The Perils of Dimension Hopping | A Naruto/LOTR Crossover

Chapter Seventeen: Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

The old man blinked down at her in surprise. "Now that is a name I have not heard in a while," he mused, frowning down at her, bushy grey eyebrows knotting together the longer he stared down at her – like she was some sort of puzzle he had yet to work out.

Clapping a hand over her mouth, she stumbled back, lines marring her brow as she tried to figure out the odd sense of familiarity and kinship she felt then. Pain stabbed through her temple, images trying to surge to the front of her mind at the feeling of the oddly familiar warmth he seemed to radiate, similar to her caretakers and Madara. "Uh, sorry mister," she said, chewing on her lip as she looked up at him. Why did he seem familiar? What was Inner keeping from her?

"No harm done, child—"

"Mithrandir!" The sound of Glorfindel's voice had her spinning around, eyes widening when she spotted the familiar golden-haired elf making his way towards them. "And Sakura..." he murmured, turning to stare down at her with a bright smile. Everyone always seemed to smile so much there. It was oddly infectious.

But Sakura didn't feel like smiling. Not with how Madara was acting towards her and her wish to stay there in the strange happiness.

"So this is where you disappeared to..." Yet another cheerful, elvish voice had her turning on her heel, and Sakura blinked at the sight of the twin sons of Lord Elrond. She frowned, wracking her brain for their names. Elrohir and Elladan. Rubbing at her aching head, she peered up at them, confused as to what they were doing there – and evidently it showed on her face. "We thought you would be in the library with your precious friend..."

Sakura pouted at the reminder. Madara was being idiotic and mean. "Don't want to be around him," she grumbled, folding her arms. He was being so stupid... why couldn't he just see that? If he could just open his eyes and look...

A worried look passed between the twins, but Sakura ignored them both, wondering what exactly she should do next. It wasn't like she wanted to go home. So she wouldn't feel guilty about not helping Madara. She belonged in that world.

She just needed to find why – it was what she needed to do. As well as figuring out how she was supposed to use her mokuton in that place. The rules were different, and she needed to figure them out. The sooner she began, the better.

"Shall we head to the gardens then?" Elladan asked, tilting his head in question, offering out his hand, and Sakura abruptly realised they were her minders for the rest of the day. Let it be said that elves were very careful with their children. Though Sakura could admit that was probably because they were so few. She hadn't learned absolutely nothing in her time there, contrary to what Madara thought.

"Sur—"

Pain. Sakura stumbled, clutching at Elladan's hand for support as the images – the sensations – flooded her mind. Agony. Acrid eyes. Thick, dark, roiling power. Torn. Tearing. Floating, unable to take form. Then... darkness. Emptiness. Void.

"Don't go there," a voice ordered weakly, and Sakura blinked in the odd black space she stood it. It kind of looked a bit like the time when Ino had invaded her mind... Only the figure staring back at her – the voice which had spoken – belonged to a mirror image of herself rather than a figure of white outlines. "You're too small... and your body is far too weak to bear the strain of those memories..."

Sakura blinked. That pain was a memory? She shivered, frowning then. Because she had no memory of that pain... which meant... "Who are you, Inner?"

"Sakura?"

Snapping back to reality, Sakura stared around. Was the world spinning? Lifting her hand, she brought it to her nose, embarrassed as she realised her nose was running. But a hand grabbed her own, wrenching it away from her face, and Sakura blinked, confused at the red smear across her fingers and palm. It looked like blood, she mused, as the world tilted on its side.