AN:

Words cannot discribe my thanks. But Thank you to Anonymous Reviewer, Purple Pallbearer, GlidingOne, DreamingIn2Eternity, WolfDemon1000, and atwistedconundrum for the *beautiful* reviews. And Thank you to atwistedconundrum and WolfDemon1000 for putting this on your story alerts list!

Sorry to disappoint you guys/gals, but this is not the Warg bashing chapter. It was going to be, but then I got sidetracked...

Thank You all for the reviews and comments! It boosts my morale and fosters inspriration!

Looking back on it, I really wasn't clear that I was going to seperate the overall story into bits. But since I did, well...ON TO THE STORY!

Minato was promptly dragged out of the room by Hoshi. He was worried when the boy had collapsed, for it showed all the signs of, what he dubbed, shadow clone shock. Hoshi's clones lasted for days and often refused to disipate, even when severely wounded. So when they did disipate, Hoshi was sturck with days worth or information coming at him, so he usually passed out. What baffled Minato was when his student had made this clone. The jonin remembered that the boy made one on the way to Amon Hen, but that was killed by an Uruk-hai.

Minato was then jolted out of his thoughts when his tall student pulled him into a small room.

"Please sit, sensei," he said, gesturing to a stool. Minato did sit, though he gave the odd boy a warning look. Hoshi usually had to be in charge or have a final word in any matter that he came across, which often got him it trouble. The yellow-haired teacher often had to remind him that he was not in charge.

Hoshi sat down too, rubbing his temples. "I made a clone to look for you in the Mines of Moria," he started. "But it got lost,"

Minato folded his hands, intrugued.

"Eventually, it found the way back to our tunnel," he continued "It put your kunai that you gave me in a niche in the tunnel, so you probably could go there right now,"

"Really?" murmured the jonin. "This is a new development," he thought.

Hoshi inhaled deeply. "My clone would have gone up the tunnel, if not for the arrival of another team,"

"So there is another team of shinobi out there," stated Minato. This was shaping up to be good news. "Was it a Konoha team?"

The pale genin nodded. "Aye. My clone led them out of Moria through a window that opened up to the mountian side. I believe that we ended up assisting the elves of Lothlorein in battle against the goblins of Moria. I also have vague memories of flooding some of the tunnels,"

The jonin raised his eyebrows. "Cleaning out the place?" he asked.

Hoshi nodded. "Something like that. We didn't enter the city, just staying at an outpost at the edge before traveling via river,"

"So the scrolls were a help?" asked Minato.

"Indeed they were," said Hoshi. "The team my clone was with was tracking us, so the scrolls told them that we had been there and that the elves were friends."

The Yellow Flash nodded, glad to have been of some help to their former hosts.

His student continued on with his tale. "They continued along on the path we had oringinally took, however..."

Hoshi had paused and buried his forehead into the palm of his hand. He looked up, and said:

"I directed them to Isengard," he winced.

"The home of Saruman?" Minato said with slight disbelief. "Did you do so in hopes of destroying it?" he asked.

Hoshi nodded. "But I didn't tell them that. They were under the impression that going Isengard will give them information on our whereabouts,"

Minato was not likeing how things were turning out. "What happened when you got there?" he asked quietly.

His student winced. "Saruman captured my clone and invited the team into his services..."

The jonin was on the edge of his seat. "And?" he prompted with a whisper.

Hoshi gulped. "And they accepted,"

Minato's eyes widened then narrowed. "Just who's team was it anyway," he asked, deathly calm.

"Team Orochimaru," he said with a shudder.

As soon as the King declared his decision, Rin had hustled away her team to prepare for departure. Luckily, not much had been unpacked, packing was finished in a flash. Kakashi was sitting on the bed in their guest room, holding his backpack. Obito had removed the kettle, filled it with water and blasted it with a fire jutsu to purify it. Rin took the opportunity to clean her medical supplies.

"What do you think Hoshi wanted to talk to sensei about?" asked Kakashi.

Obito shrugged. "Beats me. Probably had to do with a premontion or dream. He often has really bizarre dreams,"

Rin had observed Kakashi through out the 'mission' and had seen a few changes. He had opened up more, and was more likely to take a joke. He did not stick to the rules as much, and was a lot more content. She hummed a tune as she polished off her scapels. The instruments rusted to easily for her comfort, but they were an important and necessary part of her kit.

There was a knock on the door, so Rin turned and called:

"Come in!"

Lady Eowyn opened the door just as Obito spat out another blast of fire, causing the poor women to yelp. The Uchiha gave her a large smile.

"Thank you for the room! It has a good fireplace," he said, before taking one of their many waterbottles and filling it with the boiling water. Rin sighed.

"Be careful, Obito. I am not healing any burns you get due to carelessness,"

Kakashi snickered. Obito scowled and bandished a capped bottle at him.

"No water for you!" he declared.

Rin gave the shocked lady an apologetic smile. "They are like that all the time," she said.

Eowyn blinked and said:

"Is it normal for your people to breathe fire?"

Rin nodded. "Well, not everybody breathes fire back at home. But in Obito's family, in order to be considered an adult, you have to master The Giant Fireball Technique,"

The Lady nodded. "So this is not an inborn ablility?" she ask hesitantly.

"Nope, it is something you must learn," Rin answered while putting away her cleaned supplies.

They stood in silence for a while until there was a knock on the doorframe.

"Excuse me, Lady Eowyn. But we have to get in there," said a pleasent voice.

She jumped and turned pink. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, while getting out of the door frame.

Minato gave her a smile. "Its fine," he said while slinking into the room. Hoshi followed him in.

"I came here to let you know that we will be leaving shortly," she said, eyes on Minato. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked.

Minato shook his head. "I am all set," he turned to his students. "Are you all set?"

Kakashi nodded, as did Obito and Hoshi. Rin nodded as well.

"Thank you for the offer, my Lady," Minato said with a smile and a bow of his head.

Lady Eowyn crutsied and left.

Hoshi gave a heavy sigh as he packed his things. Obito gave him a look as he handed his foster brother five bottles of water, which Hoshi put in a storage scroll.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Hoshi nodded. "There will be an ambush on the road to Helm's Deep. Be on your guard, for I am not sure when it will occur,"

The whole team nodded.

"Everyone ready?" asked Minato. "Then let's go,"

Team 7 had decided to walk beside the three members of the broken Fellowship, but it was easier said than done. Theoden King had the wisdom to heed Minato's subtle warning of an ambush and had any fighters on high alert at all times. Obito drank in their surroundings as he walked beside Gimli's horse. Hoshi had been offered a horse, which he ended up accepting. As a result, the tall boy became the pack mule. At the present moment, both genin were listening to Gimli talk about dwarf women to Eowyn, who was leading his horse.

"It is true you don't see many dwarf women," he said. "But infact, they are so alike in voice and appearence, they are often mistaken for dwarf men,"

Obito stifled his laughter, as Eowyn looked back towards Aragorn for affirmation.

"Its the beards," he said, gesturing. Obito gave a howl of laughter. Hoshi sighed and rolled his eyes.

"We have a clan back at home a lot like that," explained Obito when he calmed down. "The men look and dress exactly like the women. You have to look at their chest in order to tell the difference,"

Hoshi frowned. "Are you talking about the Hyuuga clan?" he asked.

Obito grinned, folding his arms behind his head. "Of course I am! Who else would be like that?"

"The Aburame clan," he said flatly. "They completely cover themselves with clothing, so one cannot tell who is who, let alone gender,"

Aragorn looked interested. "Why would they cover themselves up like that?" he asked.

Hoshi looked rather uncomfortable. "They are a clan of insect tamers, and have formed a relationship with a certian type of beetle. Members of the clan basically offer themselves as hives for the beetles, who follow their orders in return. That would be the most likely reason why they would cover up like that," he said with a shudder.

Eowyn looked faintly revolted at the information.

Aragorn merely said: "Ah,"

Gimli laughed. "Woe betide all who cross their path," he cackled, before returning to the previous topic. "The simliar appearence has given rise to the belief that there are no dwarf women, and that dwarfs spring out of holes in the ground!"

Gimli's genstures and tone of voice caused Eowyn, Obito and Hoshi to laugh.

"Which is, of course, rediculous," he added. Then for one reason or another, the horse the dwarf was riding on bolted. Eowyn attempted to hold on to the reins, but they slipped from her grasp.

Gimli fell off the horse, axe and all.

"Oh, dear," muttered Hoshi as he gave Obito the reins for his horse, then jumped off to get the runaway steed.

Gimli was on his back, waving his short limbs in the air. "I'm alright, no need to panic!" he cried as the smiling Eowyn ran over to the dwarf. "It was diliberate, It was diliberate," he insisted as the blonde lady helped him up. Obito shook his head. He listened as Theoden talked about his niece, Eowyn. The tale was familiar to him, but with a few details changed.

A young child whose parent is killed and the other succumbs to grief. Then the orphan is taken in by a relative who doesn't care for them as they should, left to fend for themselves as the world came crashing down upon them.

Hoshi returned with Gimli's horse, presenting it to Eowyn, who took the reins. The lanky boy strode over to his horse and swiftly mounted it.

*"No sign of Isengard's wolves,"* he whispered into Obito's ear. The Uchiha nodded. He hated being on theather hooks, waiting for an attack to come.

Around midday, they stopped for lunch. Obito was delighted to quiet his growling stomach with a few riceballs. He and Hoshi sat beside Aragorn, who seemed to like the company. Or maybe it was because Hoshi offered him some chocolate. Obito really didn't care. Lady Eowyn approached them with a pot of stew.

"Oh dear," muttered Hoshi. Aragorn gave the boy a confused look.

"I made some stew," she said shyly. "It isn't much, but its hot,"

She filled the bowl and offered it to Aragorn, who politely took it. She turned to Hoshi.

"Would you like some?" she asked him. The dark-haired boy showed her a wooden bowl filled with berries and bits of fish.

"I am all set, but thank you for the offer,"

Eowyn gave Obito a nod, aknowledging his presense. Aragorn seemed to regret taking the bowl. She handed Aragorn a wooden spoon, who took it.

"Thank you," he said quietly. Hoshi had set down his meal to watch the ranger intently.

Obito nearly laughed at the way he reacted to eating the obviously horrible stew while Eowyn was watching. The man managed to swollow the 'food', eventually saying:

"It's good,"

There was a look of such joy on Eowyn's face when Aragorn said that. "Really?"

She then walked away, her back toward the group. When she was far enough away, Aragorn slowly began to pour out the stew, much to Obito's delight.

"My Uncle told me a strange thing," Eowyn turned around again to face the ranger, who ended up spilling the stew all over his hands in an attempt to hold on to the bowl. Obito stuffed an riceball in his mouth to stifle his laughter, but only succeeded in choaking on the rice. Hoshi sighed and thumped his foster brother on the back, dislodging the rice.

"He said you rode to war with Thengal, my grandfather," continued Eowyn. "But he must be mistaken,"

Aragorn was silent for a moment before speaking. "King Theoden must have a good memory. I was long gone when he was born,"

Eowyn knelt down to their height. "You must be at least sixty,"

He shook his head. Obito was fascinated.

"Seventy?" she tried. When he didn't affirm the response, she said in disbelief:

"You cannot be eighty,"

The ranger was silent for a minute before mumbling. "Eighty Seven,"

Obito's jaw dropped. A look of realization crossed Eowyn's face.

"You are one of the Dunedain, a descendent of Numenor, blessed with long life," she said in awe. "I thought your race had passed into legend,"

Obito was flabbergasted. "Hold it right there!" he cried. "How in the name of blessed Sage are you eighty seven, but you look like you are thirty. And you don't even know genjutsu!"

Hoshi put a calming hand on his foster brother's shoulder. "I will explain it to you at a later date," he said soothingly.

Obito sighed, before perking up again. "Passed into legend? Why would you think that?" he asked Eowyn.

It was Aragorn who answered his question. "What is left of my people dwell in the North. Our Kingdom was destroyed a long time ago," he answered softly.

"Oh," Obito looked saddened. "Sorry 'bout that,"

Aragorn gave the boy a small smile. "It is not something for you to be sorry about,"

Obito smiled. Hoshi had turned back to his meal, which was nearly gone. Eowyn was looking intently at the fine-boned boy. She then turned to Aragorn.

"Are you related?" she asked. Hoshi's pointed ear twitched, but he did not look up.

Aragorn was confused. "To whom?" he asked.

Eowyn gestured to Hoshi. "To him,"

The boy had been hunched over the bowl in a protective manner, but he straightened up cautiously.

Aragorn was giving Hoshi a hawkeyed look, which caused the shinobi to fidgit slightly.

"There is a possiblety," he said after a long pause.

Eowyn turned to Hoshi, but the boy suddenly stood up and yelled:

"We'll be right there, Minato-sensei," he grabbed Obito's upper arm and began dragging him away. "Sorry, but duty calls," he chuckled awkwardly.

"At least let me get up on me feet first!" the goggle-wearing cried as Hoshi dragged him away from the confused pair.

Eldarion finally breathed a sigh a relief when everybody had been walking along for three minutes. Now all three shinobi were in the front of the coloum, scouting. Obito was complaining to Kakashi about his quick escape.

"Smooth, Hoshi," Kakashi said to him sarcasticly.

"It was the only thing I could think of!" Eldarion snapped, the tips of his ears burning. "How would you act if you were in my place?"

Kakashi went silent. Legolas' blue eyes flicked toward them, then returned to peering out at the horizon, searching for enemies.

Two of the Rohirric scouts were riding below them, and one of their horses was uneasy. Eldarion's horse was acting up also, tossing it's head and refusing to move forward. Minato-sensei's eyes widened.

"DUCK!" he screamed. The entire team hit the ground as a large, dark shape flew over their heads. Except for Eldarion, who by virtue of being on a horse, was unable to dodge the flying mass.

The thing knocked the air out of him as he was pushed off the horse, which by some miracle was unscathed. Hitting the ground with a jolt that definatly broke a few bones, Eldarion prepared to be eaten by what he decided was a warg. Instead, he was licked in the face and drooled on.

"Where the HELL have you guys BEEN?"