Finding Family | A Naruto/LOTR Crossover

Chapter Nine: One Elfling. Two Elflings...

Sakura swung her short legs back and forth as she sat in the armchair, heart racing as she watched the two older members of her new clan discuss her circumstances. Being that she was an orphan with no prospective family members. Dimly, she wondered what would happen? They seemed like a nice clan from what she had seen so far, but Sakura knew she could never be too careful. Silently, she admitted it was nice to have people there who seemed vaguely concerned for her wellbeing, what with how she was unfamiliar with the terrain. She had literally just died and been reborn – at least that was the line of thinking she had settled on.

There wasn't anything else she could really think of, given how the memories of her painful death were still fresh in her mind. She didn't want to die again.

Pulling her knees to her chest, she listened as the conversation carried on over her head, mulling over the fact she would be considered a ward of Imladris for the time being. That was a decent outcome, or so she presumed, given she hadn't exactly been very cooperative – what with being stubbornly silent. But it wasn't like she was afraid to talk, she was just simply waiting until she had a better grasp of the situation.

Her eyes narrowed, a knock at the door startling her out of her stupor.

"Lord Elrond!" the frantic cry came, and Sakura blinked, tension pooling in her gut for some unknown reason, and she soon found herself leaning against the back of the armchair. She was anticipated. For what, Sakura knew not.

Though the answer soon came in the form of a group of three elves with pale hair. Not as bright as Glorfindel's though, or so Sakura thought feeling oddly prideful. She shook her head. Why was she feeling proud simply because the one who found her had hair which was like strands of gold gleaming in the sunlight?

But it wasn't the presence of the three elves that shocked her to the core. Instead, it was the small figure in what had to be their leader's arms. She wasn't daft, but she hadn't really considered the possibility that she hadn't reincarnated there alone.

Because that was Sasuke there in the elf's arms.

She wasn't alone.

Her vision grew blurry then, tears spilling down her cheeks before she even realised it. Relief. Happiness. Grief. Love. Emotions crashed over her like waves, and Sakura wept, hating the soft sounds which escaped her even as Sasuke was fussed over by this Lord Elrond fellow who ran the place she was seemingly going to be staying at.

It helped that the tears only added to her childish act – because of course it was all an act. Shinobi didn't cry in the middle of an unknown situation surrounded by unknowns. Though they were her clan now, or so Sakura had decided. There was nothing else they could be, what with their similarities and the fact they hadn't tried to kill her for being born into a rivalling one.

"He was so cold when we found him atop the old watchtower," one of the unknown elves spoke, and Sakura leapt down from the armchair, little legs carrying her over to where Sasuke was set down – wrapped up in a travelling cloak, much like she had been upon her brief travel.

Dark grey eyes slid open then, from where they'd been shut – no doubt in an attempt to block out the strange new world – blinking a few times at the sight of the people around them, before they slid onto her and widened.

Sakura burst into tears yet again, silently scolding herself as she sprinted over to him almost entirely on instinct, leaping up onto the sofa he had been set down upon, ignoring the startled elf kneeling on the floor beside him as she tackled her dear teammate in a hug.

He was real, she mused, neither of them saying a word as they hugged each other then and there. Eyes were on them, she knew, but Sakura couldn't really bring herself to care. Because Sasuke was there, and she wasn't alone in that scary new place. But it was then a thought occurred to her... because if Sasuke was there... was Naruto there too? Kakashi as well? She couldn't help but ponder those thoughts, worry and amusement bubbling up inside her.

Team Seven had always had such a strange luck.

"SASUKEEEE!" Sakura's head snapped around at the high-pitched familiar voice. "SAKURAAAA!" A small, blonde blur was all she caught sight of before she was body slammed into the cushions. "What took you so long to get here?" Naruto demanded, and Sakura was fairly sure she saw the beginnings of tears in his eyes. Tears of relief. Not the same tears she had spilt. "Where's Kakashi?"

Sasuke merely blinked placidly. Sakura joined him in that endeavour. She hadn't spoken a word in ages, and the thought of doing so felt oddly tiresome.

"Three of them?" one of the adults behind them spoke.

"Where exactly did the blonde one come from?"

Sakura ignored the stirrings behind them, instead settling for poking at Naruto's cheek as he held them at arms distance, looking them up and down.

"You're alright, aren't you, Sakura?" Big blue eyes peered into her green ones, worry written there in their depths. "I was really scared when I saw you get turned to ash!" he declared, blissfully oblivious to the adults surrounding them. Oh what a terrible shinobi he was... Sakura chuckled, but it came out as more of a choked sob combined with a pitiful whine. It had hurt. It had hurt so much. But they were alive now. They were in Imladris. They were safe.

Hands lifted her up then, and Sakura blinked through teary eyes as she met those grey ones which stared down at her with such sorrow. "You are like me," Glorfindel whispered, his thumb brushing away the tears which rolled down one of her cheeks. "Oh, little blossom... is this why you have not said a word?"

Sakura said nothing, content with burying her face in the collar of his tunic. After all, a good shinobi made use of the resources around them. It wasn't like she was a child in need of comfort.

Definitely not.