Chapter 2
"But Then People Start Eating Each Other"
Iruka pedaled hard and expertly navigated his bicycle towards the school. He was running a little late, and he knew he needed to pick up his pace—showing up sweaty was better than not showing up on time. He reached the bike racks and hurriedly locked up his mountain bike, pulling his brief case out of the back basket and darting into the high school, attempting to smooth down his hair and tie as he power-walked. He waved a quick hello at the secretary in the front of the office, but skipped checking his box for any mail. He took the stairs two at a time and finally reached his classroom, where a few early students were already waiting, Haku among them. The gentle natured boy smiled reassuringly.
"Take a moment to catch your breath, Iruka-sensei, there's no hurry," he greeted in Japanese. Iruka nodded, smiling, still too out of breath to reply just yet. He unlocked the door and the students sleepily filed inside, taking their seats quietly. The sky beyond the classroom window was overcast and threatening rain. Iruka was glad it hadn't down poured. On days when it rained in the mornings, he had to catch the school bus with Naruto, and that was always a little embarrassing for some reason.
"Good morning everyone, sorry I'm running a little late," Iruka finally greeted. He got a few lethargic replies, but most of his students (it was a small class of only eight), were either resting with their heads on their arms or shuffling through their backpacks. Iruka pulled out the papers he would need for the day and then began to write Japanese characters on the board. His most advanced students sighed at the realization they would need to take notes, and reluctantly pulled out their pens and notebooks. The tardy bell rang, and class officially started.
Iruka spent the first twenty minutes of class lecturing about the finer points of the Japanese language, but he devoted the last twenty minutes to addressing questions and concerns the students had about their projects. They'd only had the assignment for a month, and it wasn't due until Christmas, but many of them had already put in long hours on it. By the time Iruka answered their questions and looked over what they had started, class was almost over. Haku approached his desk in his quiet, delicate way and waited patiently for Iruka to finish grading a worksheet.
"Yes, Haku, something I can help you with?"
"I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor. I know you have next period off, and I requested permission from the librarians to stay here to use your book collection. It would help me a great deal with my project, but I understand if you have other plans for your break." Pleased with his student's initiative, and ignoring the suspicion that Haku was referring to other plans with Kakashi specifically, Iruka nodded.
"That would be fine, Haku. Use whatever you need. Now that I think about it, I might have a book at home that would be very useful to you. I'll have to bring it to you on Monday."
"Thank-you, Iruka-sensei, that's very thoughtful," Haku said, before returning to his seat after carefully selecting a few of Iruka's books from Japan. The bell rang and the other students left. It wasn't until nearly ten minutes later that Kakashi showed up, mug of coffee in hand.
"I expected to find you in the staff room, but when I didn't, I grabbed a cup of coffee for you," Kakashi said. He set the mug on Iruka's desk, noticing Haku quietly working at his desk. "Oh, hey, Haku."
"Hello, Mr. Hatake," the polite boy replied. Iruka smiled at the man that he supposed he was now dating, though the idea seemed strange. The coffee Kakashi had brought him was loaded with cream and sugar, just the way he liked it. Iruka's stomach did another flip-flop.
"Thank you, that was very thoughtful," Iruka said. He gestured to an extra seat close to his desk. "Sit down, you look like you've had a stressful morning." It was true, the tall man's silver hair was even more unruly than usual, and there were dark smudges under his eyes suggesting he hadn't slept well the night before. He sat, darted a glance at Haku (who pretended to be completely absorbed in his reading) and tried to sound casual.
"I know this isn't all that considerate of me, but I was hoping we could leave together straight from school today. There's...err...something I'd like for you to see, but it's kind of a drive away. I promise it'll be worth your time, though," Kakashi said in a low voice. Iruka tilted his head in silent question.
"What is it?" he asked. Kakashi faked a smile, but even Iruka could tell something was off about the man's mannerisms. He noticed Kakashi's hands were sweating, and he was rubbing them absently against his pants.
"I can't tell you that. You don't want to ruin the surprise, do you?" Kakashi asked, a hint of his usual smile breaking through. Iruka decided the older man was perhaps just nervous, as well as being a little tired. It was the end of the week, after all.
"Alright then. Um, am I dressed okay, though?" Iruka asked, glancing down at his dark blue slacks and his light purple, striped button up shirt. He supposed it was dressy enough for a show or a nice restaurant, if that was what Kakashi had in mind. Kakashi didn't even look over his outfit, just nodded quickly.
"You're dressed fine. I have to go find Asuma, I'm pretty sure you've met him—math teacher? Married to Kurenai, the pregnant history teacher?" Kakashi asked. Iruka nodded a bit confusedly.
"Yes, we've met, but Kakashi—"
"I know I'm springing it on you suddenly, but forgive me okay? Now I've really got to find Asuma. I'll meet you here after school, all right? Just make sure you don't forget and leave without me, alright? It's very important."
"Uh...okay," Iruka replied, clearly a little confused by Kakashi's strange, almost harried attitude. With complete disregard to the student still sitting nearby, Kakashi leaned over and hastily kissed Iruka's cheek.
"Remember," he repeated at the door, "don't go home!" Then he was gone—literally running down the hallway.
"That was strange," Iruka commented. Haku nodded.
"Mr. Hatake is usually a little baffling, but I admit that he seemed even odder than usual today. Perhaps he's planning a romantic surprise for you?" the dark-haired boy suggested with a sly grin. Iruka blushed, but smiled all the same. His eyes fell on the warm cup of coffee and he happily took a sip. He'd had some time the night before to think over what it would mean to have a relationship with the good-looking American, and decided that while he was a little nervous, the idea definitely had appeal.
Approximately five minutes later, the bell rang and right on cue, the foursome of Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Gaara strolled in. Sakura was animatedly talking to Sasuke about the homecoming dance, while Naruto and Gaara walked a few paces behind. The blond was teasing the red-head about something, and had even managed to coax a small grin out of the normally stoic boy. Iruka smiled at Naruto's friendliness—he was probably the only boy in school that had reached out to the quiet exchange student, just as he had reached out to Iruka. There was something sunny and warm about Naruto that made you feel like no matter how far you were from everything you knew and loved, you still had a friend. Iruka could understand exactly why Gaara was so attached to the energetic boy. More of his homeroom students came in, but not everyone had arrived before there was an unexpected crackling over the announcement system.
"ATTENTION! This is not a drill! All students who own vehicles are to make their way to the parking lot in an organized fashion and go home. Keep your doors locked and drive straight home. Homeroom teachers, we will be calling your classroom to let you know which students have parents waiting for them in the cafeteria. All bus riders, please wait with your homeroom teacher for further instructions. I repeat, this is not a drill. If you have a vehicle, leave school premises NOW."
Immediately, there was panic. Iruka clapped his hands loudly and managed to get everyone's attention.
"You heard the principal, if you have a vehicle, or you ride home with someone who does, please make your way to the parking lot. Take your things with you, as you can assume school is ending early. Nearly all of his class left, which meant he didn't need to wait for a call from the secretary about waiting parents. Only five students remained behind: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Gaara and Haku.
"Don't you have a car, Haku?" Iruka asked. The dark-haired boy nodded.
"I do, but if there's an emergency, it's best I wait here. He'll probably be calling me any second." As if on cue, Haku's green cell phone began buzzing in his backpack. He answered it, speaking quietly so that none of the others could hear. Not that anyone could hear anything over Naruto's loud stream of questions.
"What's going on, Iruka-sensei? Why are they letting classes out?"
"I don't know, Naruto, but you four ride a bus, correct?" The four teenagers nodded, and Sakura pulled out her own phone.
"I'm going to call my mom—maybe she knows what's going on," she said. She dialed the number, but shook her head after a few moments. "It's no good—the line is busy." Sasuke pulled out his phone and attempted to call his brother, who had taken care of him since the death of his parents two years previously. He, too, received no answer.
"My brother always answers when I call—no matter what," Sasuke said quietly. "Something must be wrong with cell phone service."
"Mr. Umino, is there reason to be alarmed?" Gaara asked flatly, his English slightly accented. From a few mostly one-sided prior conversations, Iruka had learned that the boy's native language was Egyptian Arabic, but he spoke English and French enough to get by. He was studying in California to improve his English. The fast, muffled announcement had probably been beyond his language abilities. Iruka nodded.
"Yes, Gaara, I don't believe this is normal here. Something appears to be very wrong," Iruka replied. Although the boy's green eyes gave away nothing, Iruka knew he had to be feeling afraid. It was one thing to deal with a crisis in your native land, but it was another thing entirely on foreign soil. "Everything will be fine. I'll make sure you get home safely. You don't have to worry, alright? None of you do."
Iruka's door banged open, and he was surprised to see Kakashi panting for air on the other side.
"Thank God you're still here," Kakashi huffed, surveying the students that still lingered in Iruka's classroom. Following after Kakashi, looking just as harried, came two more teachers, Asuma and his wife Kurenai, along with a handful of their students. Asuma helped his wife into Iruka's chair and nodded at Iruka in greeting. Before anyone had time to speak, the tall, muscular security guard arrived in the doorway, and went straight to Haku.
"We need to go, Haku. The city's going to hell," the tall man said bluntly.
"What have you heard from the station?" Haku asked, clearly anxious.
"The Chief says it's bad—already beyond control. My orders are to evacuate, and you're coming with me," the burly security guard ordered. Haku nodded, collecting up his things.
"Wait, hold on just a second! Are you Haku's guardian?" Iruka asked, looking suspiciously between the two of them. Zabuza's answer was interrupted by another announcement.
"Attention all teachers—if you have a vehicle that can hold extra people, please take the students you can. The building is not safe, you must evacuate. The buses will not be coming. I repeat, the buses will not be coming. I'm sorry, and God help you all."
"Iruka-sensei, what does that mean?!" Sakura asked, clearly panicked. The other students in the room looked equally frightened. Kakashi took charge, shutting the door and locking it.
"Listen to me. I don't know details yet, but the city is facing biological warfare. There's no time to look for your families, and if you start walking home, I doubt you'll make it. I have an Excursion with plenty of room, and it's already packed with supplies. I'm heading to my cabin in the mountains, and I suggest you all come with me. Trust me—the further we get from the city, the safer we'll be. We need to travel in as few vehicles as possible, though. Asuma, you and Kurenai have a mini-van, don't you?"
"Yeah," Asuma answered, doing a quick calculation in his head as he counted the people in the room. "We'll all fit into two vehicles."
"You—what's your name?" Kakashi asked, nodding at the tall security guard.
"Officer Zabuza Momochi. I'm not just a school rent-a-cop, and I've got word from my boss that this is nasty stuff. People are ripping each other apart out there. You know what this is?" Zabuza interrogated. Many of the students gasped at the new information.
"I'd have to see a specimen up close, but yes, I have a fairly good idea what's infected everyone. If you're an actual police officer, I take it that means you know how to shoot a gun?" Kakashi confirmed. Zabuza nodded.
"If you can stick a bullet in it, I know how to shoot it," he replied, giving no indication that his statement was mere boast. He was serious as a heart attack.
"Then you'll be very useful to us if you'll come along," Kakashi said. "You'll probably save these kid's lives."
"To be honest, I don't really give a damn about any of you except Haku. But if you've really got this cabin, then that sounds like the best place for him. We'll come with you. We stop by my place first, though. We're going to need some firepower. Besides, I doubt you packed enough food for this many people, and there's a gas station by my place."
"It's risky, but we'll need the supplies, and the weapons, too, most likely," Kakashi confirmed. Kakashi crossed to the window and looked down at the parking lot. The big roads leading out of the school were blocked, but if one cut across the football field, they could drive out onto a back road that wasn't nearly as congested.
"Alright, we're going to head down to the parking lot now. If someone approaches you that's acting sick, or strange, do not make any contact. This virus is not carried in the air. Think of it like a human version of rabies. If you get scratched or bitten, you will be infected. Does everyone understand?"
A frightened silence fell over the room until Naruto stood up shakily, his big blue eyes wide as saucers.
"Are you telling me there's some kind of zombie invasion out there?" Naruto confirmed. Kakashi shot a quick, apologetic glance at Iruka, who now realized why Kakashi had wanted to leave so hastily that afternoon.
"These people aren't dead, but yes, the symptoms are the same. Extreme aggression, the urge to hunt, and a high resistance to pain—the only way to truly stop one immediately would be a bullet to the brain."
"This is ridiculous! I'm not going out there if people are eating each other!" a thin blonde girl protested shrilly.
"Ino, you heard the principal, the building isn't safe. So quit your damn squawking. You're coming with us in the cars," Shikamaru commanded, looking slightly more alert than he usually did, but not by much. A bigger boy, Chouji, placed a comforting hand on Ino's shoulder. She didn't hesitate to press against his side.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Ino. You know that," the stocky teen assured her.
"Alright, we're wasting time," Kakashi said. He unlocked the door and peeked out into the hallway. It was deserted, though it looked like a tornado of papers had blown through. "It's clear, let's go," he informed. Hurriedly, because nobody wanted to be left behind, the group of frightened teens and adults made their way out into the hall. Iruka, briefcase slung over his shoulder, made a point to give Gaara's shoulder a gentle, comforting squeeze as he passed him.
"Stick with me. It's going to be okay," he promised. The stoic boy nodded, and walked on Iruka's left, while Naruto walked closely to his right. Asuma all but carried his wife, who curled her arms around her extended belly protectively. They didn't encounter anyone as they made their way down the stairs and out into the parking lot. Kakashi took charge once again.
"Iruka, you and your students, plus Haku and Zabuza will go in my Excursion. Asuma, you take Kurenai and your students in the van." Asuma nodded, and told his group where they were headed. "We'll meet over at the football field," Kakashi added. The groups split. The parking lot, like the school hallway, seemed nearly emptied. Still, everyone's nerves were strung up tightly, and nobody felt safe despite the fact that they were walking in broad daylight. They hurriedly made their way to Kakashi's vehicle, instantly recognizable due to the strange metallic plates mounted on the roof.
"What are those for?" Naruto asked.
"Solar panels—they should come in handy. We won't need to stop for gas as much." The worried group had almost made it to Kakashi's vehicle, when they heard a strange groaning sound. Kakashi pushed the automatic unlock button. "Run!" he advised. The group started sprinting, just as a figure emerged from several feet away behind a car. It appeared to be a young woman, but her clothing was bloodstained and large lacerations covered her upper arms and showed through her ripped pants. She was crouched like an animal, groaning in pain. Everyone kept running, but Iruka slowed. He recognized her. She worked at the grocery store he shopped at frequently—he could even make out the remnants of her uniform now that he knew what he was looking for. The others didn't notice he had stopped, until doors were being flung open and one seat was left vacant.
"Shit!" Kakashi cursed, stabbing the keys into the ignition and screeching the tires as he reversed. He drove towards Iruka, the side door still held open by Naruto, hoping they would close the gap in time. Oblivious to their worry, Iruka took a hesitant step towards the girl.
"Are you okay?" he asked uselessly. The girl stood slightly, and for a moment she seemed to recognize him as well. "Can you understand me?" Iruka tried again. Kakashi had pulled up behind him.
"IRUKA, GET IN THE CAR!" he yelled. His voice snapped the girl out of her stupor, and she suddenly sprinted at Iruka full speed. Kakashi opened his door, not sure what he was planning on doing, but the action proved to be unnecessary. The seemingly harmless schoolteacher shifted his stance slightly, and then spun into a perfectly executed kick that sent the infected girl flying backwards. She was stunned when she stood, wobbling precariously as she tried to gather her wits to attack again. It was enough time, however, for both Iruka and Kakashi to get back inside the vehicle.
"Iruka-sensei, since when have you been a ninja?!" Naruto exclaimed, staring at his language teacher in awe. Iruka took a moment to glance behind him.
"Do you think I kicked her too hard?" he asked worriedly. Zabuza huffed in dry amusement.
"She got back up, didn't she? I hope you're not going to pull that friendly shit with everyone we come across, or you aren't going to live very long," Zabuza said darkly. Haku turned pleading eyes on the tall man, and his expression softened ever so slightly. He still offered no apology, though. Iruka finally tore his eyes away from the blood stained girl that was now hobbling after them woozily.
"I knew her. Don't presume to tell me how long I'll live, either. I've been a black-belt for years—I can handle myself just fine." There was a steely note in Iruka's voice that none of them had ever heard before. Iruka was upset, and he clearly meant business. Kakashi wanted to glance at him in the rear view mirror, but he was focused entirely on getting over to the football field, where Asuma's van was already waiting. A few more zombie-like attackers had joined the ranks of the girl, and were running after them like animals on a hunt.
"Someone's going to need to get the gate—we don't want to risk damaging one of the vehicles," Kakashi realized. For the second time that day, Iruka surprised the hell out of him.
"I can get it. I'm fast and I can protect myself," he stated calmly. Kakashi had barely rolled to a stop when, without any hesitation, Iruka flung his door open again and shut it soundly behind him, sprinting towards the gates. There was a chain wrapped around the poles, but thankfully no lock. Kakashi began to sweat as he watched the small swarm come nearer. Asuma honked his horn in warning as one came streaking by his car, unexpectedly, from the driver's side.
Kakashi watched wide-eyed as the lithe teacher nimbly pulled away the chain, swung it at his side a few times, and expertly let it fly at the attacker when he got too close. The man was knocked off course, and Iruka finished him off with another powerful running kick.
"Damn, he doesn't look it, but he's good," Zabuza commented, watching the scene play out as if it were a movie and not a man fighting for his life. His attacker felled for the moment, Iruka hastily pushed open the gate. Kakashi instantly surged the Excursion forward, and once again Iruka hopped safely inside. The small caravan drove quickly across the field, losing their pursuers behind them in the dust.
"Iruka, you've got to be more careful," Kakashi couldn't help saying, despite the fact that he was the one who had essentially sent him out into danger. He listened as Iruka caught his breath and took a moment to steady his nerves.
"The gate needed to be open, and it was either me or Officer Zabuza here. For some reason, he doesn't strike me as the type who's going to risk his life for us."
"Damn straight," Zabuza replied, "But you handled yourself just fine. Any chance you know how to shoot a gun?"
"I have my hand-gun license, and I've taken a few courses," Iruka replied.
"I'm starting to like you more and more. Maybe you will make it out of this alive," Zabuza said, a small, devilish little smirk on his admittedly handsome face. Haku, from his spot beside Zabuza's on the backseat, acted as though the officer's attitude was normal. Still, he flashed Iruka a proud little smile.
"Okay, which way to your place, Momochi?" Kakashi asked, already disliking the rude officer.
"Hang a right, and then a left at the stop sign," Zabuza instructed. Kakashi followed the directions, taking care not to lose Asuma's van behind him, and soon they found themselves on a four lane road with only mild congestion, the one Kakashi had seen from the school window. It was also a road that could take them towards the mountains, but more and more cars were discovering the road and merging on. They needed to be quick at Zabuza's. Many people would lock themselves up in their homes, but just as many would try to drive out of the city.
A short ten minutes later they found themselves outside a crumbling building in what Kakashi knew to be one of the more dangerous parts of town.
"Haku, stay in the car. If something happens to me, you stay with him, you got that?" Zabuza said, nodding at Iruka. The serene boy merely nodded, and watched as Zabuza pushed his way past Gaara to get out the side door.
"One of you hop in the back so he doesn't have to crawl over the seat to get back in," Iruka ordered. Naruto obliged, nimbly crawling over to sit with Sakura and Haku. "He might need help carrying everything. Sasuke, take my spot and leave the front seat clear, alright? I'm going to help him."
"No, Iruka, I'll go. You're safe in the car," Kakashi protested. Iruka huffed dryly in amusement and gave him an almost patronizing smile in the rear view mirror.
"Why don't you help Asuma gas up the vehicles? You can honk if there's trouble, and we'll come back down to help you." Kakashi realized the power had shifted slightly between them—he may have understood what was going on, but Iruka and Zabuza were probably the only two in the group who had the skills and athleticism to survive it. For the first time, Kakashi wished he's spent less time with his beakers and flasks and more time at the gym. The man who road his bike everyday to work, however, seemed non-threatened by the idea of running up some flights of stairs and then possibly coming back down to fight off a horde of flesh-eating humans. Feeling a little emasculated, Kakashi followed Iruka's suggestion and drove his vehicle to the pump, while Asuma did the same on the other side.
"Hey, you don't need to look so worried, Mr. Hatake. I mean, even though you've tried to get all perverted on him, Iruka-sensei will still protect you. He'll take care of all of us," Naruto said, obviously trying to be encouraging. Sasuke, guessing the true reason for the tall scientist's discomfort, merely smirked. Without replying, Kakashi got out to start pumping the gas. Asuma was looking nervously at the roads, scanning for potential danger.
"I'm going to go inside and see if there is anyone to pay," Kakashi said, leaving the pump running. Asuma nodded.
"Kakashi, be careful. You got something you can use as a weapon?" he asked. Kakashi thought a moment, and then scanned the area around him. All he saw was the window washer resting in its little bucket. Of course, it would have to be the window washer. His boyfriend was slinging a chain around and pulling off ninja moves, but he would be the idiot carrying around a scrub brush.
It was better than nothing, he supposed. With a glum look, he took the make-shift weapon and headed for the station, leaving a trail of water droplets behind him. Inside the car, Sakura snorted.
"What's he going to do with that—bathe them?" she questioned. Sasuke shared her skepticism.
"I'm going to go inside, too. I don't think he'll be able to do much damage with that if he really gets attacked." Sakura's heart seemed to lodge in her throat, but she nodded wordlessly at Sasuke's bravery. She looked out her window to see Ino, staring back at her intensely, her big, pale eyes full of worry. Sakura tried to offer the girl a small smile of reassurance. They'd been good friends once, but stupid things had come between them and now Sakura realized how petty it had all been. A lot of things seemed petty now. Feeling some tears on her cheeks, she tried once again to dial her mother's phone, and then her father's. It was no good—this time she even got a message saying no calls were currently being connected. She prayed that they were okay, wherever they were.
Meanwhile, Iruka and Zabuza had made their way up two flights of stairs and were proceeding cautiously down the hall.
"What's your story, Umino? Not many civilians know how to fight and shoot a gun," Zabuza commented, if only so that walking down the poorly lit hallway didn't seem so intense.
"My parents were killed, mugged and beaten horribly over a stupid watch and some cash in my mother's purse. I was scared after that, and my adoptive family thought it might help the healing process to put me in Karate classes. As soon as I came here, I got my license for a hand-gun. I'm a little more cautious than most."
"It's paid off. If more people took care of their own asses like you do, my job wouldn't be nearly as difficult," Zabuza replied gruffly, as he pulled some keys out of his pocket and unlocked his apartment door.
"And what exactly is your job?" Iruka asked.
"I'm a police officer. Usually I work undercover. I took a bad injury a year ago and I got assigned to the school while I healed up. I was also supposed to keep my ears open about a guy that has a pretty big drug operation going—occasionally some of his employees sell to the high school kids."
"Just what exactly is your relationship with Haku?" Iruka asked protectively. The tall man smirked as his door swung open, revealing a shit hole apartment that looked like someone had attempted to make it nicer and failed horribly.
"My relationship with Haku is illegal, if that's what you're asking," Zabuza replied challengingly. Iruka scowled, fuming with moral indignation.
"You know that by law teachers are required to report any suspicions they have about minors having...err...relations with adults, right?" Iruka's tone was just as challenging, his eyes narrowed angrily. Zabuza laughed, closing the door behind Iruka and sliding one of many dead bolts into place.
"Who are you gonna report it to? I'm the only one I see around here wearing a badge, last time I checked," Zabuza replied patronizingly. Iruka's expression turned thunderous.
"This situation is going to sort itself out eventually, and I promise you—"
"Situation? Have you opened your eyes? People are going cannibal out there—ripping each other apart and hunting down their own neighbors and families. I'd say this is a little bigger than a situation. And Haku? The kid's got nobody. He was homeless all this past summer till I took him in and gave him my couch. I've seen a lot of shit in this city—shit that would make what happened to your parents look like they died peacefully in their sleep. I was very close to giving up on everything when he found me. Haku's the only thing I care about, and I'm going to keep him alive. When this situation is over, if I'm gone, he's got nobody. If I lose him, I've got nobody. What happens between us is 100% consensual, so you can mind your own damn business, alright?"
The two stared heatedly at each other for a few more seconds, but then Iruka backed off.
"If I find out you've been hurting him in any way..."
"If I ever hurt him, I'd deserve whatever you could dish out. Now let's get the guns and get out of this hell-hole. We've left the others too long," Zabuza said. He proceeded into his bedroom, and then into his closet. He began passing Iruka several smaller gun cases the size of lunch boxes, and strapped three shotguns over his shoulder.
"Just how many weapons do you own?" Iruka asked, his eyes large.
"I'm a collector, of sorts. Here, take these," Zabuza dumped two huge boxes of ammunition onto Iruka's already impressively large armload. He draped another gun over his shoulder, a machine gun, if Iruka wasn't mistaken, and filled his own arms with box after box of ammunition.
"We might have trouble getting the flamethrower down the stairs," Iruka joked flatly. Zabuza emerged from the closet.
"Yeah, but it could come in handy. Nah, I'm going to leave it. It's harder than you might think to fire it."
"I was joking," Iruka replied, clearly surprised. Zabuza smirked.
"I wasn't. Now let's go." He slung all the guns over his broad back except for one shotgun, which he checked for bullets as they headed out the door. Their timing was perfect. Just as the began to descend the last flight of stares, a round of desperate honking assaulted their ears.
"That's the signal, let's go!" Iruka said, running as fast as he could down the remaining stairs and wishing he had his hands free should there be serious trouble outside. He thought of the kids, and of Kakashi, and ran faster anyway.
Zabuza skidded out behind him and they ran towards the car. Kakashi and Sasuke had backed out of the gas station, and only a window washing brush waved uselessly between the two men and at least three of the slobbering infected. Calmly, Zabuza hefted the shotgun up to his shoulder and took careful aim. A shot rang out, and despite Iruka's familiarity with guns, he jumped a little in surprise.
The zombie closest to Kakashi and Sasuke was propelled backwards, half his skull missing. Zabuza readied his weapon and took aim again—he now had the attention of the remaining two. His second shot also hit its mark, directly in fact, causing the head of the infected to explode dramatically like a watermelon impacting with cement.
The other one, deciding the prey in front of him was more tempting than the threat at a distance, surged forward. Kakashi pushed Sasuke behind him, and thrust the handle of the brush at the attacker.
"Damn it—he's in my shot now," Zabuza cursed, hurrying towards the conflict. Iruka's heart stopped beating as he dropped his load and ran towards Kakashi and his student.
His worry was unnecessary, because against all odds, the zombie like creature reeled back from Kakashi with an agonized howl of pain, the handle of the window washer planted firmly in his eye socket. Asuma came around before Iruka could get there, striking the staggering infected with a quick blow to the head, using his elbow and all the force he could muster. Zabuza relaxed somewhat, and picked up the items Iruka had abandoned.
The brunet raced towards Kakashi, quickly assessing for himself if the taller man was okay.
"Are you hurt?" he asked frantically. Kakashi gave him a shaky smile and pulled him into the circle of his arms. He let out a big sigh of relief as his chin rested on Iruka's soft hair.
"I'm okay. Better now that you're here. Come on, we've got the fuel so let's go."
"Before we do that, let's grab what we can from the gas station. You didn't anticipate bringing this many people with you. We're going to need more food."
"Jesus, were you planning a one man revolution or something?" Asuma asked, when he saw Zabuza approach looking like a hunting store had puked on him. Naruto helpfully pushed the button to open the back of Kakashi's vehicle, and Zabuza dumped his load. He set about readying some handguns.
"Can you shoot?" he asked Asuma.
"I've been hunting before. I'll be handier with the shotgun," he replied. Nodding, Zabuza loaded one of the long guns and passed it to Asuma. He also handed him a box of shells. Zabuza nodded at Sasuke.
"Get your dumb blond friend and go get food," he ordered. Sasuke, not bothering to correct Zabuza's statement about Naruto, knocked on the window and waved for Naruto. From the van, another two boys jumped out that had been fairly quiet up until that point. Sasuke vaguely knew their names were Kiba and Shino, but he didn't know them very well.
"Are we getting supplies?" Kiba asked.
"Yeah—the cop says to loot it." Sasuke remarked wryly. Zabuza ignored the statement, and passed a handgun to Iruka. The teacher made sure the safety was on, and then tucked it into his belt. Behind them, Asuma had readied the shotgun and taken aim. He squeezed the trigger and the infected man (who had still been twitching and writhing on the pavement) arched away from the bullet that struck him in the leg.
"My aim is rusty," Asuma concluded. He tried again, this time hitting the man in the neck.
"Asuma, stop it!" Kurenai pleaded from the front seat of the van. Large tears trailed down her pale skin. Asuma cursed under his breath and crossed back over to his vehicle, apologizing for upsetting her. Overcoming his scare, Kakashi followed after Iruka and the boys to go gather more supplies. They looted until the back of Kakashi's Excursion and Asuma's van were full. Kakashi, in a stroke of brilliance, also pried the big sheets of plywood from behind a broken window and slid them along one side of the Excursion.
"We might lose a window, and those will help in a pinch," he said. Iruka offered him a smile.
"It's a good idea...and Kakashi? You were amazing with the window washer," Iruka praised, the tiniest of blushes turning his cheeks pink. Kakashi returned the smile, feeling a little guilty for his earlier thoughts of inferiority. Iruka didn't think any less of him for not being a brawny, muscle-bound hero.
"These will be useful to, since the phones are out," Sasuke interjected, holding up two heavy-duty radios he'd just removed from their packaging. He took a moment to situate the batteries and play with the knobs. After some crackling static, he pressed the button on one and his voice came out the other. He passed it to Asuma, who handed it to Kurenai.
With the vehicles fully hydrated and the radios set up, they were ready to set out.
A/N: And we're off! Thanks for the reviews—I love that I'm not the only zombie film fanatic out there. I've got good things planned for this story. That's the nice thing about following the zombie movie code; the story practically outlined itself. Expect all the usual thrills and brain spills, and I'll try extra hard to keep is suspenseful in written form. This is my first attempt at horror, so let me know how I'm doing, okay?