Finding Family | A Naruto/LOTR Crossover

Chapter Three: The Elfling in the Forest

Sakura huddled in the darkness, water dripping from every inch of her soaping clothing. The thick tree roots kept the worst of the wind from reaching her, but she was still bitterly cold. Her shoulder twinged, reminding her about the arrow embedded in it. Blood dribbled from the wound made by the black metal, each drop leaving making her feel that much weaker. She needed to deal with it soon. Biting her lip, she listened out for the sounds of the strange men searching for her, silently praying they'd already left. They were strangers. Unknowns. Sakura didn't like the unknown. She'd always buried her head in the books, always learning, so nothing was unknown to her. The unknown was scary.

And now she was knee-deep in the stuff.

She shivered, barely keeping her teeth from clicking together as she sat in the unknown forest, with unknown people from her own unknown clan looking for her with a terrifying amount of tenacity. Dizziness made her vision swim, her breath coming in soft pants as she slumped back, her body all but begging her to shut her eyes and take a nap. She couldn't though. She wouldn't. If she closed her eyes, there was no guarantee they'd open again. The medic inside her told her that much. Shuffling herself to a sitting position, Sakura froze, staring at the booted foot just about visible in the dim lighting.

It was right outside her hiding spot. Sakura swallowed, halting all her movements, quietening her breathing as best she could. She hadn't heard a damn thing.

"No sign of the little one?" The boot shifted, a second coming into view seconds later as the people outside her little hidey-hole spoke to one another in a language she could understand. They were her people now, so it was hardly surprising she could understand them. "She couldn't have gone too far."

"Perhaps she's hiding..."

Sakura stiffened. Why did they have to be smart?

"Likely so." Another set of boots came into view a little further back than the other pair. "Nevertheless, we need to find her. She had an orc's arrow in her shoulder and I fear what would happen to the little one if it were to go untreated."

Her eyes narrowed. Why would strangers want to help her? She chewed on her lip, confused. Had they been infected by Naruto or something? Tears welled in her eyes. Not that Naruto was there or anything. The universe wouldn't have been that nice to Team Seven. She'd nearly died once already, and she wasn't going to risk bringing that number up to two by interacting with the strange pointy-eared people. Blind trust was Naruto's area of expertise. Not hers.

"What would you have me do, Lord Glorfindel?" The second pair of boots moved further away. "Check every nook and cranny of the forest? The trees don't seem to be offering any answers about a lost little mortal child."

Silently, Sakura cursed her luck. She was trapped, and they were likely about to start searching. Her eyelids flickered. Though maybe she might fall unconscious and be spared the pain... The acrid taste of blood filled her mouth, teeth sinking deeper into her lip. She didn't want to die again. It hurt.

She stared out from her hiding place, heart pounding in her chest as the boots in front of her crinkled, knees bending as the strange man decided to check there first. If she'd been stronger, she likely would've thrown the middle finger up at the universe. Of all the places he could've checked first, why did it have to be her actual hiding spot? Her throat was dry, green eyes blinking owlishly as they met a surprised grey set.

"Oh." His hair was golden, braided back in a style Sakura thought had died many years before, his jaw sharp, teeth annoyingly white. "Feiron, I found her!"

"Already?"

Sakura shrank back, silently wishing she could meld into trees like the First Hokage. It would've made her life a hell of a lot easier, and she'd have actually been able to avoid the hand reaching towards her. The man, Glorfindel her mind supplied, reached for her slowly, crooning in that strange language she couldn't understand for the life of her. Why didn't he speak the one she could actually understand? A low hiss escaped her lips, closely followed by a whimper as the arrow shifted in her shoulder. He was reaching for her, seemingly unaware of her wariness – or her tendency to bite, as he soon found out.