AN:
Thank you Purple Pallbearer for reviewing! Also thank you to Requiem D and LazyPlotBunnies for favoriting!
Sorry for nagging, but please review! I hope you are findning everything alright so far. If not, well, thre is always the reveiw button...
It was around the middle of the morning when the group reached the outskirts of Edoras. Kakashi closed his eyes against the wind. The city was built atop a large, rocky hill, standing high above the windswept plains of Rohan. He and the rest of Team Minato were waiting for the others on horseback, having out-paced them a few mile back. The Hatake opened his eyes when he heard the pounding of hooves and the heavy breathing of the horses approach them.
"Edoras, and the golden hall of Meduseld; There dwells Theoden, king of Rohan," said Gandalf. "Whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold on him is very strong,"
The situation reminded him of the rumors that Kiri's Mizukage was being controlled through a genjutsu, being nothing more than a puppet. Anyone who opposed the regime disappeared, only to turn up in pieces, instead of merely being banished.
"Be careful what you say," cautioned Gandalf. "For you will not find welcome here,"
Spurring Shadowfax forward, the Old man led the motley crew to Edoras.
Kakashi ajusted his stride so he was running alongside Aragorn's horse.
"Hoshi," he called out to his teammate. The grey-eyed boy turned to face him.
"Yes?" he asked in a slightly bored tone.
"If this guy's mind is out of commission due to the death wizard, who is in charge around here?" Kakashi asked.
"I would like to know that myself," added Minato, dropping back to listen.
Hoshi frowned, turning his eyes skyward in thought.
"A cowardly bug name Grima Wormtongue, the king's adviser and spy to Saruman is in control," he answered.
Aragorn looked back to Kakashi. "Why do you refer to Saruman as the 'death wizard'?" heasked, looking slightly confused.
Kakashi blinked. "White represents death, does it not?" he said, baffled.
The man shook his head. "Black represents death here," he answered. "White represents purity and the Light,"
"Ah," mutter Kakashi. He believed the differences in color representation of death really said something about the people of Middle Earth. But just as he was to enter into Edoras, a thick, heavy piece of cloth was dropped onto his head.
Cursing at the wind, Kakashi gave Hoshi a chilling glare as the boy bit back a grin. Pulling the cloth off his head, he saw that it has a white horse galloping arcoss the green field with the sun at it's back. Shrugging, he wrapped it around his neck and followed Aragorn and Hoshi into the Horselord's city.
Obito readjusted his goggles again. He had put them on to keep the winds on the plain from irritating him and had yet to take them off. Obito noticed Rin pull the elf cloak around her to hide her clothes and Minato-sensei did the same. The locals were staring soloumly at them, and not a single whisper passed their lips.
"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard," grumbled Gimli. Obito silently agreed.
Rin, who was walking beside him whispered to him:
"Aren't the carvings beautiful?" she asked.
The Uchiha had to agree. The woodcarvings on the houses were some of the most intircate and alien works of art he had ever seen. When Kakashi ran up to them, Obito had to swallow his laughter. On top of his cloak, mask and backpack he had draped an heavy green cloth around his shoulders.
"You look ridiculous," he snickered. Kakashi glared at him.
"I am simply returning Rohan's standard back to them," he said coolly. "The wind took it away from them,"
Rin was also trying to hide her amusment. "Whatever rationalizes your poor fashion choices, Kakashi,"
The masked boy gave her a sour look as they stopped at the foot of a staircase. They had been moving slowly uphill towards their destination. The riders dismounted an their horse were taken away by stable hands. Hoshi strolled over to them, his limp was barely noticible.
"What do you think of Edoras?" he asked.
Rin responded eagarly. "It is very pretty, but so sad. Do you think that good cheer will be restored to it if the King is released?"
Hoshi shrugged. "First we have to see the King. Then we shall know,"
As soon as the group reached the top of the stairs, they were greeted by a group of helmated guards. A helmetless man stepped forward, looking rather apologetic.
"I cannot allow you before the Theoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyham," he paused, reluctantly adding:
"By order of Grima Wormtongue,"
Minato scanned the guard. The man clearly disliked the crooked advisor, but had no choice but to obey the advisor's orders.
Gandalf turned to his companions. Minato watched as Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn handed over all their weapons, while Gandalf only gave them his sword.
The guard peered past the Istari to look at him and his students.
"And your other companions?" he asked.
Gandalf turned to look at the yellow-haired shinobi. Minato then shrugged off his backpack from beneith his cloak, and removed his back pouch and shurikin holster. His students did the same. But before he handed them over to the guards, he gave them a warning.
"Do not attempt to see what we have inside these things. If you do, you will die a long and agonizing death,"
It took a minute before a brave soul relieved him of his weapons pouch, shurikin holster and backpack. Four more brave guards took his student's things.
The lead guard then turned back to Gandalf. "Your staff," he requested.
"Oh, you would not part an old man from his walking stick?" he cheerfully pleaded.
*"Bullshit,* Minato heard Hoshi mumble through faked coughing and had to hide a smile.
But the guard seemed to let it slide and led the group in. Gandalf leaned on Legolas to support the illusion that he needed a walking stick.
The golden hall was quite magnificent, despite the malignant atmosphere. At the end of the hall sat Theoden, King of Rohan. And next to the king sat his advisor, Grima Wormtongue.
Minato had to fight from letting his feelings of disgust show. Grima looked like Orochimaru of the Sannin had lost a good portion of his IQ and forsworn hygine and good taste in clothes. Minato had no idea where to start with the King, so he just let it go.
The heavy wooden doors were closed as soon as they entered the hall. Immediately Minato and the rest of the team looked for exits.
"There is probably a back door, and the windows look promising," he thought. "But then again I could just kick down the door,"
The jonin also made note of the men trailing them along the walls. They didn't appear to be much of a threat. The worm was whispering into the King's ear, no doubt words against them.
"The courtesy of your hall has somewhat lessened of late, Theoden King," Gandalf addressed the weaken man in a powerful voice.
The greasy man whispered something else into Theoden's ear, causing the man to raise his head.
"Why...should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" he spoke slowly and flatly. Minato was shocked that someone hadn't addressed the problem earlier. This man was far gone in the genjutsu that held sway over him. Thw worm left the Kings side, declaring:
"Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear,"
"What are you talking about, it's barely midday!' declared Obito. Minato closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. All gazes fell upon the Uchiha. Grima's pasty face curled into a sneer.
"And just who are you to question me?" he hissed.
"Gandalf's minion," Obito responded with pride. The advisor turned his attention back to the Old man.
"So you have gone as far to poison the minds of children?" he snarled slightly.
"Be silent," siad Gandalf, clearly annoyed. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth! I have not passed through fire and death to deal with a witless worm" he finished, almost shoving his staff into the advisor's face.
"His staff," gasped Wormtongue. "I told you to take the wizard's staff!"
The men from the walls moved in, attempting to take Gandalf's staff. Minato quickly intercepted two, grabbing their collars and smashing their heads together. His students attacks a couple, knocking them out in a matter of seconds. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli weren't half bad at taijutsu either. Minato became dimly aware of the power radiating off Gandalf. In the corner of his eye, he saw Gimli and Obito each put a foot on Grima's thin chest.
"I release you from this spell," Gandalf whispered, holding out his staff and hand toward the afflicted King. Instead of doing anything, the man laughed.
"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey," he sneered.
The Old wizard simply cast off his grey cloak, revealing that he was clad in white. Minato felt a ripple of chakra go off through the air, and Gandalf's levels triple.
"I will draw you from him like poison from a wound, Saruman," he said evenly, hiding great hatred so well that the jonin could barely tell it existed.
Gandalf seemed to be pushing the force to get out while it fought to stay in. He was beginning to feel sick. The process reminded him too much of the extraction of a bijuu he had seen on a mission to the Village hidden in the Waterfall. Minato felt himself begin to shake.
"If I go," he threatened. "Theoden dies,"
The vision of the broken and bloody body of the tailed beast's former container swam across his eyes. It took every once of his self-control not to vomit right there and then. Minato felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" asked Aragorn. The Yellow Flash swallowed a lump that had formed.
"I will be as soon as this is over," he whispered, thankful for the ranger's concern.
Gandalf forced the power back again. "You did not kill me," he declared. "You will not kill him,"
The possessed King's face twisted into a grimice. "Rohan is mine," snarled the possesser.
"Begone!" he commanded, slamming the King's body back into the throne. For a minute, it writhed there, before jumping forward with a cry. Gandalf met him, seemingly striking the King on the head with his staff. With that it was over.
The King pitched forward and a blonde woman ran forward to catch him. Slowly, the feeble, elderly Theoden regained the color in his cheeks and hair, lost his wrinkles and wild beard, and the spark returned to his eyes. Minato released a breath that he didn't know he was holding. To his surprise, so did his entire team. He walked over to Hoshi, who was looking drained.
"Is that what it was like to extract a bijuu?" he asked. The jonin nodded.
"Very much like that, except that the jinchūriki died horribly,"
Rin walked over to her teacher. "Take this, Minato-sensei," she handed him a flask.
The yellow-haired shinobi shuddered slightly as the medicine flooded through his system. One day Jiraiya-sensei was going to pay for taking him on that trip.
Shaking his head, Minato returned his attention to Theoden King. The King was grasping a long broadsword, which he seemed born to use. Then his eyes locked on the cowering traitor, held in place by Gimli and Obito. Minato held back a cheer when he saw the worm get dragged out the door by two guards. He and his team quickly followed them out, second in line to Theoden himself.
Kakashi was beside himself with how the situation had turned. If there was one thing all of Konoha, Senju and Uchiha alike, could agree on, was that there was no punishment to harsh for a traitor. It was with morbid delight that he watched Grima Wormtongue get tossed down the stairs. It disgusted him how the sniveling coward tried to save his hide from the properly outraged Theoden.
"Send me not from your sight!" he pleaded while crawling backwards, away from his former thrall. Clearly it was the wrong thing to say.
With a cry, Theoden lifted the sword over his head to smite the turncoat. But Kakashi nearly choaked in shock as Aragorn stopped the King.
"No my Lord!" he cried. Then calming down, he whispered:
"Let him go, enough blood has been split on his account,"
Kakashi saw red. "What do you mean let this traitor go?" he cried, jumping down to grab ahold of the fiend so it wouldn't get away.
"Are you insane?" cried Rin. "Much more blood will be spilt if you let him go!"
"Do not send him from your sight, Theoden King," added Hoshi. "Interrogate him, then kill him. Grima Wormtongue knows Rohan's weaknesses more than Saruman. Let him go, he will flee to Isengard, taking with him all of his knowledge,"
Kakashi was then joined by Minato-sensei in guarding Grima. Aragorn looked distressed.
"Are you incapable of mercy?" he asked.
"It is better to be incapable of mercy than to be incapable of common sense," spat Kakashi.
Much of his respect for the ranger was gone, but not lost. May the Hokages forbid that Aragorn expirience such a lapse of judgement ever again.
While the man seemed unaffected by his words, the ranger's old grey eyes told a different tale.
Theoden must have seen that, for he answered:
"As noble a thing it is to do, my friend, your companions are correct in denying his release. He carries too much information for us to just let him go. Grima's crimes are many, and he must pay for them," Rohan's king turned to Kakashi.
"My I have your name, masked one?" he asked.
"Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi," he said with a bow. He dully realized that it was the first time he said his last name.
Theoden moved on to his teacher.
"Namikaze Minato," he bowed also.
He looked around until his eyes landed on Rin.
"Rin, Theoden King," she smiled and bowed.
Kakashi nearly laughed when he saw the King's eyebrow raise slightly upon seeing Obito and Hoshi.
"I am Uchiha Obito, and this is my brother, Uchiha Hoshi," he slapped his foster brother on the back.
Hoshi gave him a small smile. "My your horses be healthy and your pastures green, Theoden King," he said before giving the ruler a bow.
"Will you take this man to the dungons and make him comfortable for me?" he asked.
"Hai, Theoden-sama!" they said in unison, snapping to attention.
The King nodded graciously. "Gamling, will you show them the way?"
The guard who had taken their weapons away bowed. "Of course, my liege," he walked over to where Minato and Kakashi were standing with the worm. "If you would just follow me please," he said. Minato picked up the Advisor and dragged him after Gambling, with Kakashi, Rin, Obito, and Hoshi following close behind.