker' for the Fourth's technique. Not just who had read this fic, but there's a couple of other fics I happened to read in the past few days have got the two mixed up or rather have the wrong source in getting info about jutsus. Ok, people listen up… they are DIFFERENT. Yeah… for some reason, I think the translated version of the manga on the net aren't all correct but… Here's a copy and paste version from Wikipedia (Online dictionary, I do NOT own any of this legal stuff in italics) that has valid sources (yes, they come from the Official Data Books released by Masashi Kishimoto respectfully.) I just had to recheck and make sure I got the official jutsu.
Japanese name: Shunshin no Jutsu literally meaning "Body Flicker Technique"
Type: D-Rank, Supplementary
Users: Most, if not all ninja.
My comment: Yup, believe it or not, it's a D-Rank technique. Not to mention, it only goes in short ranges. Even Sasuke (for being a rookie) & Kakashi used it in the first Naruto movie. Another quote from wikipedia that supports this is…
'A high-speed movement technique. It is described as 'appearing with the wind and disappearing like the wind.' A very basic jutsu, it appears that most shinobi above Genin-rank know it.'
Also why people can't see it is because…
'Using chakra to activate the body, the user is able to move from one point to another with extreme speeds. This super-fast movement is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. To a normal person, it would seem as if the user has teleported. The amount of Chakra used depends on the distance and elevation between the user and the destination.'
The amount of chakra makes this jutsu limited to short distances (in Kakashi's case… he'd travel about at most 1-10m), unlike the Fourth's jutsu that got him his nickname…
Japanese name: Hiraishin no Jutsu literally meaning "Flying Thunder God Technique"
Type: S-Rank, Supplementary, All ranges
Users: The Fourth Hokage
My comment: Notice the term 'rai' that means thunder/lightning like in Raikage (Thunder Kage). Shunshin does not have anything to do with the Fourth's nickname 'The Yellow Flash of Konoha'. The 'yellow' in his nickname refers to thunder/lightning (and notably his hair color). Here's the description from Wikipedia:
'This jutsu allows the user to move over large distances with ultra-high speed. Although it is often compared with the Body Flicker Technique, the speed of this jutsu is much greater and the principle behind Hiraishin is similar to the Summoning Technique.'
Also if you look carefully, it says 'All ranges'. Yeah, the Fourth could teleport like from VERY FAR away (god knows how far)… but…
'To activate this jutsu, the user needs a special seal or "Jutsu formula" ("Jutsu-shiki") to mark the destination. After this is done, the user can almost instantaneously transport himself to that location. The Fourth applied the formula in advance to weapons such as kunai. It is because of this technique that Konoha came out victorious in the Iwa-Konoha Ninja War.'
And as you all noticed (which I'm happy XD) that it couldn't be copied or followed by Kekkai-Genkkai, which wikipedia states…
'This is one of the few known non-Kekkei-Genkai techniques created that the Sharingan/Byakugan cannot follow.'
Yeah, I know… another lengthy explanation. Just to make it clear that Kakashi never used the Fourth's jutsu but a far more basic version of it. I know there's a limit on ffnet not to have long AU notes, but I'd rather let my readers know then leave them in the dark kind of thing. Don't worry about the jutsus, I got it covered from the site and the wiki site is regularly updated. So if the Manga has a new jutsu, you'd probably find that one already there. If you want to write a really well informed fic (any fic/not just Naruto), try looking for reliable sources there. Ok, enough of me… let's get on with the fic…
Enjoy!
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Chapter 3: 'A Problem Equals to More Problems.'
"With missions; there's always trouble, and usually that one trouble would create a whole chain of problems. It doesn't matter whether you're old or young, experienced or inexperienced. The truth is; you just have to deal with it. If I could describe the truth in thirteen words, it would be, 'Inside every older person, is a younger person, wondering what the heck happened." – Hatake Kakashi.
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Middle Earth
Eriador, West of Middle Earth
Weathertop Hill
Dawn (Local time)
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The ANBU yawned sleepily; his eyes had an under shade of grey due to lack of sleep, his silver hair was messy, and even though he knew it was his mission to keep an eye on his charges… he never had thought he would want to complain. For the first time in his life… he did. He found out watching over the hobbits was quite bothersome. Especially Pippin who made a racket by accidentally shoving two of Sam's cooking pans off the cliff and there was an argument about who was going to get the pans back, 'One hell of an annoying alarm clock to wake up to in the morning', Kakashi rolled his eyes. However, ever since he had started working in the ANBU, he had learnt that alarm clocks came in different shapes and sizes. One of them was the 'kunai-barely-missing-your-neck-by-2mm' alarm clock when enemies were chasing you; that was if you were lucky not to get hit. Or… they'd go for the exclusive alarm clock that would most likely make your eardrums pop aka sirens, although they were easier to escape.
Sitting perched, high-up, in a tree on a short sturdy branch, the ANBU observed his charges half-heartedly. He was quite content that the bread was enough for both his dinner and his early breakfast. 'Am I wrong or hobbits do have a large appetite?' The shinobi thought as he rubbed his stomach. The bread indeed was rather 'packed' with calories… or enough to make his hunger vanish for two meals. Kakashi even thought of a wild theory that the little midget could eat more than thrice of what humans ate. Maybe he ought to thank that little fat hobbit later for letting him 'have' the bread. Even if he had actually took it…
'…'
Okay… stole it.
You could say, when a shinobi gets low on provisions they could do drastic things.
Though he could easily say it was a gift in return for saving the hobbit's life… through a little bit of force…
The sun hadn't shown its face yet and the weather was rather cloudy. Kakashi mentally hoped it wouldn't rain… not that he minded, but considering you were out in the wild and far from shelter, it wasn't comfortable being wet. He looked back at the hobbits that were trying to make Frodo comfortable from the wound he received last night by bathing the wound with warm boiled water. The hobbit was awake, but seemed awfully pale. 'My client is not going to like this…' Kakashi snorted. Or technically he would be roasted by the wizard (in the worst case scenario)… But what could the shinobi do? His charge did get himself injured before the ANBU got to Weathertop in the first place; in addition they made the fire that attracted the Ringwraiths. The least thing he could do was to get his charges back to Rivendell alive.
Last night, Kakashi managed to retrieve his horse and his belongings. To his relief, his horse was willing to travel again… it seemed the wraiths' presence largely affected animals, and since they were already gone, his horse was happy enough to travel closer to the Hill. The ANBU intended to stay where he left his horse for the night… yet, he was slightly worried that the ranger might decide to leave sooner than he expected. Especially when one of them was injured, it wouldn't be odd at all if they tried try to seek the best shelter near here as fast as they could… most likely Rivendell, the elven realm to the east.
Kakashi glanced down at his horse that was happily eating the grass and welcomed the light of dawn. He had to admit he was getting attached to the beast. Not that he couldn't live without one, but horses were helpful companions when you happened to travel through the wild. Especially when it came to travelling in Middle Earth, the freaking country wasn't a very small place to travel by foot. Yet what Kakashi really meant to admit was he had developed a bond with his horse. The main journey getting to Middle Earth was lonely, all his other comrades were still in the middle of their missions.
His horse was pitch black by its color, but its forehead was white and greatly resembled a thunderbolt. The horse was also fast, obedient, and loyal. The steed even comforted the ANBU when he stared off into space, lost in his memories. It was as though it knew its young master's feelings. Kakashi even named his horse 'Raiuma' which meant 'lightning horse' in his own language, for his chakra's affinity for lightning.
Wanting to check on his charges, the ANBU looked to his horse. The horse was intelligent for its kind, as if it knew its master would be absent for the time being… it only gave a small grunt to let its master excuse himself. Kakashi ruffled Raiuma's hair as a 'thank you' and made his way to the ledge through the cover of the trees.
When he arrived, Kakashi hid himself by using the ruins of Weathertop but… the ranger wasn't with them. 'Where could he have gone?' the ANBU wondered. Yet, the shinobi was sure the ranger wasn't too far away from the hobbits. The man was their guide through the wild after all. By the looks of the hobbits, it seemed that they were too busy worrying about Frodo to pay much attention to anything around them. Seeing now it was dawn, it was the first time Kakashi managed to get a good look at his charges. To the ANBU's amusement they were no taller then four feet though if you looked at their faces, they seemed to be a bit older than they were supposed to be. Other features of the hobbits were their curly hair and slightly pointy ears. Though the catchiest thing about the hobbits' features were their thick hairy feet. How the hell did hair grow on top of feet Kakashi didn't want to know. The shinobi did find it rather disturbing that they were used to traveling on bare feet without any protection for their soles. He wandered if the feet of hobbits were thicker than normal folk.
First of all Kakashi turned his attention to the injured one named Frodo, who seemed to be older than the rest of the hobbits. Seemed to be tall in height (for hobbit kind), brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Unlike the rest who seemed to be rowdy, Kakashi figured this hobbit was more knowledgeable than the rest. He guessed that maybe Frodo was close to the wizard… seeing that if hobbits lived in such a closed community like the shire, most likely the wizard would tell the hobbit of the outside world. The hobbit was wide-awake and seemed to want to get going on their journey. Despite being injured and lying down, the shinobi could clearly see he was eager to travel on.
The one who was tending the injured hobbit was called Sam. Age wise, he could have been the same as Frodo but what had caught the ANBU off guard was that… Sam was Frodo's gardener. 'A death-defying journey and you had to bring your gardener?' Kakashi thought doubtfully. 'What had this world turn into?' Unlike Frodo, he was fatter not to mention chubbier, slightly shorter, his hair a lighter shade of brown and brown eyes. 'Most likely a cook.' The ANBU eyed Sam's belongings, which had pots and pans. And this hobbit most noticeably had his loyalty on the injured one the most.
Just beside Sam was Merry. He was younger than Frodo and Sam but still possessing more wits than the smallest hobbit. He seemed to be the responsible kind if needed, though one would guess he was of the mind that worked conjunctly well when it came to trouble. Troublemaker? Definitely. Yet, this hobbit knew his limits in going through a situation, and he knew when it was the time to laugh or when it was time to worry.
Last but not least out of the hobbits was Pippin; the smallest, the youngest, most childish, and loudest of the lot. Kakashi swore if their enemies had been hunter-nins he'd be killed less than a tenth of a second. He attracted too much attention for his own good; Kakashi decided to label the hobbit as the 'don't-let-that-one-out-of-my-sight-and-make-trouble' charge. There just has to be one typical troublemaker in a group; maybe during the course of the mission, he would have to be extra careful monitoring Pippin. Just by looking at him, who would have thought the hobbit was Frodo's cousin?
It was not until another fifteen minutes that the ranger came back. Apparently he had some sort of weed that seemed to be an herb called Athelas (or Kingsfoil in the Common tongue) with him. The ANBU watched the ranger carefully as he crushed the plant and threw it into the boiling water pot. The fragrance of the plant was relaxing; and somewhat soothing when one smelt it. Kakashi guessed the weed was used as a healing herb for poisons and also it could be used for aromatherapy. 'Useful,' Kakashi noted. The shinobi was wondering if the elves in Rivendell had a stock of them, he would definitely bring some with him while he was in Middle Earth.
This time he observed the ranger who he had helped last night. The sun was now up and Kakashi could see his features clearly. One had to admit he was very tall, about 6"6'. His attire was mostly grey like the other rangers, his hair wavy brown, fair features and his eyes were grey. The ranger only used a sword that night, now Kakashi was able to see he had a bow and quivers with him. 'So, this country uses arrows as projectiles.' The ANBU figured. It made sense, arrows could be shot into further distances then kunai and Middle Earth was dominated by plains anyway, meaning long range attacks had a better advantage in fighting. Though Kakashi preferred using shuriken since they could be manipulated to some extent. Still, it might be useful to learn archery or any other type of weaponry later on once he better adapted to Middle Earth.
As soon as it came to full daylight, they packed and ate breakfast quickly. Frodo couldn't walk at all, so they managed to divide the baggage between the four of them so he could ride on the pony. Soon, they went into a southeasterly direction heading away from the Road and to the forest. Not only was it the quickest way, but the woods also provided fuel that would be beneficial in camping and fending off the wraiths should they come to attack.
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Five Days Later…
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The four hobbits and their guide had eventually made it to the river called the Hoarwell and were currently resting from their journey going through the wild. From what Kakashi thought it was wise to go into the wild right now even if it was harder to travel. Harder, in terms of the density of the woods… Even Kakashi's horse found it a bit difficult traveling into tight places (thick shrubs), unlike their pony that was smaller in size.
Kakashi was glad enough his expertise was tracking; the ranger sure knew what to do when it meant covering their trail…
For now it was the best solution in getting their trail away from the Nine. If the ANBU was not wrong, the ranger would go in a southerly direction in hopes to pass the Last Bridge. As its name, the Last Bridge seemed to be the only means of crossing the Hoarwell River; should they pass further into the east they would cross into a small forest called the 'Trollshaws'. What Kakashi didn't like was that once they crossed the river, they would have to follow the Road again… it meant they were exposed in the open and the wraiths could be they're waiting for them.
Truthfully, the shinobi had been agitated for the last few days. If the injured hobbit slowed them down more and their time to get to the elven realm extended, there was a large chance the five wraiths he had fought on Weathertop would have recovered. The only thing that the ANBU hoped was Gandalf had managed to get the other four to follow him as far away from the company. But even then, would the four keep following the wizard? Kakashi highly doubted they would keep on following him when they knew the other five… not to mention their leader was attacked at Weathertop. It would clearly give a sign to the other wraiths that their 'target' was found and on its way eastward. That would mean there was a high chance they could ignore the wizard.
Right now, Kakashi figured he could at least make an appearance to them, notably the ranger the most. If he was going to protect the four hobbits, he would have to rely on the man. The ANBU was sure the man knew these lands very well, or at least had years of experience. Shinobis, particularly the ANBU, were trained to adapt to new places and to analyze their surroundings to get the best advantage to succeed in a mission. That was mainly due to their nature in assassination attempts and gathering secret information in enemy countries. However, if there was someone who had experience in traveling to the intended mission destination… those people were reliable sources of information.
One way to get information from those reliable ones was either by stealing it, persuading the person who had the information or in the nastiest of cases…
…Torturing them.
Like that was going to work… His client would definitely roast him then for the tortured charge….
'I definitely don't have that super talent like Ibiki.' Kakashi thought awkwardly thinking back to his other fellow ANBU who was also known as the "terrorizer". His fellow shinobi had never been the same again after the duels. Kakashi was lucky enough to learn from his sensei on how to handle genjutsus pretty well, the others… weren't so lucky.
'Sadistic dude.' He added with a sigh. Morino Ibiki, indeed was a year older than Kakashi (Kakashi was 14, Ibiki was 15) and was a Tokubetsu Jonin (Special Jounin), a ninja rank that was higher than a Chunin but lower than a Jounin. However it didn't mean his skills didn't go unnoticed; especially when it came to interrogation and was famed for his will to withstand torture. It wasn't an oddity he was recruited by the ANBU, but the last time Kakashi saw him, the shinobi was in hospital with two scars on his face, plus burn marks and holes in his head. That… was long while ago… uh… a few months ago?
It plainly said that Ibiki was certainly one example of what a loyal ninja would do in order to succeed in a mission. The copy-nin shuddered at the thought, what ever happened in missions… Kakashi never wanted to be tortured by his enemies. He had had the unfortunate experience of having been caught in the past, but he would always make a great escape and disappear from enemy territory the next day.
Somehow, despite his desire to tell the ranger who he was… the contract did not allow the shinobi to reveal himself fully except to his client until Rivendell. Kakashi mentally slapped himself in the head for forgetting about that. The young ANBU scratched his head, 'What to do?' If he couldn't make a drastic move until Gandalf had introduced him to the ranger personally, he'd at least get the ranger to see him or interact with him in any way as long he didn't reveal his identity. It was part of the ANBU code to keep his identity a secret, unless it was a part of the contract.
'I don't have a choice but to speed things up.' Kakashi thought grudgingly. 'Trust or no, the wraiths will soon catch up.' It was true, their course had been too slow… if it kept on going like this, they'd end up at Rivendell in one month. That time was too plenty for the enemy to get their hands on the hobbits. The ANBU even pictured the Nine having a coffee break right now, while giving the hobbits a head start. That was… if they could even drink coffee. Then again, the injured hobbit called Frodo would have died by then.
Not good.
Then Kakashi's attention was caught by the water in the river… Water… That started the shinobi thinking… During his journey in getting to Middle Earth, he managed to run into some mist-nin and copied off the water clone jutsu. He hadn't managed to test it out yet, but maybe this was the perfect time to use it. Unlike the Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone), the water clone could only be controlled at a certain distance. Though they were easier to destroy, the water clone only used a tenth of the user's chakra. Kakashi was planning more on saving his chakra for future wraith attacks; so the water clones were more convenient for now.
Kakashi surveyed the area where he was just a few meters away from the hobbits and the ranger. He would have to head closer to the river to do his jutsu. Normally, it wasn't necessary to have a water source to do such a jutsu. However, having its source around decreased chakra consumption to at least half of what was required. It meant Kakashi would only use a twentieth of his chakra. Stealthily, the copy-nin silently crouch-walked near the river just out of the hobbits and ranger's view. Once he was close enough, he preformed a few hand seals…
'Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!' (Water Clone jutsu)
Just five meters from where he squatted, his own water replica emerged from the river. Kakashi looked back to the rangers and the hobbits to see if they had spotted the clone yet. 'Hmm, still out of eyesight.' The shinobi observed. He studied the clone carefully to make sure everything was in place… mask covered his face, black ANBU jacket fine… but apparently the clone wasn't too stable in terms of chakra. Since it was only a twentieth of his chakra it was rather fragile, or you could say one hit of a weapon would make it turn back into water and he couldn't use any ninjutsu. That didn't matter at the present; at least it would be able to communicate.
Carefully, Kakashi directed the clone to towards the ranger. It walked silently towards the group in the water. Technically it would have been easier on the water, but that would most likely raise their suspicions and in addition use more chakra. If there was no chakra left, the clone would disintegrate before it even had a chance to say anything. Besides, they didn't know that shinobis could walk on water… even the elves who were considered the most light-footed people in Middle Earth couldn't do that…per se…
"You should get going if I were you." His clone stated very clearly as it came into their eye view.
As the ANBU expected, the ranger went into high alert. He immediately unsheathed his sword out into a defensive position. The other hobbits followed suit and stood in front of Frodo in a circle fashion. Kakashi waited patiently waiting for the ranger's reply as the man in front of him was inspecting the ANBU's clone from top to bottom. The stranger was short, he wore a black hooded jacket and over all his attire was black as night, the only thing that stood out was the white wolf mask that covered his identity. He carried no weapon whatsoever, which made the ranger nervous seeing that the stranger might have them hidden.
Just as the man was about to reply, it was Pippin who first spoke.
"I know you! You're the one who stole my bread on that cliff!" Pippin pointed his finger accusingly at the Mizu Bunshin. "What were you saying about going on a diet! That's an insult to a hobbit! And-"
The ranger immediately clasped Pippin's mouth shut. "Master Took, that wouldn't matter right now. What is that you seek stranger?"
"Nothing in particular," said Kakashi simply. "I'm just giving you a fair warning there's nine of them on your tail and that you're moving too slow for your own good."
Then Kakashi added, "As for you little hobbit, if you were heavier than you had been you'd fall down the cliff anyway. I don't think you would be alive right now."
That certainly shut the little hobbit up as Pippin slightly whimpered behind Merry. 'Good.'
"Are you implying that you were the one who aided us against the Ringwraiths that night?" Aragorn asked interestedly.
"Yeah."
The ranger then from his pocket took the kunai in hand and rather lamely threw it at the water clone to test if the kunai was the ANBU's. Expertly, the clone caught it in hand and twirled it on his finger indicating he was familiar with the weapon. Aragorn knew then that the stranger was the one who had helped that night, but was hesitant in trying to trust the stranger.
"You don't trust me, do you?"
"Did Gandalf send you?"
Kakashi then realized his Mizu bunshin was getting instable, 'Kuso, I need more practice in maintaining it.' His Sharingan was able to copy justus to a good degree but the jutsus always needed practical application and practice. Well, first tries don't always go so well… it was the only jutsu he hadn't practiced while he had headed to Middle Earth. Plus his Sharingan wasn't mature yet (still had two tomoe); it wasn't odd that it couldn't copy a jutsu perfectly. He let the clone fling his kunai back to where he squatted and made a decision he would give a final warning before the clone would disperse.
"I'll let you decide for yourself. Apparently I don't have much time now. Go at a faster or slower pace is up to you. Live or die? Your choice, I've given you my warning." The clone said.
Just as Aragorn wanted to ask something, the person in front him dissolved into water and was not there anymore. He stood there staring where the stranger had stood. Thankfully, the ranger had heeded the warning and started to direct the hobbits to leave as soon as possible.
It seemed the ranger had gotten the shinobi's message into his head…
At least the pace would be a little faster than they had previously intended. Who knew one would have to get into so much trouble just to get their asses moving? Kakashi sighed why he had taken the mission in the first place. Or maybe he was overdoing it, he did take a lot of missions just as he started in the ANBU… or more correctly he'd taken them in succession and had yet to take any breaks. He was always on missions.
'I need a vacation.' The ANBU thought.
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Seven Days Later…
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It had been a week after the meeting in Hoarwell, and things were the same as ever. The ANBU had thought the pace he set them at would get them faster to Rivendell. But so far it only helped them a bit, not that the company was slow, but Frodo's condition was getting worse and at times they would have to stop more than they necessarily would. The sun was setting into the west in two hours or so and Kakashi didn't like that. Every night, Frodo wouldn't be able to move because of the curse. Apparently the curse was at its worst when the sun had set completely and it meant they would have to travel the next day.
Being a Leaf-nin as he was, he was again hiding in a tree staring at the group as they halted in the forest. Raiuma was hidden a couple of meters away, looking rather too alert for Kakashi's liking. It only meant one thing… the wraiths were coming sooner than expected. An animal's instinct wasn't to be underestimated when it came to danger.
Hooves clopping…
Instantly the shinobi grabbed three kunai in hand from his pouch and prepared himself to go against the enemy. To his surprise, an elf had come, a she-elf to be more precise. Kakashi stopped in his attempts and stared at her. She was… Kakashi blinked again making sure it wasn't a dream. Wow. No kunoichi (female ninja) or other females in middle Earth was as beautiful as her. 'Daughter of Lord Elrond huh?' Kakashi thought with wonder. The amount of chakra that was emitting from her was a lot by normal standards. Not to mention she seemed to glow with some sort of light that gave one's heart a peaceful feeling.
With her presence, it seemed the company had settled down and even Kakashi's tension had eased a bit. There was yet another lengthy conversation between the elf and the ranger. 'How much longer do I have to wait?' Kakashi stared at the both of them who were bickering and other hobbits weren't much of help. Two weeks in the wild didn't bother the ANBU, but their slowness to make decisions was driving him mad.
Deliberately, the Shinobi leapt onto a tree branch that clearly was in their view and threw a kunai at Pippin only missing him by two centimeters.
"Whoa!" shouted Pippin.
"You people are slow… Takes this long just to get to Rivendell huh?" Kakashi said trying to get into a comfortable conversation.
All of them had their eyes on the shinobi; the ranger in particular looked as if he was scanning Kakashi's soul.
"You were the one who warned us at the Hoarwell River. I've never seen such a weapon in all of Middle Earth like yours."
"Right. It's called a 'kunai' for your information. The reason why you haven't seen it, because I don't come from Middle Earth."
"Why do you keep on targeting me all the time?" Pippin pouted.
Kakashi snorted, "Out of all the hobbits you seem to be the most un-alert one in the wild."
Aragorn then asked carefully, "Why do you follow us from Weathertop and to the Hoarwell River and here?"
The ANBU shrugged, "To assist you."
"We do not need your assistance." Aragorn said sternly.
Kakashi nearly blew up at the ranger but stopped in a flash as he remembered the golden shinobi rule…
Shinobi Rule No. 25.
Oh, yeah… the infamous 'do not show any emotions rule'. The shinobi was now pissed but hid most of his explosive anger back inside of him with disgust; clearly his patience was thinning out very drastically. 'Some way of saying a thank you for saving your lives…' the operative let a soft growl escape his lips. Kakashi himself knew that trust wasn't something easy to gain… but time was running out. Nine Ringwraiths would be on their tail soon… and the hobbit who was injured was getting weaker by the second. The damn ranger shouldn't have said that in the first place but… he'll have to live with it for now. Without much of a choice, the ANBU decided to use the wizard's method. Recalling the words from the parchment Gandalf gave him, Kakashi said in an irritated tone…
'All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes of fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be the blade that was broken.
The crownless again shall be king.'
The ANBU looked at his company for a reaction… and as Kakashi expected the ranger flinched at the words. 'So, he might be a king in exile.' Kakashi figured. Of what country, the shinobi didn't know, it wasn't necessary right now. The main thing was, it got the ranger thinking about him twice. The lady elf's eyes were looking at him intently; trying to see if there were signs that Kakashi was lying or trying to fool them. The hobbits simply gaped at the shinobi. 'That hit the target pretty well.' The ANBU thought smugly.
"Hey! Wasn't that the same poem Gandalf sent us in that letter?" Pippin voiced out.
Merry quickly clamped the younger hobbit's mouth shut. "Pippin, what are you doing? You can't tell anything to that stranger!"
"Stranger or no, you will have Nine Ringwraiths on your tail very soon. Either you run as fast as you can or simply die in their hands…" Kakashi said forcibly.
Aragorn studied the stranger again. From what the ranger heard from the shinobi's tone of voice, it basically meant that he was getting impatient. If it was true, the stranger indeed had helped them at Weathertop and followed them for the last week. Aragorn wasn't sure how the stranger was able to manipulate water at the Hoarwell River, but certainly someone who had such ability could be under Gandalf's command. Though one had to acknowledge, who would think it would be a foreigner? The ranger himself had traveled Middle Earth as far as Rhun (the most northeast of Middle Earth) and he himself never laid his eyes on people who wore cloaks with white masks. The 'kunai' that the stranger had used was something even Arwen, who had lived hundreds of years, had never even heard of. Certainly the stranger was not someone to be trifled with.
"Why are you telling us this information? You may be an enemy because we are at our most vulnerable point right now. Though I would speculate you may have aided us for that poem you spoke of; there are far too few who know about it, either than myself." Aragorn said reasonably.
"Don't make the wizard's efforts go to waste, you fool." Kakashi said quickly. "You only fought five of the nine Ringwraiths at Weathertop because Mithrandir made himself a decoy to the other four."
"Gandalf?" Aragorn exclaimed.
"Yes." The ANBU said stiffly. Though the inner Kakashi was screaming, 'For the last ten minutes! Put that through your thick skull!'
"What is your business here?" Arwen asked carefully. "What is your relationship to Mithrandir? If you could at least tell us who you truly are then we may reconsider your terms."
The ranger and the other hobbits only gawked at the she-elf. Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the statement. 'At least she has brains that are working pretty well.' Kakashi thought. 'Unlike some people…' If the wizard was right, Arwen was indeed Elrond's daughter. The ANBU had heard that Elrond who ruled over Rivendell was a good negotiator himself. The trait must run in the family…
Accordingly Kakashi replied, "I was sent to keep an eye on you and escort all of you from Weathertop. Currently Mithrandir is my client. As for introductions… I'm Hatake Kakashi."
"I did ask who you really are in terms of why you're here and-"
"That's none of your business." The shinobi cut Arwen off instantly. "I've got strict rules to obey my client. As far as what he requested, I'm not allowed to tell you who I really am."
For a minute there, everyone was silent.
The hobbits soon were debating amongst themselves while Aragorn and Arwen were trying to figure out whether it was wise to trust the cloaked stranger. Kakashi just sat there rolling his eyes wondering when they were going to finish. 'I'll let them finish.' He gave in. Though the ANBU had a hunch trouble was not too far off from where he was standing.
Piercing screams filled the air…
Kakashi sweat dropped, 'Man…They sure know how to make an entrance. Baka Ringwraiths.' He cursed himself that most of the time his hunches were correct. Hunches were useful at times, only this time… it was going to put the ANBU's mission into jeopardy.
Finally, the company in front of him decided to let Arwen take Frodo to Rivendell as fast as possible on Arwen's horse. Aragorn was reluctant at first, but seeing there wasn't any other way, he allowed it. They were also giving Kakashi a 'look' that said 'We-don't-trust-you'. The copy-nin ignored their rude behavior and simply had his senses focusing on trying to find out where the Ringwraiths were coming from. From the thickness of those screams… that just had to be ALL Nine of them.
Oh, how Kakashi hated the number nine with his every fibre and being…
Just as Arwen dashed off with her horse and the injured hobbit, the ranger noticed that Kakashi had disappeared from where he sat on the tree.
The ANBU made a run towards his horse and thought of what other type of attacks or any form of strategy could at least buy some time to help the Elf-lady from getting caught. Hopefully he could get all nine Ringwraiths off guard, but it didn't seem to be possible. Nine also meant Gandalf was on his own right now, dead or alive… Kakashi didn't want to know, yet there was at least an 80 percent chance the wizard was alive. Alive mainly because what the Ringwraiths were looking for might be Frodo after all. As Kakashi got closer to his horse, he whistled and Raiuma was immediately alert. Without any delay, the ANBU hopped onto his horse lightly.
"Raiuma, we've got nine Ringwraiths to chase. Yosh."
Raiuma directly went into an instant gallop. Avoiding three hobbits and a surprised ranger on the way, Kakashi gave a small wave to them and chased after the she-elf that was closely followed by nine cloaked wraiths. The ten of them were quite ahead of Raiuma, but his horse was gaining speed pretty quickly. The reason why Raiuma wasn't able to speed up greatly was because they were still in the forest area that had many obstacles in the way; a disadvantage for the moment but to the ANBU it was a good time to figure out what strategy of what he was going to do. The forests served as camouflage for them because of their cloaks, which meant the she-elf would most likely get into the plains just before the last river crossing leading into Rivendell.
Kakashi was very sure he couldn't defeat the enemy in his current form. But what if he turned into someone else? He could use the Henge no jutsu (transformation jutsu) and try to fool them. Turning into the she-elf could drive them away… but he could get killed instantly facing all nine.
Bad idea.
Or could he turn into the wizard.
Better, but they'll still go after the she-elf.
Or…
Kakashi's lips curved and turned into a smirk. He never thought he could ever have such an insane idea as this… 'I might as well change my form in the forest while I still have cover' the ANBU noted. With one hand on Raiuma's reigns, he formed a hand seal with his right hand…
Henge! (transform!)
Far off in the front, Arwen had managed to get the wraiths onto the plains. Her white horse certainly was speedy but the wraiths were drawing in as the Ring in Frodo's possession was calling out to them. At least the plains provided sight in seeing where her enemies were… and obstacles such as trees and shrubs did decrease. The wraiths had the same chance in catching up with her though, as she had the chance to escape herself.
There was a groan of pain that escaped from Frodo.
The she-elf looked sympathetically at the hobbit sitting in front of her. She wouldn't let the hobbit get into the hands of the enemy. Arwen had made many attempts that moment to lose the nine. One of the attempts was making quick dashes in avoiding trees and jumping over high logs. She would look back for a second to only find one or two wraiths close on her tail. However the trees were thinning by the second.
Soon, she reached an area where there were no trees for her to shake them off her tail. This was it. If she couldn't reach the Brunien River that led into Rivendell, she was done for. Arwen risked a glance to see how many Ringwraiths were behind her; she looked over her shoulder and counted the wraiths.
Ten Ringwraiths?
The she-elf tore her gaze from the wraiths thinking she must've seen a hallucination. Arwen knew more than anyone (at the moment) that there were only nine Ringwraiths. There couldn't possibly be another human ring-bearer that turned into a wraith; there were only nine rings for the mortal men made in the past. No more. Yet there was an oddity about the sound of hooves that were nearing her slowed down slightly. Nevertheless the she-elf didn't look back, but focused on riding faster.
Behind Arwen, the Ringwraiths slowed down because they were dumbfounded to have a new member in their group. Which one was the impostor they did not recognize; wraiths were clever in defeating their enemies… but they sure didn't have good eyesight. They were getting close to their master's beloved treasure, but it bothered them that there was an enemy amongst them who they did not know. The nine were now quarrelling among themselves, trying to find the impostor within the group; giving no notice that Arwen and Frodo were getting farther ahead.
Kakashi snickered as he created more confusion among the wraiths. He had transformed himself and Raiuma into a perfect replica of a Ringwraith plus its scary looking horse as its steed. It was a crazy idea, but it worked.
One of the Ringwraiths started to attack another; Kakashi joined in and deliberately missed. Soon all the nine were testing each other out with their swords. Making the wraiths go against each other was a lot easier than Kakashi had expected, but the leader was thinking about his charge since he was the only one that every wraith could recognize. The others were focusing on trying to catch the spy in their group while the leader kept on following the white horse.
Knowing that Kakashi didn't have time to waste and catch up with the leader, the ANBU had to make at least a few of the confused wraiths that were with him retreat for a few seconds. Also known as a diversion. The Ringwraiths were closing in on each other hacking with abandon, not bothering to distinguish which was foe or friend. The ANBU waited for the wraiths to bunch up closer to execute his attack. Just as Kakashi spotted it was the right time to strike, his hands blurred with seals…
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!)
They certainly weren't expecting one of their comrades to breath fire. All eight at least got burnt by their sleeves, one of them was totally on fire and the rest of them immediately slowed down drastically. 'Eight down, one more to go.' Kakashi commented. As Kakashi kept his disguise up, he urged the black stallion to make haste towards the Brunien River.
Arwen had made it; she made it at last to the Brunien River. After escaping narrowly the Witch-king of Angmar (aka the leader of the Ringwraiths) through a thin patch of trees that led to the river, she had finally managed to cross the river and draw her sword out. She challenged the witch-king. Face to face with nine of the wraiths, but by looking at them… they seemed to have been burnt not too long ago. Arwen wondered if their burnt cloaks had to do anything with the tenth Ringwraith she saw.
She wasn't afraid, now that she had her father's support. The Brunien River was an enchanted river that protected Rivendell's boarders from the outside. The nine were now trying to cross the river; she chanted elvish words as she waited for the river to take effect. The leader was faster than the rest of the other injured wraiths.
Meanwhile, Kakashi had crossed over the river before Arwen did and was hiding behind her in the woods with his camouflage jutsu still on his horse. The ANBU watched interestingly as soon a roar of splashing water came in with the shape of horses crashing down on the wraiths. Kakashi didn't hesitate to copy it with his Sharingan at all. It might as well be useful for later on or in the future. To his surprise the leader had crossed the river, safe from harm. It was now threatening Arwen who was standing defiantly in front of Frodo. This didn't look good. 'Might as well get rid of the bastard…' Kakashi decided. Without a sound and keeping himself concealed, Kakashi's hand moved swiftly seal by seal….
'Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu!' (Water Release: Water Shark Missile Jutsu!)
Arwen cried in surprise as a body of water elongated itself forming into a large fish (she doesn't know what a shark is) from the Brunien River and turned its head to the Witch-king. The leader of the Ringwraiths had no chance against the water form attack and was tossed into the river with its companions with a defeated scream. Kakashi was able to finish the first task. 'Task number one, finished.' The shinobi thought satisfied.
Frodo due to weariness was starting to fade; Arwen could only make the hobbit as comfortable as she could. She had yet had to get the injured hobbit to Rivendell, but her horse was exhausted from the flight of the Ringwraiths.
"You needn't worry."
Arwen turned her head sharply as she heard that voice. She found it was the small stranger she met in the woods with Aragorn. He was riding on horseback coming towards her.
"Frodo needs to get to Rivendell quickly." She explained still looking at the black cloaked fixedly. "Why are you here?"
"That's pretty obvious, didn't I mention that before? Getting Frodo to Rivendell as soon as possible?" Kakashi pointed out. "I was ordered by Mithrandir to escort you here. By the way one of your kindred is coming to help you."
Another Elf had come, this time Kakashi saw the elf was older than Arwen but still had a young face due to his elven immortality and his bearing was lordly for that matter.
"Lady Arwen! It is good to see you safe!" exclaimed Glorfindel as he rode near her. Though he was regarding the she-elf, the ANBU knew pretty well the lord had his eye on him.
"I'm well. But we must make haste, Frodo is beginning to fade." Arwen said quickly.
"You haven't met Mithrandir?" said Glorfindel surprised. "He went to search for you. There were orcs seen around here."
Kakashi interrupted their conversation, "Whereabouts is Mithrandir?"
"Who are you?" Glorfindel shot a question like a knife.
Kakashi only grumbled with irritation, "Look, I don't have time for formal introductions and you have an injured hobbit down there. If you don't bring him to your village he'll die. Secondly, I simply asked where is Mithrandir. You don't like it? Fine. That's if you want him to die fighting orcs."
"You certainly have a sharp tongue." Glorfindel commented bitterly. "He's around north of here as I'm told. What are you to him? What does he have to do with you?"
"I doubt courtesy will save anyone's necks at the moment. He's my client." Kakashi countered just as venomously. "You sure you're not lying?"
"And if I do?" Glorfindel asked carefully.
"You might get my client dead for stalling time. If that does happen… I'll track you down, tie you up, and kill you in the most tortured way possible." The ANBU said smugly while giving the elf waves of killing intent.
Glorfindel flinched reluctantly in front of the stranger. He never thought that any other being could instill in him this feeling of fear other than the Balrog demon he had battled a few thousand years ago. "North of this river was the last time I saw him."
"Good. There are three more hobbits and a ranger heading this way. Later." Kakashi said briefly and turned his horse towards the north. The shinobi soon disappeared into the woods leaving two very confused and disturbed elves behind.
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Middle Earth
North of Rivendell
Thick Forests
Night (Local time)
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The ANBU found the wizard not too far away and was by the looks of it, surrounded with at most forty orcs. He was back on foot, knowing that he might get Raiuma into unwanted danger and it was a lot easier if he fought on his own. 'Yup, more problems to deal with.' Kakashi sighed. He paved his way to his client, while he took a few orcs down with shuriken into their throats. From what he saw most of them were armoured, so most likely he'd have to aim at places where it was unguarded by chain-mail. Still, the orcs didn't seem to have worthy armour that provided much protection. Once he was close enough to the hideous group, he unsheathed his katana and slashed through to get to Gandalf. The wizard seemed to be in a tight spot.
The wizard raised an amused eyebrow at the shinobi who was already behind him, helping him fend off the orcs. "Didn't I tell you to stay in Rivendell?"
"Didn't I tell you, Mithrandir… that I don't like my clients getting into danger by themselves?" Kakashi said as he sliced an orc headless. "And as far as I remember, you never said the word 'stay', only 'escort'." The shinobi added to be specific.
"I thought you were to follow my orders." Gandalf replied. The wizard then sent an orc into a tree by knocking it with his staff.
This time, Kakashi hacked a short ugly looking orc that was heading towards the wizard's back; the next thing you knew, its legs weren't attached to the body anymore. "But I did mention I would look for you if you didn't come back." The Shinobi said stubbornly.
"Sorry, this old man's-"
"-memories aren't as good as his younger days." The ANBU finished off. "Yeah, yeah, we all know that." he grumbled. For some reason, the old man had an uncanny likeness of making reasons up like Obito. True fact was; his reasons were a LOT more acceptable than the Uchiha's far fetched ones. It was quite impressive the wizard was able to keep up with the orcs at all until the shinobi had arrived.
"How did you find me here?" asked Gandalf as he sent his long elven broad sword through his enemy's throat.
Kakashi was now using his father's chakra blade in his left hand to parry off attacks, while the katana in his right hand went onto the offensive. At times, he would swap to ensure speedy kills to save energy. "Us shinobi have our ways." The ANBU chuckled giving no clues to his client. He was an expert in tracking anyway.
"As expected." Gandalf said realizing he wouldn't get a straight answer. "What of Strider and the other hobbits?"
The ANBU at the present was very impressed with the wizard maintaining a decent conversation with him while fighting in a hectic scene. For the normal elderly as you could imagine, would have gotten a heart attack seconds ago and not survived to tell the tale, let alone stand.
"Back in Rivendell." Said Kakashi. "Is it me, or do you have a tendency to get yourself into trouble, oji-san?"
"Hai (yes), I do. You're not mad are you?" asked Gandalf too innocent for his age.
"Nope." The ANBU said smirking. "No point in complaining or getting angry. My mission currently is helping my client, when he gets into trouble."
"Arigato (Thank you)." Gandalf smiled at the shinobi, and killed off another orc.
In the end, five orcs were left from the fight. However, they took off running, as they knew their opponents were far too strong. The good thing for the ANBU the five orcs were running in a horizontal line. In a blink of an eye, Kakashi grabbed three smaller windmill shuriken from his pouch behind him through his fingers and tossed them into the air. Two of them glided to the orcs on the ends of the line. Unknown to the orcs, the two shurikens had strings tied to them. Like a puppeteer, Kakashi manipulated them expertly towards his enemies wedging the shuriken into their throats. He killed not only the ones on the edge of the horizontal line but the two that were second in the middle also. The orc in the centre was hit directly by the third shuriken in the back of the neck; with its central nervous system being cut off from the brain, the orc shook uncontrollably before it fell with a dull thud on the ground. The ANBU as fast as he made the kill, retracted the smaller windmill shurikens back to his hand without a fault.
Gandalf stared in awe at how swiftly and sadistically their enemies were eliminated by the shinobi.
"Mithrandir, you can speak my language?" Kakashi asked in mild interest and indicating his kill wasn't something to be surprised with.
The wizard shook himself slightly out of his trance before he replied, "Your Hokage was very kind to teach me. Hmm…"
The ANBU only stared at the wizard curiously.
"May I request something?" asked Gandalf.
Kakashi frowned at the question. Sure, it was apart of the mission to obey his client as an ANBU; whatever was needed to succeed the mission he would do without question, even if it meant to jump off an outrageously high waterfall. But… committing suicide wasn't much to agree with anything… it was different from 'dying to protect the client' that was for sure.
"Hai?"
"For now on refer to me as oji-san when we're not in front of any lords or people who have status." The wizard's eyes twinkled.
The ANBU gaped as he nearly lost his composure. Thank the gods being a special operative allowed him to wear a mask. His inner being was asking the wizard, 'Are you freaking nuts?' Though on the outside he only gave the wizard a sign of moving back a step. "Are you serious?" the shinobi asked uneasily.
"I find it rather unique, not to mention I would prefer you have a calling for me that would make you comfortable as you work for me. Just so you don't feel too homesick, Fire Country is far away as you know, and it will be quite a while until you return." Gandalf said kindly. "Ah, feel free to ask in your native tongue if you don't understand or want to speak something privately. I think it would save the hassle of translating it."
Kakashi gazed at the wizard with a newfound respect. It was simple enough that shinobi were meant to take care of their client's well being, but the ANBU wasn't prepared for his client to treat him in the same way. More oddly, since the shinobi was assigned to as S-Rank to an Un-ranked mission, he would have had to obey his client no matter what, if he was a 'not-liked' client. This feeling of 'respect' right now was the same when he first met his sensei at the ninja academy. When many of the other academy teachers thought Kakashi was too young to graduate, it was the Fourth who had spotted him to have potential. Soon, he became a Genin and a year later a Chuunin….
No! He had to stop from thinking about the past again, Kakashi tore his mind away from the memory and aligned himself back to the mission.
"Is it alright Kakashi?" the wizard asked.
"Hai, Mith- err… Oji-san." The ANBU stuttered not used to the term.
Then there were many hooves sounds coming, very light and elegant ones. 'Must be the elves; pretty late for rescuing.' Kakashi commented. Soon, they were both greeted with at least ten elves; they went straight to Gandalf asking if everything was all right. They had high chakra concentration and held some sort of light around them, much like Arwen. They looked old but young at the same time. Though a few of them had a 'look' in their expressions that the ANBU still recognized despite the wisdom and fair beauty in their faces. Yup, distrusting faces.
Not bothering to look at the suspicious ones, the shinobi looked disgustedly at his chakra blade and his katana covered with orc blood.
'Ugh.'
It was reeking, had a black inky colour, and cold to his surprise. He hadn't been aware of the blood colour since he did kill the previous orcs with a fire jutsu and the Ringwraiths didn't bleed at all. Not to mention the blood temperature… orcs would have passed as lizards, but even the ANBU knew that lizards needed sunlight to warm their blood; those orcs were purely nocturnal. How they lived he did not know, what he did know was that they were enemies that deserved no mercy.
He cleaned off the blade and the katana with a ragged cloth that belonged to one of the dead orcs, while he searched for his remaining projectile weapons, most of them were scattered on the ground or in an orc's neck. Sure, the ANBU did have a good stock on projectile weapons… but reusing a few more would be good instead of worrying about running short. Also, he was aware that Middle Earth did not use shuriken, kunai and exploding tags, which meant he'd have to conserve them unless truly needed. But most of all, Kakashi was trying hard not to hear the elves commenting about him in their language. They didn't know that the shinobi understood every single word that they said; honestly the ANBU was very tempted to thrust a Chidori in their faces but in the end he ignored them… tolerance had saved his neck many times in a mission and hopefully it would save him in this one…
Xx…Is he trust worthy, Mithrandir?"…xX. One of them asked.
Another then agreed. Xx…We do not know if he sides with the Enemy … xX
"Do you not all trust me?" Gandalf shot at the elf rather unpleasantly and in the common tongue. "If he had not come I doubt Aragorn, any of the hobbits nor Arwen would be safe in Rivendell by now. Even I would not be standing uninjured here, since all of you were late." The wizard said it in the common tongue.
Kakashi took it as a sign to look at the wizard, while smiling at the disappointed faces of the elves that were standing in silence. His mask saved him yet again from showing his face, he might as well start practicing to control himself since it wasn't too far till Rivendell and he would have to let his mask go. Other than that, he would have to start to train his patience as well… not only was he a stranger in their eyes… next thing you know it, they'd be treating him as a defenceless child. The lord of Rivendell had yet to see his face, not to mention the eye in his left eye socket. The shinobi wondered what the folk would say about the Sharingan then…
Then something occurred to the shinobi, ((Oji-san, where's your white horse?))
The elves then looked at him slightly disappointed he wasn't speaking in something like the Black tongue used by the orcs. Though they were curious of the foreign language they had never heard of in their entire lives or you could say a couple of thousands of years.
((Shadowfax? He and I parted ways, he returned back to Rohan. But should I summon him again he will answer to my call. Come, we should head back to Rivendell.)) Gandalf said.
((Oji-san?))
((Yes, Kakashi?))
((Thanks… for standing up for me.)) the ANBU said.
((You're welcome.)) Gandalf smiled warmly.
This time the elves were equally curious with Gandalf who was able to converse in the strange language with the short stranger. Then the stranger whistled, soon, a black horse came trotting towards them and nuzzling the stranger first before its owner mounted it. Slightly relaxed that the stranger was close to animals, the elves lowered their guard to some extent. Any enemy or orc for that matter would never be able to ride a horse. Still… the stranger was wearing a mask.
Soon, the group departed from the scene and headed towards Rivendell…
TO BE CONTINUED…
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Another chapter done!
Here's 9000 words to boot! Phew… I had to update this fic at the same time I updated my main fic. My main fic's chpt was 15,000 words plus this one would be a whopping 24 thousand words in a month. I'm working too hard. Well, what did you think? Good, Bad or got ideas of your own? Don't hesitate to tell me through a review!
Thanks for the review to:
Next Chapter:
Chapter 4: 'Rivendell: Village Hidden in the Rivers.'
Sounds cheeky ne? He he…