Aragorn and Théoden rode ahead of the army into the camp, the sounds of their horses' hooves echoing in the crisp air.

"Make way for the King! Make way, the King is here!" shouted a soldier, his voice rising above the murmur of the gathering men.

"My lord," called another soldier, bowing his head respectfully.

Théoden raised a hand in greeting, a faint smile touching his lips. "Hail to you, sire," another soldier added, the admiration clear in his tone.

"Grimbold, how many?" Théoden asked, his voice steady despite the weight of leadership pressing upon him.

"I bring five hundred men from the Westfold, my lord," Grimbold replied, his eyes shining with pride.

"We have three hundred more from Fenmarch, Théoden King," another soldier chimed in, his voice filled with urgency.

Théoden's brow furrowed. "Where are the riders from Snowbourn?" he inquired, a note of concern creeping into his tone.

"None have come, my lord," a soldier responded, the grimness of the situation evident in his eyes.

As Aragorn and Théoden gazed down upon the assembled armies from their elevated position, Théoden's voice broke the silence. "Six thousand spears... less than half of what I had hoped for."

Aragorn nodded solemnly. "Six thousand will not be enough to break the lines of Mordor," he stated, the weight of reality pressing heavily on them.

"More will come," Théoden assured, though doubt flickered in his eyes. "Liv did say she would reach out to her village to send shinobi."

Aragorn turned, his expression grave. "Every hour lost hastens Gondor's defeat. We have until dawn, then we must ride," he said, his voice resolute.

Théoden nodded in agreement, the urgency of their situation clear to them both. Suddenly, a sharp neighing from the horses drew their attention.

The men struggled to calm the beasts, who seemed unnerved by some unseen presence. Amongst the chaos, Legolas, Gimli, Liv, David, and Haldir approached, their expressions grave as they surveyed the restless horses.

"The horses are restless, and the men are quiet," Legolas remarked, his keen senses picking up on the tension in the air.

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain," Eomer added, his eyes scanning the horizon as he saddled his horse.

Gimli, ever curious, pointed to a darkened path winding through the landscape. "That road there, where does it lead?" he asked.

"It is the road to the Dimholt, the door under the mountain," Legolas replied, his voice low and somber.

"None who venture there ever return. That mountain is evil," Eomer stated, shaking his head as he walked away, a man struggling to calm a frightened horse in the background.

Aragorn stared at the pathway, worry etched on his face. Just then, Gimli's voice broke through his thoughts. "Aragorn," he said, noticing the Ranger's distracted demeanor.

Startled, Aragorn turned. "Yes, let's find some food," he replied, his gaze still lingering on the ominous path. But when he looked back, the figure of the King of the Dead had vanished.

As Gimli led the way, a sudden rustle in a nearby tree caught their attention. A figure leapt down, landing lightly on the ground.

"Hey, cuz!" exclaimed Saya, Liv's cousin, her cheerful grin lighting up her face.

Liv jumped back in surprise. "Saya, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart.

"What took you so long anyway?" Liv asked, a hint of teasing in her voice.

"The mission took longer than I thought," Saya replied, her tone softening as she embraced her cousin.

"Well, now that you're here, we need all the fighters we can get," Liv said, her seriousness returning.

"Yeah, about that... I can't fight," Saya admitted, her smile faltering.

"Why not?" Liv's brow furrowed with concern.

"I tore a tendon in my ankle during my mission, so I'll have to sit this one out. But I'll help out however I can," Saya replied, her determination shining through.

"Can you watch my girls?" Liv asked, her voice earnest.

"Of course," Saya assured her, nodding enthusiastically.

"Are we invisible?" Legolas interjected, his eyes narrowing playfully.

Liv chuckled. "Sorry! You guys remember my cousin Saya, right?"

"Of course we do! We couldn't have won the Battle of Helm's Deep without her," Gimli declared, a broad smile spreading across his face.

"Who is she?" Eomer whispered to Legolas, curiosity piquing his interest.

"Liv's cousin," Legolas replied, his expression warm as he watched the reunion.

"I don't know if you remember me, but I was there during the Battle of Helm's Deep," Haldir added, stepping forward.

"I remember you! Didn't you almost get killed?" Saya said, a teasing lilt to her voice.

"Yes, that was me. I would have been killed if it weren't for Liv," Haldir replied, his tone sincere as he met Saya's gaze.

"It's nice to see you again, Saya," Aragorn said, his voice carrying warmth.

Meanwhile, high on the mountain, Eowyn spoke with Merry in their encampment.

"There! A true esquire of Rohan!" she said, her eyes sparkling with pride as she watched Merry admire his new helmet.

Merry drew his sword, his face alight with determination. "I'm ready!" he declared, swinging it with enthusiasm.

Eowyn jumped back, laughter spilling from her lips. "Sorry. It isn't all that dangerous. It's not even sharp!" he exclaimed. 

"Well, that's no good. You won't kill many orcs with a blunt blade. Come on!" Eowyn encouraged, her enthusiasm infectious.

Merry, brimming with energy, dashed from the tent, swinging the sword as he practiced. "To the smithy, go!" Eowyn called after him, her voice filled with encouragement.

Eomer sat around a campfire with Gamling and Hama, watching the scene unfold. "You should not encourage him," Eomer said, shaking his head with a hint of disapproval.

"You should not doubt him," Eowyn retorted, her eyes flashing with defiance.

"I do not doubt his heart, only the reach of his arm," Eomer replied, crossing his arms as he leaned back against a log.

Gamling and Hama chuckled at the exchange, the camaraderie palpable.

"Why should Merry be left behind? He has as much cause to go to war as you do. Why can't he fight for those he loves?" Eowyn asked, her voice rising as she paced away from them, determination in every step.

"You know as little of war as that hobbit. When fear takes hold and the blood and screams of battle ring in his ears, do you think he would stand and fight? He would flee, and he would be right to do so. War is the province of men, Eowyn," Eomer argued, his tone firm yet not unkind.

Liv, overhearing their conversation, walked over, her expression sharp. "You really don't know anything about women, do you, Eomer?" she challenged, her voice strong.

"Excuse me?" Eomer asked, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"You may not know this, but the Fifth Hokage of my village is a woman. She didn't become Hokage so easily; she fought her way to the top," Liv replied, her pride evident.

"The real question is, how strong is your village leader?" Eomer countered, raising an eyebrow.

"She's probably, if not the strongest ninja in my village. You will find out soon enough," Liv said, her confidence unwavering as she walked away.

"I think I hit a nerve there," Eomer muttered to himself, a mixture of admiration and uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

As the camp continued to buzz with preparations, Liv pulled out her phone and dialed Tsunade's number, the weight of the coming battle pressing on her shoulders.

Tsunade: "Hello?"

Liv: "Lady Tsunade, it's Liv."

Tsunade: "Liv! Is everything okay?"

Liv: "Yeah, but I need a favor."

Tsunade: "You know I would do anything for you."

Liv: "Can you get every available Chunin and Jonin on standby?"

Tsunade: "Of course, but what for?"

Liv: "I can't give you all the details now, but trust me, it's urgent. I'll send you my location and put it into my Rinnegan."

Tsunade: "I understand. I'll let you know when we're close so you can open a portal."

Liv: "I knew I could count on you."

Tsunade: "I have to get back to work. Be careful."

Liv: "Okay."

As Liv ended the call, the reality of their situation settled around her like a heavy cloak. Time was running out, and the coming storm loomed ever closer.