Disclaimer: Okay, seriously? *sigh* I don't own Naruto. Kay, moving on...

AN: Well, I'm cuttin' it a little close, but I do believe this meets the vague "sometime before next week" deadline. :p Also, I apologize in advance if my novel of an author's note at the end is a little confusing/random. It's like, 1 AM here...

Heads up! Angst on an extreme level that borders on ridiculous. You've been warned...


Chapter Four - Promises

Konohagakure – Hokage Tower

2:05 Hours since Exposure

Naruto scoffed disbelievingly, the first to regain his voice. "Oh I get it, this is a joke!" he jumped to his feet, a large grin plastered to his face."Ha ha, very funny Tsunade-baa-chan." Shizune closed her eyes in mild exasperation.

Tsunade-baa-chan's eye twitched in annoyance "Would you stop being such a brat and be quiet?" she snapped, surprising several people in the room. The old woman had never been very patient, but even Naruto could see that today was obviously not one of her good days.

She turned away from them, coughing violently into her shirt sleeve.

"Hokage-sama!" Shizune took a hesitant step forward, but stopped when Tsunade-baa-chan threw her other arm out to ward her off, wincing at the sudden movement. When at last the coughing spell was over, she took a deep, ragged breath. There was blood on her sleeve.

Naruto cast his eyes about the room again, trying to understand what was going on. Wasn't this all just some elaborate prank…? Of course it was. She may have been old, but baa-chan wasn't dying...

A low growling sound came from behind Naruto, making him turn his head. Akamaru's ears were flat against his head, his body slightly crouched, as he glanced between the Hokage and his owner. Kiba reached down and put a hand on his head, a hard look in his own eyes. "I know, Akamaru." He sniffed the air conspicuously. "I can smell it, too."

"K-Kiba-kun?" Hinata's voice seemed very upset, and the pronounced stutter she'd had as a genin came back.

"I don't think she's making it up." He said, drawing all eyes to him. "I can smell it in the air—sickness. Death." Hinata's eyes widened and Naruto heard Ino gasp behind him. When he turned around to face Tsunade-baa-chan again, he saw something in Sakura's eyes that made his blood run cold.

Tears.

His stomach knotted tightly as he realized it was all true.

"But that doesn't make any sense." he said slowly, still unwilling to accept it. "If you need a successor, why call all of us here?" He lifted his confused gaze from the wooden floor to the Hokage. His voice hardened, ever-so-slightly "And why not tell the village what's happening?"

She attempted a weak smile "I called you here because I have a mission for you all, a mission that could decide the fate of this village. And because—" she broke off, coughing. When the fit was over, she continued as though nothing had happened. "Because the person I have chosen as my successor is in this room."

Immediately, Naruto's eyes flashed to Kakashi. It was obvious he was the most logical choice for the title.

"Well spit it out, baa-chan! Who is it?"

"Naruto!" the frustrated cry came from several shinobi as they all turned to glare at him briefly. For perhaps the first time in his life, Naruto shut his mouth in surprise.

"I don't have time to explain the mission," Tsuande-baa-chan continued on as though Naruto hadn't spoken, "Shikamaru will have to do that." He could tell just by looking at her that it was true—she was looking weaker every minute. "I won't drag this out any longer. The person I've chosen as my successor is you, Naruto."

Kumogakure – Raikage Tower

Days since Outbreak: 1

"Shh, Kin. It'll be alright." Endo Sayuri flashed a falsely bright smile at her younger brother, who was whimpering slightly. He looked back at her with wide, terrified eyes. They were standing on opposite sides of a long hallway, their backs pressed up against the walls. Sayuri glanced up at the determined expressions of her new companions.

They were all lined up along the hall—three on each side—facing a small servants' entrance that lead out to an alley. The alley lead to ANBU District, which—if everything went according to plan—would provide them with shelter, high ground against the enemy, a fresh weapon cache, and hopefully even food. From there, they would have a clear shot to the wall. Once outside, they would be able to purge the village of Infected without harming themselves (hopefully).

Of course, that all depended on the ANBU District being clear of the Infected. Other than that, Sayuri felt it was a solid plan with a decent chance of success.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu." The Raikage whispered, making a series of hand signs; there was a soft poof of smoke, and two copies of the elderly shinobi appeared. As they approached the door, the six real shinobi held their kunai tighter and pressed as far up against the wall as they could. The Raikage gave a signal and the two clones opened the door and slipped outside.

As soon as the door was shut, they heard the automatic lock click.

They waited silently for what felt like ages, but was probably less than a minute. They couldn't hear any noise coming from outside and the clones hadn't vanished yet, which meant the alley was probably clear. The plan was off to a good start.

"Hey, kid." One of the others—she thought his name was Naoki, or something like that—called softly to Kin, who was still trembling. "You're worrying too much. We're shinobi, this is what we do." He smiled comfortingly, "We won't let anything happen to you." Endo watched as Kin regarded him suspiciously for a moment, but something about the Jonin seemed to make Kin trust him.

He attempted a smile in return, which stunned his sister. She couldn't recall the last time he'd smiled at anyone but her. For that brief moment, she almost forgot the tenseness of the situation they were in.

"All clear." The Raikage stiffened slightly as he spoke, and Sayuri realized that one of the shadow clones must have disappeared. "But we only have a ten minute window." Sayuri threw a smile at her brother that was more confident than she felt and readied herself to run.

They edged closer to the door, forming a single file. The adrenaline was already rushing through her veins. On some unseen signal, the Raikage pushed the door open. He held it back as they ran past; the other woman first, followed by the Genin, then Naoki, Kin and finally herself. As soon as she was over the threshold, the Raikage followed them out.

Konohagakure – Hokage Tower

2:10 Hours since Exposure

Naruto reeled. "Me?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, baka. You." Tsunade closed her eyes briefly, feeling faint. She could feel the infection in her lungs already—she only had a few minutes left before it reached her heart. She watched as he opened and shut his mouth a few times, obviously flabbergasted.

"But I—I can't." he stammered.

"Baka. Do you think I would leave the village to you if you couldn't? "

"Ts-Tsunade-baa-chan…" he stuttered, his infamously slow mind clearly still trying to make sense of the situation.

She tried to breathe deeply before responding, but the action caused a sharp pain in her chest, making her cough again. She could feel the painful way each convulsion of her lungs caused them to break down even further.

She was out of time.

"Sakura." She held her arm out weakly, calling her student to her. She didn't fail to notice the tears on her cheeks.

"Tsunade-sama." She answered with a cracking voice, stepping up to the desk.

"There's no more time." Tsunade was breathing slowly, and as deeply as she was able. Shizune approached her from behind the chair.

"Please, Tsunade-sama, there has to be another way." Sakura was practically begging, leaving everyone but Shikamaru looking very confused. He just stared at the wall, an icy look in his eyes.

"If Shikamaru couldn't think of one, then I think we can be reasonably sure there isn't." she gave a smile that was as ill-placed as her attempted humor, casting her gaze over Sakura's shoulder at Naruto. "Keep him in-line, alright?"

They realized then what was going on.

Naruto swallowed.

"I never said I'd do it." She knew he was trying to be tough, but she could see the water in his eyes as well. It brought an oddly warm feeling to her breaking heart.

"Yes you did, baka. Have you suddenly forgotten your dream? Every day for as long as I've known you, you've promised yourself you would become Hokage. And what about your nindo? You never go back on your word, Naruto."

She slumped back in her chair, too weak to hold herself up any longer. She heard Ino give a tiny, suppressed sob and watched Hinata's shoulders rising and falling, her hands in front of her mouth. Naruto—like many of the other shinobi—had his fists clenched and hanging by his side. She couldn't bring herself to turn around and face Shizune, so instead she lifted her eyes to Sakura again. If she didn't do it soon, it would be too late.

"And now, Sakura, I need you to keep your promise."

Kirigakure – Hawk Tower

Days since Outbreak: 3

"Konoha?" Kamiko asked with surprise, the chain swinging wildly and barely missing Kazuta as her focus slipped off it. They cursed at the same moment, although their choice of words were quite different.

"Dammit, Kami-chan! Watch what you're doing with that thing!"

"Sorry." She apologized hastily, unwrapping the bloody chain from the railing it had enfolded. The metal was slick with gore—as were her hands—and she grimaced as she wiped it quickly along her pants to dry it a little. By the time she was finished, there were already two of Them on the barrier.

"What's a Konoha hawk doing here?" she asked over her shoulder, swiftly dispatching the two below her. "Do you think they heard about what's happening? Are they sending help?" She tried not to get her hopes up, but the idea of help from the strongest village in the Five Nations was hard to ignore.

"I don't know." Kazuta admitted, the disappointment from earlier coloring his voice again. "It's encrypted." She smothered the urge to scream in frustration. What good was a letter they couldn't read?

"Wait!" Ayumaru said, catching Kazuta's arm as he moved to pitch the scroll over the railing. "My dad works in the Cryptography Unit; I might be able to read it!" Kamiko scoffed loudly, her bitterness at the situation turning into undeserved anger.

"You? You're just a kid. A Genin."

"So?" he demanded angrily, beginning to lose patience with her constant degrading remarks about his age. "You're just a Chuunin! And anyway, as long as I can figure out the cipher, what the hell does it matter how old I am?"

"Come on, Kami-chan." Kazuta broke in, afraid an argument would distract her from her job of guarding the stairwell. "Let him at least try it. If he can't figure something out by the time we're ready here, I'll make him pitch it out." Kamiko glanced at her traitorous teammate, who was wearing an appeasing smile. She'd seen him use that look a hundred times on missions and knew how deceptive it was; it almost never ended well for the person on the receiving end. She rolled her eyes as she turned away from them again.

"Yeah, whatever. We're almost done here anyway." The chain slid easily out of her hand, the weight cruising straight for its mark. When it hit, she tugged it back up so forcefully that it sent a spray of blood and brain matter across the walls and Kazuta.

"Gods, Kamiko, are you trying to get us infected?" he demanded angrily, quickly rubbing off any of the blood on his exposed skin.

"Oops, sorry." She smirked in a way that showed she clearly wasn't sorry. Kazuta scowled and returned to the delicate mass of paper bombs and wire he'd been working on.

For several tense minutes, they continued on in silence; Ayumaru deciphering, Kazuta building, and Kamiko guarding.

"I got it!" Ayumaru yelled suddenly, grinning. Despite herself, Kamiko's hopes lifted again.

"Good job." Kazuta said with only a hint of sarcasm. "So what's it say?" The younger boy's smile faded.

"Well for starters, it's addressed to the Godaime…" Kamiko's countenance fell. If it was addressed to the Godaime, then Konohagakure didn't know she was dead. If they didn't know that, than they probably didn't know anything else either.

And if they didn't know, they couldn't send help.

And now the hawk was gone, leaving them with no way of telling Konohagakure—or anyone else, for that matter—what was happening.

Kazuta had stopped working on the bombs and was watching him expectantly. "…And?"

"Oh, well, uhm… 'To the Godaime Mizukage and whomever else it may concern'" Ayumaru began reading what he could of the letter. "'The Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, Tsunade-hime, has just declared Konohagakure to be in a state of total quarantine effective immediately. The village has become exposed to the unidentified disease sweeping the continent and, in an effort to preserve as many lives as possible, has been closed off to any and all outsiders. Until you hear from Konohagakure again, we advise you NOT to send people, shinobi or civilians, to our village. They will not be admitted into the village for ANY reason.

"'We are unable to provide you with much more information about the disease than Amegakure or any of the other infected villages. All we can tell you that infection has shown to be 100% fatal. The disease does not appear to be airborne, but rather is spread by the exchange of body fluids. Infected patients are completely insane, and cannibalistic.

"'We warn you to avoid any and all contact with the infected. The best thing you can do for them is to kill them before the disease does. To the best of our knowledge, being bitten by an infected person will absolutely pass on the disease.

"'According to our most current reports, the infection causes a radical change in the human body. The body gives every appearance of being dead, and yet the patient continues to live a primal, reflex-based life. Infected persons are blind; they are completely brain-dead, and have severely impaired motor control. They cannot speak. They will NOT recognize anyone. They react to and follow even the smallest of sounds. The majority of the body does not appear to recognize sensation; however the hands and head appear to react reflexively to being touched.

"'This is all the information we are able to send you at this time. When Konohagakure has been cleared of any and all threat from this new disease, it will once again open its gates. Until that time, we encourage you to avoid the continent entirely.

"Signed, Godaime Hokage, Tsunade-hime.'"

Silence ruled the platform for a long while after Ayumaru finished reading the letter. Kamiko wasn't quite sure what to make of it. As far as she knew, Kirigakure had received no correspondences concerning this new infection. She had hoped it was a local problem, something only her island was dealing with. But it had reached the continent… It was as far in as Amegakure, even.

She sighed deeply. That was it, then. There was no help coming. There never would be.

"I guess that means we're on our own, boys." She suppressed the icy disappointment in her chest, replacing it with burning, bubbling rage. Rage at her village for being so ill-prepared for something like this. Rage at the continent for not being able to help. Rage at the gods for cursing them with such horrors. Rage at her brother for abandoning her when she needed him most. Rage at the monsters below her for taking her family from her, for taking her teammate and sensei from her, for taking her home, for taking her entire damn village, for even existing!

"That thing ready yet?" she jerked her head in the direction of the bomb/wire pile, while simultaneously swinging the chain and taking out her mark before he even reached the barrier. Kazuta nodded, a glint in his eye remarkably similar to the one in her own. Ayumaru scooped up the shuriken scattered about easily, an expression of hatred marring his young features. She smirked, creating an expression that would strike fear into the heart of even the strongest shinobi.

"Then let's get the fuck out of here."

Konohagakure – Hokage Tower

2:20 Hours since Exposure

Sakura sobbed once, her fists clenched like Naruto's.

"Isn't there any other way?"

"You know there isn't." Tsuande's voice was soft, but it was more than just exhaustion. It was full of compassion for what she was asking her pupil to do. After a brief moment, Sakura swallowed hard and nodded.

A strange determination—one she had learned from her mentor—crept into her eyes, stopping their tears.

"Sh-shikamaru," she turned her head slightly but didn't look at him, "could you, uhm, take everyone…" He nodded tersely, and turned to the door. It was obvious they were meant to leave, at least for now.

Kurenai was the first to exit, moving quickly as though she was going to be sick. The ANBU and guard followed after her, stopping in the door way to bow at Tsunade. Slowly, the remaining Chuunin did the same, beginning with Kurenai's team, then Sai and Chouji.

Ino hesitated for a brief moment, her eyes locked on Tsunade's. With a sob, she jerked a bow and ran from the room. With tears silently sliding down his face, Naruto also turned to leave.

"Hey brat," Tsunade's voice cracked slightly, and his head snapped back up to look at her. "Could you and Shizune… will you stay, please?" he and Shizune shared a surprised glance before he nodded slowly.

Shikamaru exited the room, leaving only Kakashi, the Hokage, her assistant, her student, and her successor.

As Naruto took a shaky step forward, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Kakashi. The two held gazes for a long moment, Naruto searching from some kind of comfort, some bit of wisdom from his sensei that would make this easier. But there was none, and Kakashi knew that. So instead of saying anything, he simply squeezed Naruto's shoulder once, slowly nodded his head towards Sakura and the Hokage, and exited the room.

The door swung shut behind him, closing heavily.

"Naruto…" Tsunade leaned forward in her chair as he approached, laboriously pulling her green jacket off and standing up. She leaned almost entirely on the desk to hold her up. He only had to wonder what she was doing for a brief moment. He saw the second her jacket hit the floor what she had been hiding this whole time.

His eyes widened in shock as he took in the pale gray skin on her arm, spreading all the way up to her shirt, and the large, blood-stained bandage on her forearm near her wrist.

"This is what's… killing me. This is what you must… protect Konoha from." She stumbled then, and Shizune lunged forward to catch her. This time, Tsunade didn't push her way.

Sakura went to her side immediately and helped to lower her to the ground, placing her head in Shizune's lap. Naruto knelt by her side, opposite Sakura. As Sakura began to make a series of hand signs, Tsunade continued to whisper.

"Naruto… You will be a… great Hokage…." She looked up to meet Sakura's eyes. "Sakura… He will depend on… you…. Help him…. Stand by him… Never give up. On him… or Sasuke." Sakura nodded silently, forming the final Seal; a pale glow began to emanate from her hands.

Tsunade lifted her eyes up to Shizune. "Shizune… please be strong…. Please don't… be bitter…" Shizune nodded, biting her lip against her tears. "You are… so much like him…. Like Dan…" She looked back at Sakura, and nodded slightly.

Sakura swallowed and held her shaking, glowing hands over Tsunade's chest. She winced slightly, making the others cringe. After a moment, Sakura pulled her hands away and Naruto knew that it was done.

"I have… faith in… you…." Tsunade whispered with her dying breath. "All… of… you…." Her eyelids fluttered shut as she exhaled softly.

A single tear landed on her face as Shizune hung her head. Sakura sobbed, her shoulders shaking.

In that moment, Naruto felt a weight land on his shoulders.


AN: :'( Aw, poor baa-chan.

You know, this fic is beginning to surprise me with how difficult it is to write. I mean, when I first started this I was thinking something along the lines of "Zombie Apocalypse=lots of blood and dying and not much else. :)" But in writing this I've discovered that I have strange fascination with the psychological effects something like this would have, and am rather enjoying exploring that with some of the characters. Particularly people like Naruto and Sakura, whose psyches have been analyzed to extreme lengths even in canon. But let me tell you what, there's nothing like traumatic events and severe psychological damage to make writing people in-character a pain in the a**...

Anywayyyy, you're probably wonderin' what the heck this has to do with anything, and why you're still wasting time reading this, right? Well, I just thought I mention it so you're not caught completly off-guard if the characters start to go a little OOC every once in a while. :) I think I'm doing a decent job off keeping that from happening (of course, I'll never really know that if you don't review :p ) but I thought I'd give you a heads up, just in case.

Until the next chapter then, my lovelies. [Yeah, I went there.] :)

Oh, and P.S. The rating on this fic might go up in later chapters. As the action begins to intensify, the gore-factor is going to go up by A LOT... Just another heads-up.

Coming Soon: Chapter Five - Decisions

Sneak Peek:

"Now he looked as cold as she felt.

And yet, at the same time, he was exactly the same as he had always been...

There was something about the look in his eyes that she found oddly… comforting. He wasn't going to give up without a fight—he never had before, and he wouldn't now."