Finding Family | A Naruto/LOTR Crossover

Chapter Eight: Many Meetings

The halls Glorfindel carried her through felt horribly long and had an alarming amount of fancy decoration – whether it be tapestries or paintings, and Sakura felt her attention constantly being pulled from one interesting object to the next. She just needed to locate the exits and have a good idea about the layout of the building should she need to escape. It wasn't because she had a child's attention span. Definitely not. Sakura shook her head, ridding herself of the thought

The sound of a sharp rap had her twisting around in his arms, her fingers tangled in his tunic as she stared at the heavy wooden door in front of them. There were carvings on it, like woven rope curling around the corners, and Sakura reached out for them – before she realised what she was doing and how utterly childish it was.

She was not a child... and as such, she wouldn't run her fingers over the intricate carvings.

She had already indulged herself by staring at all of the tapestries and paintings on the way to the office. At least that was what she assumed it to be, given Glorfindel had said they were going to meet a rather important figure in Imladris. Anybody important had an office to call their own.

The door clicked open, and another pair of grey eyes met Sakura's own.

"Lord Glorfindel," the elf spoke, blinking rapidly as his gaze flickered between her apparent minder and her tiny pointy-eared self. "You have returned to us later than expected. Lord Elrond has been concerned by your delay."

"Erestor." He inclined his head in greeting, and Sakura found that Glorfindel's tunic became that much more interesting all of a sudden. He kept staring at her. Though evidently he cottoned on to her discomfort and hurried on his way, as he had been doing so before he'd caught sight of the pair of them in the hallway. No doubt there'd be gossip about some orphan the golden-haired elf had found on patrol. Sakura shuddered at the thought of being at the centre of gossip.

"Enter," a voice called, possessing that same unnerving tone, an almost musical lilt which all of her new kin seemed to possess. A weird Kekkei Genkai? Sakura could only guess.

Glorfindel walked in, revealing bookcases lining the walls of someone's study – though Sakura could only assume it belonged to the elf sitting behind the desk. He was dark haired, unlike the pair of them, and when he looked up, Sakura was greeted by his silvery-grey-eyed stare which quickly darted up to land on her minder.

"Glorfindel, my friend!" he exclaimed, smoothly climbing to his feet. "You have returned to us..." he murmured that much more quietly as he strode across the room to greet them. "You were nearing on three days overdue, and I feared what might have befallen you. Though I believe the answer to that question may lie in your arms," he remarked, and Sakura gulped as she once again found herself the receiver of that silvery-eyed stare. "Who might this young lady be?"

Sakura barely repressed the squeak that wanted to claw its way out of her throat as she turned and buried her face in Glorfindel's shoulder. She chided herself a few seconds later. How terribly childish and timid of her. But still, she didn't move from the comfort and safety of that tunic.

She looked like a child, so she might as well act somewhat like one. That was right. It was just an act. She was a strong adult who didn't have access to her most important resource which made her that much stronger. Well, physically at least.

"Might you be willing to share your name with us, little blossom?" Glorfindel asked, eyes boring down into her own, and had Sakura actually been a little child, she might have caved. But she was a mulish adult, who quickly hid her face back in his tunic, much to what must have been their exasperation.