Glorfindel was late. There is just one reason he would be late for their sparring. He will try to introduce her to one of those impressionable elves. The ones who had seen her abilities. She was perched in one of the trees, autumn orange leaves falling, when her onyx eyes caught sight of two blond elves. Kana found herself momentarily comparing both shades of golden; she found it interesting that the two tones reminded her of the sun, albeit in different ways.
Glorfindel had hair like a radiant gold with the warmest undertones of a summer's day, something like liquid sunlight if that were possible.
And Legolas had in his hair something of the softest rays of the dawn, traces of melted pale gold.
The funny thing was, the same could be said for their personalities: Glorfindel, vibrant as a summer's day, and Legolas, serene and graceful as a soft dawn.
Kana stood, motionless, as she listened to their pleasant voice in that very beautiful language. She understood better, lately.
"... I'm just warning you not to get your hopes up. Lady Kana keeps herself very secretive and all attempts to introduce her to someone were in vain since she simply disappears in the air. Literally."
"I know." - The other blonde nods with a knowing smile on his face.
Glorfindel stared at the prince, one brow arched as they approached.
"Did you hear about her before, Prince?"
"Prince?"- Kana is surprised by the new information.
"Something like that." – He replied, looking anxiously up, searching for her. Kana had purposely placed herself in a genjutsu, curious to see if the Mirkwood archer would sense her presence.
"As I said, we usually train here a few times a week. She's always here before me though. I don't know how she does it, but every time I brought someone over, she didn't show up."
Glorfindel says, in an apologetic tone. Kana studies the archer's concentrated expression, who focused his gaze on the tree she was standing on. He opens his eyes, and she is distracted by the celestial blue for a second longer than is appropriate.
"Kana?" – He calls, like she was visible, taking her out of her daze. She should be bothered that he noticed, even if she wasn't trying hard not to be noticed. Surprisingly, she isn't particularly bothered that he knows where she is.
Kana undoes the genjutsu, and land on her feet, right in front of him, inches separating them.
"Oops. Too close." - She thinks, a little embarrassed, taking a discreet step back.
"Legolas. – Kana greets him, moving her head to look at his face since he was taller.
"Are you friends?" – Glorfindel asks curiously, because they call each other by their first names with familiarity and, moreover, it is the first time that she seems vaguely receptive to any other elf other than himself, Erestor, Halleth, and Elrond.
"Friendly acquaintances." – Kana says and notices Legolas pouting adorably.
"For now. I have every intention of doing what I said the last time we met."
She smiles behind her mask as she sees the elf obstinate in his self-imposed task of becoming her friend. Maybe she would try to make it easier for him. After all, he saved her life once. And Eiko absolutely adored the elf.
"Mnnn." – The Uchiha tilts her head and looks at Glorfindel. - "So, the sparring?"
The elf in question looked with a slightly puzzling glare between the two and, following his instinct, declared:
"Actually, I came to warn you that I won't be able to practice for a while. There are many tasks Lord Elrond wants me to do these days. But if neither of you minds, you could train together."
"Finesse, thy name is not Glorfindel." – Kana thinks with amusement, while Legolas readily accepted the commander's suggestion. She scrutinizes him, a phrase echoing in her head that made her hesitate to accept him as a sparring partner.
"Rule 26: A shinobi must, if possible, avoid injuring or offending members of the nobility, whether from Konoha or foreign ones, to avoid disruption of existing diplomatic relations."
"As long as I don't cause turmoil for any royal bruises...?"
"I get the impression that you will inevitably cause turmoil, shinobi. But certainly not for bruises from this royalty."
There's a hint of defiance in the prince's voice. She can't help the mischievous smile that breaks out across her face and is oddly pleased when he returns an exciting look of his own.
Training with Glorfindel was fine and all, since the oldest elf was experienced and more agile than most of his peers – but, for the first time in Middle-earth, she felt that distinct contentment and vibrancy that she felt when training in Konoha, with Saori Yamanaka, her best friend, and training partner.
Legolas was not her friend (yet, a little voice in her head whispered, eerily similar to the voice of said elf). But she couldn't deny that she had a soft spot for him. Enough that, amid all the mess that was her life at the moment, she actually found herself looking forward to his company. That could be in the form of friendly sparring, the minutes he spent playing and entertaining Eiko when he wasn't around with the rest of his escort, or the brief waves and exchange of words when they saw each other in the halls.
Faramir was hopeful that his father would finally look up to him after this quest. He would do everything in his power not to let his father down because, for the first time, he had chosen him – him, above even Boromir! – to an important mission.
When he first set eyes on Rivendell, after the long journey and countless bandit attacks and encounters with a few orcs, he was absolutely grateful to the Valar that he had the opportunity to see the elven realm with his own eyes.
Gondor was his home, and it was beautiful, and he would never leave it for any Elven kingdom in the world. But he would have been deeply disappointed if he had not been able to see that magnificent place. Everything there was amazing. The landscape, the graceful and intricate architecture of the palace and the attached residences, the library steeped in history... And, most of all, the breathtaking art in the tapestries of these corridors.
The light was softly spreading across the room from the atrium, and he was having a hard time knowing what to focus on first, when he was startled by the still figure, with a book open under his legs, watching him with a friendly smile.
"The elven art is really impressive." - The man nodded and Faramir closed his mouth open and tried not to look too much like an admired child before he remembered that neither his father nor any of those disingenuous court nobles were there to judge or humiliate him for his curious nature. The steward's son gave a small smile.
"Yes, It is. I can't decide which direction I look."
He refused to be embarrassed by crediting arts and crafts; there was more to the world than war and politics, contrary to what some people liked to tell him.
"You wouldn't be the only one; even after so many years, I usually feel exactly the same way."
The other man's expression (for evidently this was not an Elf) grew even more open and Faramir could tell almost instinctively that he was going to like the man.
"Do you regularly visit Imladris? I hear that few mortals have this privilege. By the way, I'm Faramir. I'm actually kind of nervous to be here." – The blonde probed lightly and introduced himself.
"Yes, I… visit regularly. You can call me Strider."- The brunette smiled and added:
"You have no reason to be nervous. Men of the south are welcome in Rivendell."
The blonde nodded and continued his exploration, leaving him alone to read. Faramir headed toward the center of the atrium. There was a sculpture at its center, the shape of a warrior holding a shield with a solemn, almost melancholy expression. Above the shield there was a white cloth covering it and, on this, fragments of a blade. Faramir heaved a deep, awed sigh, recognizing that piece of history that was so intricate with his home.
"The fragments of Narsill." – He whispered, looking at Isildur's heritage, momentarily forgetting the mysterious man's presence and falling into a contemplative silence.
"The sword of the king." – The man thinks, an old longing manifesting in his heart. Boromir believed that Gondor did not need a king because their family ruled the white city very well for centuries. It was true that Gondor was prosperous, and past rulers were, for the most part, good rulers, but Faramir believed that something essential was missing. Something only the true king would be able to supply.
"When we were little, my brother and I heard stories about the king. We thought we would be the generation that finally saw him reclaim his throne." – The blonde had a distant expression as if lost in memories. – " Then we grew up. And if he were here now, he would surely say that I am a fool for seeing more in this sword than just pieces of a lost heirloom."
"And what do you see?" – The man asked.
"Hope, I suppose." – Faramir replied, giving the man called "Strider" a sad smile and a distracted wave as he withdrew to reflect, missing the other's guilty expression.
Aragorn stood up, staring at the shards of Narsil, an anguished sigh escaping him.
"Why do you fear the past?" - A female voice asked, and the presence of Arwen walking softly until she reached him dissipated some of his anguish, simply because she was there.
"You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate."
But even his relief from having her near was temporary. He couldn't selfishly revel in his peace, not when so much was expected of him. He just didn't know if he was capable of living up to those expectations. He just wasn't enough.
"The same blood flows in my veins." - Aragorn says, looking at the elf that his foolish mortal heart decided to love, but that he shouldn't. Like Isildur taking what was not supposed, he now craved something that, in the end, would only bring anguish to everyone he loved. - "The same weakness."
Arwen moved closer, seeing in the man's expression that stubbornness that bespoke a deliberate retreat.
"Not like that, my dear." - She thinks, taking a step towards him and trying to convey that now there was no reason for him to walk away. Not from her, not from his destiny.
"Your time will come. You will face the same evil, and you will defeat it."
Amidst the doubts, Aragorn drank in the comfort and happy memories that Arwen's words evoked, reminding him of days when he didn't have as many burdens as he has now. And he tried to see in himself the strength she seemed to see in him.
The dining hall was filled with its usual occupants, much more crowded than the last few times he had been in Rivendell. The prince took another sip of wine, knowing that a small amount would not affect him in the least. Around him, the elves who had come with him from Mirkwood were talking among themselves, but he was a little removed from them and quieter than usual, distracted even. Although the sensory load around him was higher than usual, he still struggled to be aware. After all, it was likely that, at any moment, the most energetic little girl he had ever met in his life would ambush him with a surprise hug, risking taking them both down in the process. Eiko was surprisingly strong for such a small human child and he was lucky that the only people who saw him get knocked down were the child himself and Kana.
"Why do you look like you're about to be ambushed?" - Elladan's voice catches his attention.
"Now, you are not suspicious of us just because of that innocent little incident on your last stay here, are you?" – Elrohir teases and Legolas rolls his eyes, remembering with some irritation the many small incidents that Elladan and Elrohir committed every time he decided to spend some time in Rivendell.
"Caution around you is a requirement of survival. But no, this time I wasn't expecting a prank from any of you."
"Oh? Not ours, but someone else's?" – Elrohir noticed.
"If there's a prank war going on nobody told us, I'm going to be offended." – Elladan declares, placing a hand over his heart and an made an exaggerated expression of indignation.
"No! There is no prank war going on!" – Legolas said, a hint of alarm with the twins already looking at each other and certainly planning chaos. Elladan was about to say something (certainly something Legolas - or anyone in Rivendell, really - wouldn't like), when a blur figure came running towards them, exclaiming a "Lele!" cheerful and climbing the Prince of Mirkwood as if he were a tree. Legolas, thankfully, was firmly anchored to the ground, managing to balance himself as the child quickly adjusted her arms around his shoulders and legs around the elf's torso. It was so fast that the twins could barely understand that it was the little girl they had seen with Haleth and that Legolas was giving her a piggyback. And he actually looked pretty pleased about it.
"Eiko, what did I say about your surprise 'attacks'? It's dangerous. What if I let you fall and you got hurt?" – The elf tried to scold, but Eiko could very well see the blonde's exasperated smile.
"But Lele! Can't you see I'm helping you? Kaa-chan always says that one of the rules of a ninja is that 'a shinobi must prepare before it's too late'. That way you'll be prepared if an enemy tries to attack you out of nowhere!"
"Rivendell is safe. Nobody will try to attack me, apart from a certain stubborn little girl." - Legolas declares. When all she does is bury her face in his neck and mutter incoherently, he raises an eyebrow in confusion.
"Eiko? Could you repeat that? I could not understand." – He asks gently, sensing her hesitation. The little girl stares at him with sad eyes that are surprisingly mature for her age.
"Nowhere is truly safe. You think you're safe until something terrible happens. And it always happens."
Though Legolas wanted to try to convince her that it wasn't true, he knew it would be useless if Eiko was speaking from her own experience. And unfortunately, she didn't seem to be merely repeating something someone said, the child actually believed it. The blonde looked at the twins, having no idea what to do to cheer the child up. Fortunately, they would know what to do to distract her since they would have some experience with children, unlike Legolas.
"I wouldn't mind if you helped me prepare for surprise attacks, what about you, Elrohir?" Elladan commented lightly.
"It would be an excellent opportunity. Unlike Lele, we would appreciate your commendable efforts, little one."
The blonde scowled at his teasing but didn't say anything. He was, however, quite surprised when Eiko eyed them suspiciously and shook her head emphatically.
"I can't. Eri said I shouldn't be around you."
"Who is Eri? And why would he say you shouldn't be around us?" – Elrohir asked, perplexed.
"He says 'terrible influences should be kept away from pure children' and 'don't make the same mistake a third time.'"
At this point, Legolas was coughing to hide the laugh he wanted to let out, knowing from the start who Eri was.
"Ouch! Old Erestor is saying that about us? How could he?" – Elladan commented and then approached the child with a positively mischievous smile. – "Hey, Eiko, Erestor was just being jealous, he doesn't want to share you because we are much funnier than he is and you would not spend time with him after being our friends. We could have lots of fun together."
"Lots of fun? Really?"
"Uhmm. Really. We love games and playing around." – Elrohir added. She eyed them doubtfully, almost tempted to test the veracity of the statement, but turned her face away, pouting.
"It doesn't matter. If Eri says I shouldn't be around you, then I'll listen to Eri, even if you guys are more fun. Because Eri is my friend first. And! He seems to usually be right about things. Just like Kaa-chan. Now, excuse me, but I'm here for Lele, who certainly appreciates my help, even if he doesn't say it out loud. Can we go somewhere far from bad influences, Lele?"
Now Legolas was no longer hiding his laughter, nodding and smirking at the twins, whose identical disbelieving expressions were hilarious. He would definitely remember the day when the most playful elves in Rivendell were rejected by a child. From what he could see of the other elves that witnessed, he wouldn't be the only one.
"Erestor will be so proud when he hears this." – He thought.
"Well, excuse me." – He says, the amusement seeping into his tone as he walks Eiko to another place.
"So, you mentioned your... Kaa-chan." – Legolas says, trying to remember the term that Eiko always used when referring to Kana. – "I didn't see her with you. Is she in her room?"
"Nah. Kaa-chan is around, she never really leaves me alone. She just doesn't like to be around other people I guess. Also, the wizard who isn't evil said she should talk to him after the feast, so I'm sure she's somewhere near."
Legolas arched an eyebrow in surprise.
"She was invited to the Council?" – Asked the elf to himself. He heard from Eiko and Aragorn that Gandalf and Kana had come to Rivendell together after suffering at the hands of Saruman, but he did not know that the wizard and even Elrond trusted Kana to this extent. That was good to know; if even Lord Elrond and Gandalf were willing to trust Kana, then he was not a fool to want the friendship of someone his father had considered a possible threat.
He was suddenly looking forward to the Council if only to find out how Kana was involved in all of this. After entertaining Eiko and, at her request, leaving her in the company of the five hobbits chatting happily, time passed quickly, and soon it was time to assemble at Lord Elrond's request.
They were directed to what he recalls was a music room, although all the instruments were removed. The acoustics inside were great, although outsiders could barely hear anything thanks to the building system and soundproofing techniques on the outside of the room. The place was spacious and bright, despite lacking the usual windows. Instead, the high glass dome was the only source of light.
Legolas paused imperceptibly in his steps, also noticing that there was only one way out of the room, making the meeting room an impossible place to enter or leave without everyone seeing, and for a moment he wondered if it was a coincidence or if it was on purpose. He's not sure if the others noticed, but that room was essentially snooper-proof. What they discussed inside, no one would hear outside, and unless someone dared to climb to the ceiling, no one would see what happened there.
Somehow, contrary to his belief that no one would sneak in without getting noticed, he still managed to lose when Kana joined Gandalf and Frodo. They sat down in their respective pre-assigned seats. He was unhappy with the arrangement for proximity to the dwarves.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old." – Elrond speaks, and Kana admires the elf's ability to get everyone's attention in a few seconds, with tacit authority despite the soft tone.
"You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor."
Everyone settled into their seats, which were arranged in a circle and, in the middle, an empty pedestal. Kana is listening to what the elf says, but her eyes prefer to watch those who have been summoned. She had found out from Gandalf who would attend the meeting and had watched them occasionally during the last few days, mindful of any suspicious behavior, looking for a spy.
Elrond and Erestor both looked at her in shock as she gave a report; "neither of them looked suspicious", she said and described their usual activities. She did not understand why they were so astonished until Gandalf explained that they were not planning to watch over any of those who were invited.
"But it's the perfect opportunity" – Kana argued – "for them to make a move. Rule 9: A shinobi must use their knowledge of the enemy to anticipate an attack. If Sauron is so desperate for his ring, he might have sent someone willing to die to try and get it back."
Glorfindel asked her to tell them more about what she thought would happen at the council, and after learning about where it would be held, Kana could say with certainty that for a possible war scenario they weren't paranoid enough. Thankfully, she was there and convinced them to change the council's location to a more suitable one.
"Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate — this one doom."
"So dramatic." – The Uchiha thinks and her eyes stray to one of the bookshelves that were left behind in the preparation of the room for the meeting. Then she looks at the cabinet against the wall. Erestor told her that it was not necessary to remove the bookshelves that had the books containing the repertoire of different songs, nor the storage cabinets for maintaining the instruments. The music room had been the best choice in terms of strategic location, and no one would go unnoticed unless they were a ninja.
"Or if they were already here. Good move, Eiko." - She smiles, knowing full well that the child was hidden along with three hobbits who would not be left behind. She could feel Eiko's chakra inside the cabinet, and two more presences behind the bookshelf.
"Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
The hobbit beside Gandalf stirs, looking at him and receiving an encouraging nod. Kana still felt vaguely uncomfortable around him, from the strange energy normally around his neck, which was now in his pocket. Frodo removes the ring from his pocket and holds it in a tight fist until he places the object on the pedestal.
"So this is the ring." – Kana stared suspiciously at the unpretentious object. The energy she had felt earlier was becoming stronger, from something dormant and directed, slowly expanding. Beyond her, whispers ripple through everyone present, but she's too busy wondering why there was something familiar about the way the energy around the ring was gradually shifting and building up.
"Isildur's bane. "A blond man said, a hint of awe in his voice. Two of the men accompanying him nodded their heads in agreement and one of them seemed to be eyeing the object with too much desire to be normal.
"Although they're not the only ones." She considered, meeting similar gazes from elves and dwarves alike, albeit to a lesser intensity. The race of men seemed most affected among the others. No one dared speak for a few seconds and she had a bad feeling the energy around the ring was getting darker. Her discomfort increased and she was surprised when she began to hear whispers in her mind, of how she should take the ring and go to Sauron, that he would protect her family and that he would be able to help her return to Konoha.
"Genjutsu?" – Kana frowns, discreetly trying to dissipate any influence the ring was trying to exert on her. Gandalf, Elrond, and a few other elves glared at her and she mentally complained about how sensitive these people were to chakra.
"Can we use it against Sauron?" – One of the men asked (not the blonde, who was clenching his jaw and looking away from the ring, Kana noticed).
"You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers Sauron alone. It has no other master." – Aragorn, the man she presumed to be Arwen's boyfriend, said in a determined voice. He, as well as the blond man, seemed to be the ablest of men to resist the constant and growing influence of the ring.
"Aragorn is right." - The Prince of Mirkwood speaks, something like approval directed at the man. From what she had been able to observe in recent days, this Aragorn was a friend of the elf.
"Actually, he is very familiar with the elves and this place. It even seems that he grew up among them ... Mn. Weird. Wasn't the consensus that elves don't tangle with mortals? What makes Aragorn different?"
"Aragorn? Isildur's heir?" – Faramir asks, looking effectively shaken and surprised by the revelation.
"Was not Isildur the king who cut off Sauron's fingers and the key to winning the War of the Last Alliance? He was ruler of which kingdom... Condor? Where? Wait, he said heir. Does that make Aragorn king? No, by his surprise, I would say he is not king, but he certainly has a right to claim it, if he is closest in the line of succession."
Aragorn nods uncomfortably. Faramir and his escort go noticeably quiet after the confirmation and even some of the other races are eyeing him appraisingly, so Kana is sure she'll spend a few hours researching Middle-earth politics just so she doesn't feel so outdated.
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."– Elrond intervenes, returning to the subject they should discuss.
"And what are we waiting for?" – A redheaded dwarf asks and Kana agrees wholeheartedly. Rule 07 was clear: a shinobi must eliminate any threat before it causes damage to the nation. If the whole point was to destroy the object, why deliberate about it? Unless, of course, it wasn't that simple, which she found out from the same dwarf, who tried to destroy the object with his axe only to have the impact knock him a few feet away, the blade of his axe shattering in pieces. The ring was still intact.
"What the hell?"
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came."
That energy from before? It was definitely more hostile and much harder to resist the influence. Now it felt more like a genjutsu, and one that was brutal, if she was honest. It attacked her mental defenses in a violent way, but Kana had suffered worse intrusions in the past and her mind was quite protected after all the practice she had with Saori Yamanaka.
She had never been so grateful to allow her friend to practice some of her techniques on Kana. Besides, tips from a member of the Torture and Intelligence department were invaluable in this situation.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. And even though the great Eye occasionally disappears, that's even more unnerving than when it was always watchful." - Faramir says.
"The Ring must be destroyed!"- Legolas reiterates, looking sternly at Faramir and a heated argument ensues as dwarves accuse elves. Soon, nearly everyone else had risen from their seats, the tension building ever higher, each of the people implying that they shouldn't trust the other with the task of destroying the Ring on the chance that one of them might keep the Ring for themselves. Gandalf moves a little, seeming to think about how to defuse the situation.
"This facsimile of genjutsu is powerful." – Kana comments rhetorically, not talking to anyone in particular, but the hobbit hears her anyway.
"What is genjutsu?" - Frodo asks eagerly to divert the concentration of the fight in front of him. She watches him with intrigue, seeing how the hobbit seemed the least tolerant of being carried away by the ring, even with pain. If he wanted a distraction in the form of conversation, she'd be happy to provide it. It might as well help her, as she too needed a distraction from the malicious whispers that tried to break through her mental fortress.
"Illusions, basically. The energy that manipulates the emotions, actions, thoughts, or senses of reality. This one is using our heart's desires, or creating desires and whispering promises, presumably in an attempt to trick someone into taking this ring to his master. It's the most potent genjutsu I've felt since coming to Middle-earth."
"Is it possible to fight these whispers?" - He inquires hopefully, in a whisper.
Kana doesn't know if it's because he has a fragile and innocent look about him, which reminds her a lot of Eiko (who must surely be distressed too, now that she thinks about it), or if it's simply because she's just as bothered by the whispers, but she wants to do something. She couldn't try the usual method on Frodo, as she didn't know what effects her chakra would have on being inserted into the hobbit's body, but she had an idea.
" I will try something."
Gandalf looked about to do something too, but when Frodo called out Kana's name with alarm in his voice, the wizard turned just in time to see the young woman with blood on her left hand and a dagger in her right. Neither he, nor the other occupants of the room who were paying attention to more than their own discussions, had time to ask for explanations. In a flash, the woman was standing before the pedestal, using her own blood to etch strange symbols into each end of the rectangular base.
It took Kana six seconds, to surround the ring of kanji painted in her blood at the base of the stone, and mutter a "Genjutsu Restraint". Immediately, the arguments stopped and several let out a surprised or relieved sigh, everyone's emotions neutralizing. The bad part, Kana shifted uncomfortably, was the attention she now had.
"Kana, what did you do?" – The wizard asked her, looking impressed while the Uchiha shrugged, emitting one of those vague "hm" that was a non-answer and the wizard started to associate it with her.
"You really made the whispers stop." Says Frodo with a shy smile.
"I'm just suppressing it for now." – She looks at the small aura around the ring, something similar to plasma forming a small and translucent box containing the ring. Black smoke began to circulate inside.
"Tsk." – She clucked her tongue, genuine irritation seeping into the gesture.
"That annoying ring pours out genjutsu like a human breathing."
"Decide the person in charge of the mission." – Kana says, sullenly, when they remain to look at her dumbfounded instead of doing something useful and adds, a little sarcastically:
"I'm not particularly a fan of bleeding, but if you keep procrastinating I'll have to do it again when the barrier wears off. I would say you have an hour at most."
This seemed to snap them out of their torpor, and while the others were now talking more quietly and neutrally, deciding who would carry the ring, Glorfindel approaches, a particularly grim countenance, unlike his usual friendly one. Taking out a white handkerchief embroidered with a golden flower, he wraps it around her hand and wipes it gently.
"Stop hurting yourself, Kana. For Eiko. Please." – Glorfindel says very softly, almost in her ear, and she meets his eyes with an honest and serious concern inscribed on his face. Kana frowns, confused by his gravelly tone.
"What does he mean? It was just a superficial cut. And why does it seem like he's referring to more than this one cut?" - She doesn't come to a conclusion, not when Legolas' voice pulls her out of her thought process and Glorfindel walks away.
"Are you fine?" – Legolas asks, looking at her with concern. Kana has to look away to not let him see her cheeks heating up, although that would be impossible with the mask covering her. She responds with a small nod and a "hm-hun".
"Oh, for the love of… stop blushing, Kana Uchiha. That's a perfectly harmless and polite question, stop being ridiculously self-conscious about him just because he looks worried." - She scolds herself, forcing herself to look at him like a normal person. She noticed that Glorfindel had returned to Elrond's side with a knowing smile. One that was remarkably similar to what her friend Saori gave her when she suspected Kana fancies someone. Which, for the record, this had only happened once, and she was a 12-year-old girl, so she shouldn't be judged for something completely normal for a girl that age.
Of course, Saori was still quite happy to tease her about it even when she was 15 and her crush on the head of the Yamanaka clan had long since faded. God, that was embarrassing.
"I'm fine. It is just a scratch, Legolas." - She dismisses and the other looks ready to protest, but Faramir's voice prevents him from starting.
"Lady Kana, can't you take the ring? You seem to have the means to stop the ring's influence, and even before, you seemed unaffected by it."
"It affects me. Not too much, but It does. And I'm not going to take that ring and take full responsibility for..." – She pauses, waving her hand generally around the room. – "Whatever this mess is."
"But...!" - One of the men complains, although the look of the elf at his side quickly silences him.
"If the lady does not desire to take the ring, she will not take the ring." - Says Legolas, raising an eyebrow in defiance of the man who had protested.
A silence ensues, though she feels the gazes of the majority pressuring her to change her mind.
"Uh. I should have just let them strangle themselves." - She mutters mentally.
"I will take It." – Frodo says, breaking the silence and diverting attention from her.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though — I do not know the way."
Gandalf closes his eyes, looking resigned. The wizard then smiles at the hobbit and places his hands reassuringly on Frodo's shoulders.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."
Aragorn rises.
"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." – He kneels down to bring himself closer to Frodo. – "You have my sword."
It's Legolas' turn, beside him, to move decisively and stand in front of the hobbit.
"And you have my bow."
"And my axe!" – Gimli said, looking grimly at Legolas as he joins the group.
"Well, that settles things. Elrond is as dramatic as any other in Middle-earth."
"My skills are at your disposal." – Faramir said, with a soft smile and a slight glance at Aragorn.
"Faramir gave a normal answer… Ah? Will the hidden hobbits finally reveal themselves?" – She thinks, just before the unmistakable noise of a door opening is made, and a hobbit named Sam yells.
"Heh! Mister Frodo is not going anywhere without me!"
"Sam! You've ruined the infiltration mission!" – Eiko whimpered, running to Sam and holding the hem of his sleeve. Sam mumbled "Sorry Eiko, but this is important, I can't leave Mister Frodo".
"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not. And you, Eiko, don't think that Lady Kana will overlook this." - Elrond says, exasperated, but she manages to tell that he is having fun. Eiko hid a little behind Sam, looking at Kana with wide eyes and swallowing hard.
"Actually I was totally going to overlook that." – Kana thinks, almost wanting to scratch the back of her neck, awkwardly.
"Wait! We are coming too! You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us! "
"Any way you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest… thing."
"Mission sounded better." – Kana said and regretted it when she met the gaze of Elrond and Gandalf.
"Will you join us, Kana?" – Gandalf asks. Kana notices that both the wizard and Frodo have a very hopeful expressions on their faces (and so does Legolas, now that she noticed). Eiko looked uncertainly between Kana and the others, seeming to want to ask a thousand and one questions.
"I make a deal, didn't I? I will help in any way I can." – Kana finally says. Something a lot like tenderness enveloped her when he patted her on the shoulder and looked proud of her.
"Ten companions… So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" - Elrond stated, satisfied.
"Kaa-chan, where are we going?" – Eiko asked thinly, running towards Kana and urgently grabbing her arm.
Kana gulped and ruffled Eiko's hair.
"Mn… We talk about this later, Eiko?"
But Eiko was a very perceptive Uchiha and Kana notice the moment the child got to the right conclusion and started to cry and shake her head, clinging to Kana tightly.
"No. No." Eiko sobbed, looking at her with those bright brown eyes full of sadness.
Kana looked at the newly formed Fellowship of the Ring and at Elrond, gesturing vaguely at the child and saying a soft "I'll sort it out". She took the little girl's hand and vaguely noticed that Elrond had urged everyone outside the Fellowship to return to their normal duties.
Kana chose a wall near the closet Eiko was hiding in and sat on the floor, gesturing for Eiko to sit opposite her. The child did so, used to sitting on the floor when Kaa-chan wanted to have one of the "serious talks".
"Damn it. This is going to be hard isn't it?"
Kana sighed, looking at Eiko with as much kindness as she could.
"Remember what we talked about, Eiko? How, one day, I'd have to look for Katsuo and Riki, and I'd probably have to leave you, but just for a little while?"
"Yeah, but you said one day, not now!" - Eiko said, upset.
"We're not going now, Eiko. Look, it will take at least another week, maybe even a month. We still have a lot to decide before going on a mission."
"I-I could come along. I can help!" – Kana shook her head.
"It's dangerous, Eiko. It's my fault I put you three at risk in the first place, and I won't make the same mistake again. Here, at least, you'll be safer than in a tavern with no one to look after you."
"Someone who will make sure you don't put yourself in danger just to look for me." – Kana thinks sadly, remembering what happened the last time she trusted that the children would obey her. In the end, Kana concluded, it didn't matter so much that they didn't obey her; she was responsible for them. It was her fault for thinking mere children would listen to her.
"No, Kaa-chan! Please don'go! Please!" – Eiko shouted and hugged her tightly, sobbing. Kana squeezed her back, trying to calm her down and succeeding with reasonable success. At least the girl was just sniffling now.
Glorfindel walked over and looked between the girl and the Fellowship. Kana nodded, understanding.
"Eiko, I need to talk to my mission partners. Why don't you go with Glorfindel for now?"
"Don' wanna." – Eiko said, burying her face even more against her elven tunic (now unfortunately stained with tears and phlegm). – "If you really leave, I'll stay as long as I can with you. Please."
Kana sighed and relented.
" All right. But you need to be quiet, understand?"
"I will. Pinky promise you, I will." – Eiko said, finally looking her in the eyes, her face red and with snot. Kana stood up, with the child in her arms.
"You wouldn't have another handkerchief, would you?" - She asked Glorfindel. He denied it and then said goodbye to her, leaving the meeting room with Elrond. Kana approached the Fellowship, who now seemed to be in that strange familiarizing phase. The Uchiha calculated, from what little she had learned of each other's personalities, that the squad's dynamic would be mostly harmonious; the only potential conflicts she saw so far were between the elf and the dwarf and the two men in their party if the uncomfortable tension between Faramir and Aragorn was any indication.
"...and the one who joins us now is Kana. Please, why don't you introduce yourself to her?" – Gandalf said, when the Uchiha approached, including her in the conversation.
Kana sat beside Legolas as they told her their names. The elf extended his arm offering her one handkerchief. She looked at him gratefully, wiping Eiko's face and listening carefully to the ideas and details of the mission she had unintentionally become involved in.
"If there were any other way, I wouldn't leave you, Eiko. But I need to find them and this is my best chance." – The teenager pondered, melancholy, all the time gently stroking Eiko's head.
"So, let me get this straight. Does Frodo need to carry the ring to Mount Doom and throw it there? In this place called Mordor?" – Merry asks, pointing to the location on the map. Aragorn nods and Merry swallows. – "Just... please tell me this is an aesthetic name, only to frighten enemies."
"No, Meriadoc. I can assure you that the place is not named like that just for aesthetics." - Gandalf replied. – "And that's why we have to choose wisely the path to get to..."
The mage stopped mid-sentence, when a crack came from the pedestal the ring was on and the organic energy within returned to circulate between them. Everyone sits rigid in their seats, feeling the influence slowly return.
"Couldn't you do the same trick again, ma'am?" – The dwarf asked Kana, but before she could answer, she was surprised that three different voices answered with a resolute "no". She looked from Gandalf (no surprise there, the old man always seemed to think she was his responsibility), then to a slightly embarrassed Frodo and the elf beside him who narrowed his eyes at the dwarf.
"Just asking."– The redhead grumbled, shrugging.
"We should take into account the ring's influence when choosing which path we'll take. We cannot ask Lady Kana to injure herself every day just to ease our minds of this evil influence." – Aragorn states, tracing the suggestions the members had given: from the Mines of Moira, the Redhorn Pass through the mountains, the gap of Rohan and through the western end of Enedwaith.
Everyone's mood turned a little darker. Kana wasn't much for comforting anyone, but she thought that on this occasion perhaps they should know what she thought about the choice of Society members.
"I do think you won't need much of me to resist the ring's genjutsu anyway. From what I've seen, you have a much better level of mind control than most of these lands."
"What does that mean, Lady Kana? And what is this genjutsu?" – Sam asked, intrigued. Frodo answered the last question by telling what he had learned from Kana earlier.
"Exactly. Where I come from, there are people who are naturally inclined towards genjutsu and therefore can more easily resist this type of attack. In analogy, I noticed that hobbits are the 'naturals' in genjutsu, at least when it comes to resisting it. Closely followed by the dwarves. Istari next, I suppose, and then elves and finally humans."
"Can you tell that just by watching us? Nice!" – Pippin exclaimed. Kana clarifies:
"I can feel some of the energy that circulates in you. At home, we call it chakra, but I'm guessing it's not the same type of energy, although they are similar."
"Fascinating. I look forward to learning more about what you're talking about, Lady Kana." - Faramir said. He seemed to really enjoy hearing about it and the Uchiha thought he was definitely the studious type.
"If I may ask…well." – He paused uncertainly and looked around, suddenly looking unsure of how to phrase his doubt. Pippin, however, knew exactly what the man was going to ask because she was having the same doubt.
"What you are?" – Pippin completed and complained when Sam elbowed him.
"Pippin!"
"What? Everyone is curious anyway and it's not like we aren't asked this question all the time." – The hobbit spoke.
"It's fine, Sam." – Kana said.
"See? She doesn't care." Pippin grumbled, still rubbing his aching sides.
"I'm human." – Kana replied, receiving varied expressions of skepticism. Gandalf was the only one who seemed to accept her answer, as he had already asked her that particular question, and Kana replied that, despite her abilities, she was still human at the end of the day.
"Of course, a human whose 'gift' has been removed, but no one needs to know that."
"Lassie, normal humans don't do what you do." - The dwarf said.
Kana shrugged. It wouldn't make sense to waste time talking about chakra or how she could do what she does.
"So... As a human... Could you give me some advice on... Hm. You know." – Faramir asks, looking nervously at the ring. Kana nodded, truly grateful that Faramir seemed quite open to communicating and accepting advice, regardless of her being a woman (this world was quite patriarchal and she had glimpsed more than once in the human villages that a woman was rarely listened to in important matters).
"Strengthening your mental defenses is essential. Meditation helps with this and building a mental fortress too. But if all else fails and you're desperate to get out of genjutsu, the pain usually works. At this level of power, sticking a knife in your thigh would be enough. I guarantee your brain will think more about pain than about illusions and empty promises. For a while, of course."
She saw several of them wince at the solution she proposed. They continued to deliberate on the paths to Mount Doom, and Kana listened to them with only half attention, too busy thinking that soon, she wouldn't have Eiko to hold like that anymore.
"Rule 06: A shinobi must be willing to make sacrifices for the good of their people."
Kana already missed Eiko, and she hadn't even left yet.