#narutolotr

Chapter 1

Summary: A quest to gain and lose it all.

Comments: I’ve been gone for a while... oops

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto. Also, I’m not sure of the rating yet so anything can happen.

Kakashi stared into Naruto's unbreakable wide stare. His mouth opens in a small gasp that escaped his lips after hearing what the wizard said only a minute ago. The older man understood the human man's frozen stare. He too, if given that statement, would've also been in disbelief.

"Wh-" Naruto gasped his head, leaning his elbows on the table in front of the two- "What do you mean this can give me my kingdom back?" Naruto snatched at the scroll harshly, not caring about the damage he could do to the clearly old parchment. Kakashi, however, had to hold himself down to try and rescue the paper. "How could this Elfish scroll give me my kingdom back? This is not something to joke about, you wizard."

Kakashi rolled his head slightly, trying to sooth the strain in his neck. Perhaps telling Naruto the meaning of the scroll so soon was a bad idea he thought. The man seemed to be having a mental breakdown- he expected shock, but the once prince seemed like he was about to cry. He looked back towards Naruto; he couldn't see his face but his shoulders were shaking well. Indications of crying, Kakashi believed. The wizard sighed behind his mask, "Naru-"

"Well, why the hell didn't you say so sooner?"

Abruptly the Kakashi turned towards Naruto who, instead of having tear stained cheeks like he expected, was full out grinning. A craze look in his azure eyes that showed his excitement was beyond comprehension. The wizard did not know what to make of this sudden change of emotion. However, he guessed, it was better than his former expression- he always enjoyed seeing the broad, unimaginably large grin of the prince during his younger days. Days, where he would watch Naruto from the Uzumaki gardens as the young child of the time, would run to the queen to show her the frog he caught- before it hopped out of his small chubby hands causing him to cry. Days where he had a place to live in comfort. Days when his family was alive and a golden crown was placed on his head. Days that were not like this one.

"Why are we waiting then-" he pointed to one of the images blindly- "If this piece of paper can give me back my kingdom why are we going now!" Naruto bellowed loudly, heads turning in their direction before another upbeat song came from the busty women they were watching.

"Naruto, keep your voice down," hushed Kakashi. "You don't know who could be listening."

Naruto quickly shut his mouth before giving the tavern a look around making sure that no one caught his words exactly. Content when all he saw was men continuing to sway or pass out at the bar he looked back at Kakashi with a sheepish grin of apology. The wizard sighed into his mask.

"Sorry." Naruto turned back to the parchment, taking one more quick glance back into the swarm of boozed bodies to ensure no one was looking their way; Kakashi did the same silently. "Then where to, wizard?" Naruto questioned. "Aren't we wasting time?"

"Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi said, "it's dark out, we can't get any traveling done tonight." He watched as the human slumped in his seat- the flush of his cheeks showing his remaining drunkenness. "And, we have one stop before we can begin our journey."

"Why?" the blonde questioned with a huff. "We have our map, we need not go anywhere else first."

In the image of the human's great triumphs and victories, Kakashi seemed to forget how small minded and unobserving Naruto could be. "Who-" Kakashi waved his hand toward the paper again- "is going to read this map? Unless you have taken up the Elvish language while we have been apart?" It was a small joke, but Naruto gave no laugh of amusement to the comment.

Instead, Naruto looked down to the small for the hundredth time, the delicate script made of confusing swirls and tight connections liter the surface of the paper. Even if he tried with all his will, he knew that without an elf in presence he would never know the words of the paper. However, he also knew that any elf would rather die before doing something for another race. "Arrogant bastards," he thought.

"Wait," Naruto jolted up, "Does that mean we are going-"

"Ah-" Kakashi turned the paper over slowly a tiny seal in the shape of a fan in one corner- "We have to go to the Uchiha lands."

Naruto tried to keep down a small shiver that wanted to follow up his spine. He could remember only one time in his youth- when his parents were alive- when he came across Uchiha elves. A small group of messengers came to his family's castle to deliver a message to his father. Though he did know the contents of their message that day he would never forget the eyes of one grown elf that gave him a side glance. Their eyes were dark and unwavering. As a child, he felt as if he were falling into a dark hole the small second he locked eyes with the grown elf. Their kind, he remembered thinking, was scary. The thought made him grab his sword at his side tighter.

"Could… Could," Naruto coughed to cover his small stutter. "Couldn't we go to the Hyuuga's instead?" The Hyuuga's may not be any better, but Naruto knew Kakashi had some standing with the King of that clan. "Surely they could read this script?"

Kakashi remained silent as he listened to Ume screech at a couple men who were getting a little handsy with the entertainment before he added, "No, this is strictly Uchiha, no one else could read it, but one of their kind." Naruto gave understanding with a grim nod.

"Well-" the wizard grabbed the parchment and began to roll it back up- "the journey to their land is far. I will meet you at the edge of the village when the sun breaks over the peak." Kakashi stood from his seat, making his way around the table. Naruto was about to retort before being given a knowing eye from the Wizard.

"Flush out your drinks and be prepared to travel. Tell then."

Naruto blinked and the wizard was gone.

 >>> 

 "I'll meet you when the sun breaks over the peak my ass," the young prince grumbled.

Feeling the heat of the noon sun beating down on his clad black, Naruto debated whether he should leave with the wizard who was hours late to their dispatch. Ever since his childhood, the wizard has never once been on time, but the blonde thought that just this once, for something important, he would show on time.

Gripping his long sword's hilt, Naruto cursed, "When I get my hands," he paused and threw his hands up in the air. "You know what, never mind, that wizard can be fed to the orces! I'm leav-"

"How do you expect to leave without a guide?" Kakashi called out from behind Naruto. The masked man watched as Naruto pivoted to face him. Knowing he was going to be yelled at, Kakashi put his hand up to give his excuse, "Sorry, I must have had too many drinks last night and I-"

"Liar," Naruto yelled. Kakashi he knew, did not take a single drink the night before. Sighing Naruto rubbed his face with his gloved hand in annoyance. Even he had no idea how in middle earth he could put his trust in this man. "Let's just go before I change my mind about your words, wizard." He turned in his boot and began to walk away from the small village.