Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Lord of the Rings.

A Shinobi of Middle-Earth

Epilogue

"Talking"

"Thinking"

"Spirits/Ents talking"

"Spirits/Ents thinking"

(Location: Minas Tirith)

"Hmm, no cell reception," the shinobi remarked as he stared at his phone. He had no bars whatsoever. But then again, he should've expected that. The Hokage did warn him that if he was going to send reports back, he would have to do it the old fashioned way. That would be difficult, considering that A: he was fairly certain that this continent didn't have messenger hawks, and B: he had never worked with a messenger hawk. Well, that's what he gets for begging for this opportunity for the past ten years.

Seeing that there was no point in staring at the screen anymore, he closed it and pocketed it. He walked out of the alley and back onto the street. People were bustling about, going and up down the street, giving him plenty of chances to blend in. He walked up the street, moving through the crowds.

As he walked, he looked around at the city he was in. He didn't really want to admit it, but this place made Konoha look like a ramshackle old town (which was ironic since this place was a lot older than his village and less technologically advanced). White stone seemed to be the choice of building material. Everywhere he looked, he saw white stone. It was in the buildings, the walls, and even the cobblestones. With their clean state, it gave the place a pristine look and feel. He had to keep himself from checking his sandals weren't leaving any dirt on them.

But it was more than just the city that gave it that something. It was the people themselves. They were happy. At every person he looked at, there was happiness on their faces, or at least contentment. Children ran down the streets together, shouting and shrieking in the way they do when they are having fun. Men and women were openly talking as they shopped, stood in place, or walked. They lived in peace and happiness.

"A peace my dad helped forged if I heard the stories right," he thought to himself as he continued to ascend the city. And he had heard the stories right, they were all he and his siblings had to go on for their dad. That's why he was here.

As he reached the entrance to the final level of the city, he noticed the guards standing in place before it. "Hmm, that might be a problem," he thought as he observed them. The Hokage had told him to go to the highest level of this city to start his search, but he never mentioned how heavily guarded it would be. That was just like Lord Hokage, always leaving a surprise for people.

He looked all around the entrance the surrounding area, trying to find an alternative way up. But to his frustration, the only way up would be to walk up the spur of the rock before him. It would probably be inconsiderate for the guards, but he needed to get up there. He backed away from the entrance, found a spot that was away from their sight, and proceeded to walk up the side of the rock.

At the pace he speed-walked at (running might've gotten a little too much attention), he was able to reach the top in under ten minutes. He hopped up over the edge, making sure that none of the guards saw him do that. Compared to the rest of the city, this level was relatively empty. There was a large and magnificent building back up against the mountain, but the rest was just a garden.

However, it was a beautiful garden. Flowers of all kinds basked in the light of the sun and took in its warmth. The crowning achievement of the garden was the tall white tree with silver leaves on its branches. There was an air of contentment in the garden that made him feel a little at peace with the world.

As he looked around the garden, he noticed a statue of black stone at the narrowest part of the rock, where beyond it was nothing but open sky. He walked over towards it and noticed as he got closer that it was made of marble. The statue was a man, staring out at the mountain range in the distance. Even though it was all made from black marble, he could tell that the statue had been carved in such a way that he looked like he was wearing samurai armor (and old samurai armor at that).

An odd thing about the statue was that its left hand was stretched out towards that mountain range, its fingers folded into the Seal of Reconciliation. How was it that the people of this land knew what that meant? They didn't have shinobi or anything close to jutsu. And yet, there was that seal he had seen and used many times himself while he was in the Academy. It didn't make any sense, until he looked up at the eyes and saw the three tomoe of the Sharingan carved into them.

It was only then that he realized who this statue was of. "Hi, Dad," he thought to himself as he stared at the statue of Sasuke Uchiha.

"Halt!" shouted a voice, making him turn to see a guard come towards him.

"Took them long enough," he thought to himself. But in trying to avoid a fight, he simply raised his hands to where they could be seen. "Do not worry, I mean no harm!" he shouted out in a slightly accented Common Tongue as the three guards came towards him.

"What are you doing up here? This is the Citadel!" the guard on the left demanded.

"Ah, that's where the king lives, right?"

They raised their pikes just a little bit higher at that question. "What business do you have with the king?" the guard on the right asked him suspiciously.

"I was told to go talk to him if I wanted to find what I was looking for. So, is there any chance of that happening?" It was probably a stupid thing to say, but he had to ask.

Oddly enough, neither of the guards said a reply. It was the one in the middle who wore slightly better armor. What he said was, "By the Valar."

"Captain, what is it?" the guard on his left asked him.

"Send for the King."

"Captain Beregond?"

"Go, now!" he ordered them both. They went stiff in the backs before finally lowering their pikes. With a salute, they took off for one of the buildings behind them.

"Thanks for that," the Konoha shinobi said to the captain. "It will make things a lot easier for me." He paused for a moment. "Is it possible to lower my hands now?"

"How is this possible?" the captain said, mostly to himself. "It's been well over twenty-five years since the Enemy's forces had laid siege to this city, but you haven't changed at all. My lord, how is this possible?"

"Uh, I think you might be confused about some things." He knew that he certainly was. "I'm just going to lower my hands and wait right for the king to come by." He did as he had said he would and the captain did not say anything.

It did not take long for the King to come out of the throne room and out into the garden. He was a tall man and walked with a regal stride that befitted his station. But there was also something in that station that told the shinobi that he had earned his crown, not just inherit. There were some grey hairs on his head, but they added to his dignity. The clothes he wore were of a good cut and he wore them like they were everyday ware (which they probably were to him).

"What is it, Captain Beregond?" he asked the solider, coming to a stop before him and looking him straight in the eye.

Before the man could even speak, the shinobi did. "Hi there, are you the king?" he asked Aragorn, getting his attention and the attention of his guard. "I was told to talk to you regarding my mission."

Aragorn didn't reply for he too had been struck silent by the sight of the man, just like Captain Beregond. It was like he was looking at a mirror that went back a quarter of a century. The man before him looked almost like his friend, the man known as Crabandir. There was only one thing different about him: his eyes. While the shinobi he had known and fought alongside with had black eyes, this one had eyes that were the green of newly grown grass.

But he knew that the man was a shinobi. It was clear in how he wore the headband of one on his forehead. He was also dressed like a shinobi, with black leggings and a dark blue shirt. Over the shirt was a jacket but not like what he had seen previously. There were no bulges on it that would indicate that it could hold something. In fact, it was rather plain and unadorned with a high neck guard done with the same kind of green he had seen previously. All this was worn beneath the brown of a relatively new traveler's cloak.

But even though the man looked incredibly familiar to him, he knew it wasn't who he thought it was. "Who are you, friend?" he asked.

"Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. Sorry," he apologized before straightening his back. "My name is Itachi Uchiha. I was told by the Nanadaime Hokage to find you in regards to finding my target."

His nerves cooled at those words and he calmed himself. Those words might mean something different then what he was thinking. But this was a stranger he had never met before. Caution was a good thing. "And who is your target?"

"My dad, Sasuke Uchiha," he answered. "The Hokage wants me to, and I'm quoting him directly, 'find him and drag his ass back home so he can meet the rest of the family he decided to dump on us.'"

If he hadn't met the blonde all those years ago, Aragorn would not have believed that those were his words. But instead, he just smiled. "It will be alright, Captain Beregond," he told the guard. "Go back to your post. I will talk with this man."

"As your wish, your Grace," the captain said, giving him a brief salute. He turned and left, leaving the king and the shinobi alone.

Suddenly, Itachi felt rather awkward. Here he was, before a king, and he didn't know what to say. He really should've paid more attention to those etiquette lessons Mom and Uncle Izuna had made him take. They had just vanished from his head! Fortunately for him, it seemed that the King was a mind-reader or something, for he chuckled and said, "Speak honestly and plainly. I will not hold it against you."

"That's good to hear," he said, full of relief. That relief almost vanished instantly at his question. "Soo, you knew my dad?"

"Yes, I did and I still do. He is a friend who is always welcomed in my hall whenever he comes by."

"Do you know where he is right now?" he asked, leaning forward to hear the answer.

Aragorn could hear the hope and urgency in his voice. He didn't want to disappoint the man but he had no choice in the matter. "Unfortunately, I do not. The last my family and I saw of Thorcan was well over two years ago."

The hope left Itachi's eyes at those words. But he wasn't going to give up now. "Naruto warned you that this wouldn't be an easy mission," he thought to himself. Then he frowned and said, "Wait, Thorcan? That's not my dad's name."

"It is a name that has been given to him," the High King of Gondor and Arnor told him. "It is Sindarin, an Elvish language, for Eagle-Caller."

He couldn't help but scowl. "I know what Sindarin is. My uncle taught me some of it when I was a kid."

"Your uncle?" the King repeated.

"Well, uncle-figure," he amended. "But I believe he was from here, Izuna Uchiha?"

At that, Aragorn smiled again. "Ah, I know him well too. How is he?"

"He's good. He's married and a father."

"That is good news to hear. We should send our congratulations to him." It had been far too long since he had seen the half-elf (although he was completely human now, according to Sasuke). But as he thought about it, his mind came back to what the shinobi had said. "What do you mean by the 'rest of the family'?"

"You mean you didn't know about it? I would've thought that my father would've told you or the rest of you guys."

"Tell us what?"

He couldn't help but sigh. "Thanks, Dad," he thought sarcastically. He had never met the guy and already he was causing problems! "Konoha's been getting children with a note addressed to the Hokage. The children always have black hair and the note always says that the children are Sasuke's and he wants Konoha to raise them." So instead of being the only child of Sasuke, he became the eldest brother, a role he was still trying to figure out.

Aragorn, on the other hand, was just surprised by what he was hearing. He had never thought that Sasuke would want a family. He had always seemed content to wander the world, never settling down. But he could also see the irritation on the young man's face as he spoke about his own father and he decided to do something about that. "Have you taken noticed of the statue behind you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did. It's nice work."

"It was made two years after your father had come back to Middle-Earth. When he was approached about it being made, he agreed if only a similar one was placed in Minas Ithil, in pale white."

Itachi had a feeling he knew who the second statue was going to be of, but he still had to ask. "Who was the second statue of?"

"Your father's friend, Naruto Uzumaki," Aragorn answered. "We could not refuse him, for it was his friend who gave Minas Ithil back to Gondor."

"And my father's statue was placed here, because he helped defend this city." Suddenly, the Seal of Reconciliation made a lot more sense. The statues at the Valley of the End held their fingers in the Seal of Confrontation. Now, their descendants and successors had finished the fight.

"No. He saved this city. If he did not use his abilities to summon that eagle, his reinforcements would never have shown themselves."

"Oh, I doubt that," Itachi thought to himself. He doubted that his adopted father would've waited for a signal to stop the siege. But that was not his concern. "Are you sure that you have no idea where my father is?"

"I am sorry, I do not."

"Kami take it," he swore almost beneath his breath. "Guess I'll have to start looking." He turned to leave for the entrance. Now that he was here in Middle-Earth, he had a lot of ground to cover.

But before he could even take two steps, Aragorn reached out and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Now hold on, young man. I cannot let you leave the city at such a late hour, not when there is good food and a warm in my house. Stay the night so you will be better rested in the morning."

"I can't do that," he protested. "I have to get on the road and find him."

"I insist. It would also give me the chance to send out massagers to the other kingdoms. They will let others know of your being here and will ask that they help you in any way they can."

Itachi listened to those words and considered them. It would quite possibly a long time until he would have a good meal in his stomach and now he was being offered one as well as an actual bed to sleep in. Plus, the messengers would greatly help him in his mission. "Alright, I will take your offer," he finally said. "But I will only stay a night."

"Good," the King of Gondor said. "Please, follow me and be welcome in my hall." He turned and began walking back to his hall.

The shinobi followed him silently, only to pause at the steps of the hall. He turned back around and pulled out his phone. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up to take a photo. His siblings and the triplets would love it.

(Location: Glittering Caves)

"You know, laddie, I had been expecting you for almost a month now," the Lord of the Glittering Caves remarked as they sat at a table with the King of Rohan. The table they sat at was just one of many in the room, but they were currently alone.

"Sorry about that," Itachi apologized to them both from where he sat between them, with the dwarf on one side and the king on the other. "But look on the bright side. It saves me the trouble of going to Edoras to ask if the King has seen Sasuke Uchiha."

"It is only fortune that you found me speaking with Lord Gimli," Éomer remarked. He had come to Helm's Deep and to the Glittering Caves to speak with the leader of the Dwarven colony, only to have the son of Sasuke Uchiha accidently barge in unannounced. He had apologized to them, quickly explaining who he was and what he was doing there (before the swords and axes came out and after him).

"Still, it helps."

"Well, I'm afraid that I won't be much help, Itachi," Gimli said to him as he poured himself a tankard of ale. "I haven't seen your father in some time and I don't know where he is now."

"Kami take it," he grumbled, drinking the ale in the tankard before him. It tasted bitter going down his throat but he still drank it.

Éomer, on the other hand, looked rather pleased. "Then I have good news for you."

He looked at the King of Rohan, putting the tankard down on the table. "You've seen him?"

"Yes, not six months ago. He came to Edoras with a group of children, saying that a small band of orcs had attacked their village and made off with them. He had tracked them down, slaughtered the orcs, and brought the children back to safety."

"Aye, that sounds like Sasuke," Gimli remarked. Even after all these years, the raven-haired man was still saving children.

"Where did he go next?" Itachi asked Éomer.

"He went east, I believe."

"Good, I've got a direction now." He stood up from the table, ready to leave.

"Now wait a moment, lad," the dwarf of the three said to him. "You've only just arrived and you plan to set off once again?"

"I've got a lead on him. You expect me to just take it slow now that I've got his direction?" he demanded.

"Éomer King also said that it was six months ago. Where he went in that direction, he won't be there when you get there. You can afford to rest a day here and enjoy some feasting with us dwarves."

He could see the logic there, even if he didn't want to hear it. So he sat down at the table again. "Alright, I'll take another then," he said, lifting up his tankard.

"Good man!" Gimli said with a roar of a laugh. He took both his and Itachi's tankard to refill with ale from the keg at the wall behind him, returning in a matter of moments. "Here you go!"

"Thanks." The shinobi took the tankard and drank from it. The King of Rohan and the Lord of the Glittering Caves did the same and when they were done, they slammed the tankards down on the table, hard enough to rattle it but not hard enough to break the tankards.

"Ah, that's good stuff!" the dwarf declared.

"Indeed, you dwarves brew a good drink," Éomer praised him.

"I'll let the lads know you said so, Éomer King." He turned to look at the shinobi of the three. "So, Itachi, what do you think of my colony?"

"Well, I haven't seen much of it," he admitted. "But what I have seen was very beautiful." Even the room they sat in was beautiful.

It was a good-sized room that could easily seat about fifty dwarves. The walls themselves were made of naturally polished rock that added to the beauty of them. The rock themselves were marble but naturally imbedded in them were gems and crystals along with veins of ore that flowed through them like water. The polished part of the caves came from the underground streams and rivers that had carved them out so long ago and still lingered in places, filling the caves with the sound of softly flowing water.

To the dwarves who lived there, the sound was musical in such a way that no elf could compare to do. They found it soothing and relaxing (which was saying something, considering they liked their music loud and merry). Lanterns had been carefully installed in the cavern walls, filling them all with light. They made the gems, the crystals, and the veins twinkle, giving the room an illusion of life.

"I would have to say that if any shinobi from Iwa were here, they would be very jealous at what they saw," Izuna finally said. "In fact, I would say that they would probably try to destroy it all."

To his surprise, Gimli laughed. "Ha-ha! I've had the same comment from both father and son now! My lads will be pleased to hear that!"

"My dad said the same thing?" he asked, surprised by that.

"Aye, back when the Fellowship was going through Moria," he answered. His face became more solemn. "Before things took a turn for the worse, that is."

Itachi saw his face and wanted to know what he meant. "What happened?"

"You hadn't been told?" Éomer was interested. The Fellowship's journey through Moria was not one part they did usually talk about. He hoped to hear the story now.

"No, my parents weren't there when it happened." They could tell him plenty about his father's early days, but anything in Middle-Earth before Minas Tirith was a blank. "What happened there?"

"It's best not to talk about it," the dwarf said shortly. It was still painful for him to think about those days, even after all that had happened. "Now tell me, why you ended up here a month later than I thought you would."

"I was told about the statue in Minas Ithil and I thought that my dad might be there, so I traveled there to look around." He hadn't found Sasuke there, but the visit around the city wasn't worthless to him. "I met the ruler of the city and his wife. I think their names were Faramir and Éowyn."

"You speak of my sister and her husband," Éomer said, a happy smile appearing on his face. "How are they?"

"They and their son are well. I believe that another one is on the way."

The smile grew wider. "I am to be an uncle again? This is most joyous news!"

"I will drink to that!" Gimli said.

Itachi smiled. "Your nephew will have his hands full in time. I know I did with my brothers and sisters."

Both King and Lord looked at him when he spoke those words. "I would say that even though you say those words, you still care for them," Éomer finally said.

"Ah hell, I didn't mean like that," he said feeling a little insulted at the thought. "I mean sure, they can vastly irritating at times and can drive me up a wall faster than I can blink, but I love them all the same. If someone harmed any one of them, they wouldn't live long enough to regret it."

A pang of worry entered the Lord of the Mark at those words, for he remembered who left with Sasuke and Izuna all those years ago. "Itachi, isn't there a man of Middle-Earth living in your clan's home?"

The shinobi frowned slightly at the question, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "Yeah, he serves Izuna's mother. I think that he once said that his name was Gríma. What about him?"

"You say that you would protect your family, yet you entrust them to the sight of him?"

To both his surprise and Gimli's, Itachi laughed. "Are we talking about the same guy here? He's the man who babysat me whenever I was left alone in the house! He's the one who cares for all the children in the Uchiha compound. He's never betrayed us, not once. For the love of Kami, his name is Yūjin."

"…What does that mean?"

"It means friend. He's our friend."

The King of Rohan did not say anything to that. He had known Gríma before his betrayal and might've considered him a friend. But his betrayal had colored that for the rest of his life. And yet, it had been twenty-five years since they had last met. Perhaps he had changed for the better (it certainly seemed like that after he had killed Saruman).

"Actually, he always said he had something to tell the King of Rohan if he ever had the chance," the shinobi continued, more to himself than any other.

"And what would that be?"

"'I am sorry for what I have caused.'"

He was silent for the longest time before finally answering. "When you return to your home with your father, tell him that I forgive him."

"I will, you have my word."

(Location: Mirkwood)

When he stepped on a single fallen tree branch in the forest of Mirkwood, he was surrounded by elves with bows drawn at him. They had thought him to be an orc scout. After he had assured them that he wasn't, they took him to the King of Mirkwood. He was lucky to find that it turned out to be another of his dad's friends: Legolas.

"You are welcome to stay in my halls," the elf welcomed him with open arms. Unlike Aragorn or Gimli (who had some grey in their hair), he looked exactly the same as he did twenty-five years ago. The only difference about him from what Itachi had heard was now he wore his father's crown.

"That's okay, but I really need to get back on the road," he replied. Going east had been a bust when he learned in Dale that his dad had turned and gone west.

"Surely you can spare a few minutes to rest and collect your breath?"

He looked around the room they were in. It honestly looked like they were standing in the middle of a hollowed-out tree (which he didn't find all that surprising, really. He had heard about the elves from Uncle Izuna). It had a roof, which that this wasn't the only floor in the tree. The only other person that was there was a female elf with red hair the color of copper. She did not say anything to him, but he had seen her stand close to the elf king when he was brought before him.

"You're right, a few minutes won't hurt me," he agreed. He could tell that the elf wanted something from him but so long as it wasn't evil or ill-intended, he was fine. "So, what do you want to know?"

If Legolas was surprised or caught off guard by the question, he did not show it. In fact, he just smiled. "How is Izuna? I have not spoken with him since he had left. According to Sasuke, he has chosen the gift of Men."

"Wait, my dad was here?"

"Some years back."

The hopeful look he had on his face fell just as quickly as it had appeared. "Damn."

"I am sorry." The elf did look apologetic for his words and his news.

"It's okay," Itachi said, waving it off. "As for Izuna, he's human alright. He said that the Valar gave him the choice and that they also healed Gilrin."

"Truly, they did?" Legolas had seen Izuna's mother before they had left Middle-Earth. It was a horrible and saddening sight to remember. To hear that the Valar had healed her was heartening news.

"That's what I've been told. I should probably also mention that he's married."

"That is good news to hear. Is he a father too?"

"Yeah, that he is. I would know. I'm engaged to his eldest daughter." And it had been a fight in and of itself to make sure that she had stayed home. He loved her all the same and didn't resist the idea of marrying her, but this was a mission he wanted to do by himself.

"Engaged?" the red-headed elf said. It was the only time she spoke.

"Sasuke had told me of this once," Legolas said to her, turning to face her. "It's like a betrothal." Itachi saw the warmth in his eyes at the sight of her. It was small, but it was there.

"Hey, Izuna and his mom wanted to talk to some people here if they ever had the chance to come back," the shinobi said. "I figured that since I'm here and they're not, I should pass on their words. Would you know them by any chance?"

"I might, if I know who it is they wished to speak to."

"I'll be honest; I wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying at the time." He was more focused on eating his dinner at the time. "I think the first was a lady name Gala…something."

"The Lady Galadriel?" repeated Legolas.

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah, that sounds about right. So, is she here or is she at the other forest?" He knew there were two places in this part of Middle-Earth that Elves lived in and that she lived in one of them.

But Legolas simply shook her head. "I am sorry, but Lady Galadriel, her husband, and Lord Elrond have gone to Valinor, the Undying Lands."

"Oh." What else could he say? He didn't know the people. "I guess I'll have to tell them when I get back."

"Do not feel sad. They had lived a long life that was well-served. And Frodo has gone with them as well."

Now, he had heard that name. Izuna had spoken of the hobbit Ringbearer many times and was always worried about what might've happened to him after they had left. "That is news I think they will be happy to hear," he said.

(Location: Bag End)

"I'm looking at a door in a hill," Itachi said as he stared at the door in question. "I'm looking at a door in a hill." He knew he had already said it but it was worth saying over again. "…Oh hell, they wouldn't believe me if I didn't show them." He took out his phone and took a picture. He had been two that a lot in the three months he had been in Middle-Earth, taking pictures of everyplace he had been to, from Minas Tirith to Erebor (where he got a photo of statue of Madara Uchiha sitting on the skull of a dragon like it was a throne) and everywhere in between. But this just took the cake.

Once he was done with taking a picture, he put the phone away and walked up to the door. It was a round door with a nice shade of green for color. It also reached his mid-chest. He reached out and knocked. On the third knock, it opened to reveal a very tiny child, who looked shorter than his youngest brother. "Yes?" she said, looking nervously up at him.

He knelt down to her level, placing a knee in the ground. "Hi, is this Mister Gamgee's house?" he asked.

She didn't answer him. Instead, she turned back to the inside of the house in the hill. "Papa, there's a Big Folk wanting to talk to you!" she shouted.

"Well, at least she didn't slam the door in my face," he thought idly while standing back up and rubbing his ear. It didn't take long for what he could only assume was an adult Hobbit come to the door, picking up the child in the process.

"Can I help you?" the hobbit asked him.

"Mr. Gamgee?" he asked back.

"Yes."

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Itachi Uchiha."

He would've continued had the hobbit not interrupted him. "And you're looking for your father, Sasuke Uchiha."

He was surprised. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

At that, he smiled. "We do get letters here in the Shire, Mr. Uchiha. Quite frankly, we were expecting you sooner. Please, come in." He stepped back into the hole and Itachi stepped in. To his surprise, he found that what lay beyond was nice and homey, making him feel instantly comfortable.

But he had only taken a few steps before he banged his head on a beam. Being a shinobi, he was able to stifle his yelp of pain. However, he still had to rub his head. When he heard the sound of flesh hitting wood, Sam looked back at him and smiled. "Pardon me, I should've warned you to duck."

"It's fine. Is there any chance we can talk about my dad soon?"

"It can wait until dinner. Pippin, Merry, and their families will be joining us. Then we can speak about of your father."

Dinner, as it turned out, proved to be worthy of being a hobbit dinner, which meant it was full of laughter, warmth, drinks, and good food. Little hobbit children kept chattering at one another, seemingly oblivious to what the adults were talking about.

"So, he was here recently?" Itachi asked the three remaining hobbits of the Fellowship. They all had grey in their hair and had put on a few pounds, showing that they were no longer young by hobbit standards.

"Yes, a few weeks back," Pippin answered. Both he and Merry were now the tallest Hobbits to have ever been born (how they got like that, they never would tell). "He stayed in the Shire for a couple of days before moving on south."

"Da…ng it," he said, quickly changing what he was going to say after getting the attention of the mothers in the room. "I missed him."

"We were wondering about that," Merry said to him. "What was taking you so long to get here?"

He hesitated, unsure if he should give an excuse. But honesty seemed to be the best policy around here. "I've run into orcs taking children and I've gone after them each and every time," he told them quietly, not wanting the kids to hear his words.

The three of them just laughed. "Like father, like son," Sam said wisely. Itachi took that as a complement.

"But what are orcs doing their old tactics again?" Pippin wondered loud enough for only them to hear after giving his wife an apologetic look.

"I don't know, Pip," Merry told his friend. "I think that's something we'll have to ask the Big Folk about."

"For now, let us focus on dinner," Sam suggested to them all. They heartedly agreed and they turned their attention back to the food. Itachi could only think of his family back home during his childhood. The triplets would always try and drive him crazy (Haru less so then his sisters) like older siblings were prone to do. Then his own siblings began being sent to Konoha and the family just grew bigger.

As the night wore on, the children began falling asleep and their mothers declared that it was time to go to sleep. They protested (as all children are prone to do) but eventually agreed. As they were ushered into a room to share and sleep in, Pippin's children wanted him to sing them a song, a plea that all the children began to give him.

With a smile, he agreed and fetched his instrument while the rest of the adults watched from the door. He soon played a song that was both sweet and sorrowful. To those who had heard before, it was a reminder of all those they had met and lost in the years. To Itachi, it was reminiscent of an adventure.

(Start The Last Goodbye)

I saw the light fade from the sky
On the wind I heard a sigh
As the snowflakes cover
My fallen brothers
I will say this last goodbye

Night is now falling
So ends this day
The road is now calling
And I must away

Over hill and under tree
Through lands where never light has shone
By silver streams that run down to the sea

Under cloud, beneath the stars
Over snow and winter's morn
I turn at last to paths that lead home

And though where the road then takes me,
I cannot tell
We came all this way
But now comes the day
To bid you farewell

Many places I have been
Many sorrows I have seen
But I don't regret
Nor will I forget
All who took that road with me

Night is now falling
So ends this day
The road is now calling
And I must away

Over hill, and under tree
Through lands where never light has shone
By silver streams that run down to the sea

To these memories I will hold
With your blessing I will go
To turn at last to paths that lead home

And though where the road then takes me,
I cannot tell
We came all this way
But now comes the day
To bid you farewell

I bid you all a very fond farewell

(End The Last Goodbye)

They were all asleep by the time he had strummed the last chord. He smiled and walked quietly out of the room. "You play well," Itachi told him.

"Thank you," he said. "I suspect that you will want to leave now, right?"

"Yes," the shinobi answered with a nod of his head. He felt a little embarrassed but if he was this close to finding his father, he had to go.

But to his surprise, none of the hobbits looked like they were angry with him. "We understand and we wish you a good journey," Sam told him.

"Before you go, we want you give this to Izuna when you see him next," Merry said, handing him a bag of something.

"What is it?"

"Longbottom Leaf," he said with a grin. "Pip and I figured that he would be missing the stuff."

(Location: Konoha)

The gates were a familiar sight for Izuna that brought him relief. It had been well over a year since he had seen them last. As he took a step towards them, he stopped and looked over at his father. "Do you need a minute?" he asked.

"I'm not something fragile that needs to be handled with care," Sasuke told him. "Let's get a move on."

"Alright, Dad," he said, turning back to the gates and started heading towards them. The footsteps behind him told him that his father was following him.

It felt a little weird to be near the man he had looked for in Middle-Earth after wondering what he would be like all these years. He had finally found the man on a beach near the Grey Havens, speaking to an elf holding a harp. When he looked at Itachi, he had stopped. The elf seemed to understand and said goodbye, leaving them alone.

Some people (the triplets and a few of his sisters) might've expected there to be a lot of words, introductions, and hugging. But the truth was far simpler. Sasuke had said that he was his son and that he had come to get him and bring him back to Konoha. Itachi nodded and said that was true.

His father's reply was, "Well, we might as well get a move on. It's been long enough already."

To Itachi's surprise, the same ship that had brought him was waiting offshore for them (but his dad wasn't). A boat was sent to them and it took them to the ship. From there, it sailed to the Elemental Nations, taking them back home.

And now, they were here. They were home. Itachi couldn't help but smile as he looked at the city that lay beyond the gates. Despite all that he had seen while in Middle-Earth, Konohagakure was still the most beautiful sight to him. He stepped through the gate, waving at the guards on duty that day. They waved back but then stopped when they saw who was walking beside him. Thankfully, they didn't say anything.

"We have company," Sasuke declared suddenly, coming to a stop.

Itachi looked at him and then looked at the village. He did see someone coming towards but the sight of the person made him relax. "Uncle Izuna," he said in greeting to the elder Uchiha.

"Itachi, I see you were successful," Izuna remarked before looking at Sasuke. "Sensei," he said with a bowed head.

"You grew out your hair," Sasuke remarked. The last time he had seen his student; his hair reached the back of his neck. Now, it was right between his shoulder blades. But that wasn't the only thing that had changed about his student. His face had a few lines in it now, showing how old he was.

"And you grew a beard." There was indeed a beard of his sensei's face. It was thick enough to keep his face relatively warm through a winter and it was short enough to make it look like it was still a part of his face and not hanging off it. Aside from that, there were obvious grey hairs on his head and his beard and his face had more lines then Izuna. Like the rest of the Fellowship (with the exception of Legolas), he wasn't a young man anymore.

"Where is everyone?" Itachi asked Izuna, looking around and seeing no one else. "I would've thought they would be here in force."

The former half-elf just smiled. "They're all waiting at the house, your mother and Lord Hokage too."

"Does that mean the triplets are going to be there as well?" he asked, suddenly fearful.

He laughed. "Don't worry. They've grown up, remember?"

"Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that some days." They were older than him and he was the one who acted like an adult! Before he forgot, he handed his uncle the package the Hobbits had given to him. Izuna took it with a smile, barely looking at the symbol on it.

Together, the three of them walked deeper into Konoha. As they walked, Sasuke looked at his hometown. While the village below the mountain remained relatively the same, it was up and behind the Hokage Mountain where the changes were shown. He saw tall buildings made of glass and steel towering over the mountain, shining brightly by the light of the sun. The streets were crowded more so then he was here twenty-five years ago. But back then, he only stayed for nine months, long enough to see his son being born and hold him.

Now that son had tracked him down and brought him back. If the truth was being told, he had been expecting it for the longest time and when he got messages from Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the Hobbits, he knew the time had come. During the time they spent on the ship, they talked. Izuna had shown him the most recent photo of all his children, which he smiled at. He knew that convincing their mothers that they would be safe in Konoha was the best thing he ever did (and he didn't forbid their mothers from visiting them).

They soon came away from the busy streets and onto quieter ones. The people who walked there gave respectful nods to both Izuna and Itachi while giving Sasuke odd ones (only the eldest of them knew who he was and they did not say anything. It had been too long already to come at for what he did). "This place has changed," Sasuke finally said once all the eyes were past them.

"Yes, and for the better," Izuna told him.

At that, he scoffed. "I'm sure that there are still troubles in this part of the world."

"…Yes, there are. Some countries believe that we should go back to separate villages and countries, not wanting to be a part of the Shinobi Union. There are also people trying to grab more and more power inside the Union." As a leader of the revived Uchiha clan, he had a voice in the Union and the village, something that he tried his best to do. "Are there troubles in Middle-Earth?"

"Of course there are. Orcs are getting smarter and creating bigger groups again and are back to their own tricks again, but it's nothing we haven't been able to handle."

"That's good to hear." If it wasn't something his sensei couldn't handle, he'd been worried.

They soon turned a corner and Sasuke saw the Uchiha crest standing proudly over a gate. He knew that beyond the gate lay the clan compound and yet, it wasn't where he had last remembered it. It was closer to the village proper. Standing at the gate were his two closest friends. "I see you finally decided to get rid of all that hair," he said to Naruto as he came closer.

The Hokage smiled as he ruffled a hand through his short greying hair. "I would've looked ridiculous if I kept it at that length at my age. It's good to see you again, Sasuke."

"You too, Naruto," he said as he looked over at the woman beside him. "You look good, Sakura," he told her.

"Flatterer," she said with a smirk on her face. They all had grey in their hairs and they all had lines on their faces, but she managed to make it all look more graceful than either of them did.

"Lord Hokage, I would like to report that the mission was a success," Itachi said to Naruto, coming to attention.

"I can see that. At ease, Itachi," he replied. "Well, let's get this show on the road. I've already got the rest of the Konoha Eleven and their families coming over for dinner. I hope you took pictures."

"Yes, I did. A lot of them too."

"That's good. I look forward to seeing the rest of Middle-Earth now," Sakura said before giving her husband a pointed look.

"Hey, my second trip was a grand total of fifteen minutes in a forest surrounding a tall iron tower making sure that Ent women made back safely to the rest of their kind. How many times do I have to say that?"

"That reminds me, sir," Itachi said, getting his attention. "An Ent named Treebeard wanted me to pass on his thanks to both you and Sasuke."

He smiled at that. "Good to hear." He looked over at Sasuke. "Shall we?"

His friend nodded once and began walking towards the house that lay beyond the gate. It was a large house done in the traditional style, something that suited right with him. The door that led into it was big and made of oak that showed its age. The doorknob was bright and shined in the light. But when he reached for the knob, his son stopped him.

"I got this, Dad," he said. "You just stand right there." He reached for the door and turned the knob, opening it. He stuck his head in and shouted, "Hey guys! I'm back! And you're not going to believe who's with me!" He pulled his head out and stood off to the side.

If Sasuke had any questions as to why his firstborn would do something like that, they were gone when the rest of his children burst out of the house and bore down on him, all shouting "DAD/DADDY!"

They slammed him and sent him crashing to the ground. As he laid there on his back, all fifteen of them crowded around his body, talking at the same time, from his eldest daughter telling him that she was happy to see him again to hearing his youngest sons exclaiming that he had been in time to see them graduate from the Academy. He couldn't move from his spot because they had pinned him so well.

All he could do was move his head around. And amidst the swarming black-haired children he had held soon after they were born, he saw Naruto and Sakura standing there with grins on their faces. "They planned this," he silently realized.

"Welcome home, Sasuke," Sakura told him.

And to that, Sasuke Uchiha smiled a genuine smile. "I'm home."

End

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

Well, this story has come to an end. I will admit that my interest in it was flagging at the end, hence why it took so long to update it. But even though that was the case, I will keep my promise to you all and write a prequel in the future. You guys have been expecting it after all.

This is intended as a wrap up chapter, giving a glimpse into what came next. So there's not going to be a whole of information to give out, just enough to know that things are fine, so to speak. I might come back and flesh it up a little, but I stress the word might.

And yes, that elven guard was Tauriel.

I'll see you all in the next story!