Chapter 10 – Running Late

Screams echoed around the police booth as three figure within it move in the hazy fire light, outside it dozens of twisted and deformed demons sat or squared as the devoured torn flesh from the growing mountains of the dead. As one demon in the shape of a dog with a crocodile head severed the head of an elderly women another torn off one of the twisted limbs, the pale corpse oozed blood as the long clotted oozed over the concrete as the pair of demons greedily filled their bellies.

"What happen to women, she was soft..." A demon in the form of a man with a hunchback and featureless face save one gaping hole filled with teeth grunted as it stood and held the semi chewed head of what had once been a young women.

"Was too rough with her, she suffocated." A giant bull demon snorted as it held the headless corpse of the women in its clawed hands, the naked flesh was covered in bites, scratches and wounds. "Still so soft though, just a little colder" The demon and a number of others started to laugh as he screaming in the booth continued.

"The policeman is still going" One of the demons spat in-between mouthfuls of decaying flesh.

"He's not soft though!" The hunchbacked demon sighed as it tossed the severed head aside and sniffed the air, a strange smell had come to its supernatural sense but it couldn't tell what it was.

"How long is Lord Abaddon going to let us play?" A squat demon squealed as it poked the eye of one of the dead out and guzzled down the liquid that squirted from it.

"No ide." The giant bull demon didn't get to finish its sentence as its huge head was severed from its shoulders in one swift slash, Asmua stood on the demons shoulders as he brandished his unique trench knives.

Before the demons around him could react a hail of bullets erupted as several squads of the defence forces came rushing in, as one of the units tanks fired its cannon several demons exploded in a torrent off blood. Yet out of building and from the sewers more demons poured forth and swarmed towards the defence forces who's bullets were shrugged off by the demons, as Asuma raised his hands the demon hunters hidden high above on the building roofs leapt down into the fray.

Sasuke sank his blade into the shoulder of a large bat like demon and with a flick of the wrist tore away a large chunk of flesh, as the demon howled in pain he drew his kirkgur and fired a single shot into its howling mouth instantly killing it.

Behind him Sakura cleaved the last demon in two as a moment of silence was ended as one of the defence troopers threw up at the sight of the demons feast.

"This is too much." One of the young men said as he had to look away, a number of the other troopers were also rendered sick from the sight of the torn and mutilated bodies that were placed everywhere.

Asuma looked around for a moment and after hearing movement within the police booth he walked over, as he disappeared into the booth Sakura noticed the overturned pram part way down one of the streets and she too felt sick then a gunshot rang out from within the police booth. As one of the other hunters made to go into the police booth to check on Asuma the man appeared in the doorway and blocked the way, as he shook his head nobody wanted to see what lay inside.

Sakura turn to check on Sasuke who stood silently in the midst of the carnage, he hadn't spoken or even acknowledge anyone since she'd met up with him at the staging camp. He stood holding his blade in one hand and had his other hand on his holstered kirkgur, he stood looking off into the distance and showed no interest in the bloody carnage that surrounded him.

"OK, people we move in five. Check your weapons and wounds now." Asuma called as he closed the booths door and walkelt over to the still retching defence soldiers and tried to get them ready to move.

As Sakura walked over and laid a hand on Sasuke shoulder she was surprised when he turned to look at her, his eyes were distant and seemed not to recognise her as he looked straight through into the distance.

To the east of the city Tsuande and her team moved through the empty streets of what had once been a residential area of the city, with her a group of defence troopers walked nervously in a column around the hunters. Naruto and Shikamaru walked along besides one of the Hyuga clan hunters, Naruto watched as the tall milky eyed hunter constantly updated Tsunade on the surrounding area. Surprisingly this section of the city was quirt and the group hadn't run into any demons, yet still Naruto was positive he could feel eyes watching him constantly.

"Are you sure were all clear?" Naruto spat as he though he heard a twig snap in the bushes alongside one for the empty houses.

"I am certain of it." The Hyuga said as he looked nervously towards Lady Tsunade.

It was at that moment that a demon walked out into the street, the column stopped and the troopers aimed their weapons as the creature came to a stop in the middle of the road. The demon looked like a boar with goat horns and four giant bulging eyes that had no eyelids, its tusk were curved outwards and looked razor sharp and along the demons back a number of spike like quill were perfectly aligned.

"I though you said we were clear!" Naruto cried as he aimed his weapon at the demon that had come to a hat in the middle of the street and had now sat down.

"I though it was...Its hard to see with all this fog!" The man cried and as one everyone turned to look at the man as he stood shaking nervously.

"What fog! Are fucking blind!" One of the troopers cried as another demon emerged this time from the side of the column only a few feet away form the troopers, it looked like a dog with no skin and a spider legs.

"Hold your Fire." Tsuande shouted as three more demons emerged and started to encircle the column.

It was at that moment that the hoard emerged from the undergrowth and abandoned houses, as Naruto made a quick count he reached forty before he lost count Shikamaru counted sixty five and planed his next moves.

It was at that moment that a giant demon appeared through the behind one of the building, the large ape demon that had appeared with Faust at the arena walked brazenly up to Lady Tsuande as behind the Hyuga hunter cried out in surprise.

"Lady Tsuande the fogs just gone and...there are four hundred and twenty seven demons surrounding up in the surrounding buildings and undergrowth." The man cries were almost ignored by the Hokage as she watched the great ape creature step up to her so close that it towered over her.

After a tense moment the large demon gestured for her to follow and turned to walked up the road towards the hill top, as the great demon walked passed the first of the demon to appear the hoard seemed to slink away into the shadows of the undergrowth and darkened rooms of the abandoned buildings. Tsuande paused only for a moment before striding forth to follow the ape demon, Naruto and Shikamaru followed along after along with the defence trooper who as they moved spat whispering curses upon the Hyuga hunter.

It didn't take long for them to reach the hill top where a sigh directed them to the local shrine that sat on the hill top, Naruto looked up to the solid wall of smoke that covered the entrance to the shrine like a barrier and wondered what they would find inside. As the great ape came to a halt at the edge of the smoke it turned and gestured for them to follow as it walked into the smoke and disappeared from sight, Tsuande turned to the Hyuga hunter who was shivering at the back of the hunters and had started to twitch uncontrollably.

"I don't suppose you can see what inside this damned 'fog' can you?" Tsuande watched the man didn't speak but shook his head violently, after a moment he fell to his knees and started to rock back and forth. None of the hunters much attention but some of the defence trooper tried to help him but were met with violent thrashing and screaming for their efforts.

"Leave him, he's too far gone to help now." Shikumaru said as he touched the smoke wall with a finger, he felt the chill run down his arm but otherwise was unharmed. "Hyuga who use their eyes too long often have panic attacks."

"You men stay here with him, we hunter will handle this matter." Tsuande said as she turned to look at the company of soldiers who were stood around sheepishly. Then turning on her heels she faced the smoke and took a deep breath before walking into the smoke wall, Shikamaru groaned and followed in after her as Naruto and the rest of the hunters entered the smoke too.

Naruto had expected many thing but what he beheld before him was not one of them, children playing and laughing, the smell of cherry blossom and the sunny sky been cloudless and a warm breeze wafting the smell of barque around. Naruto looked around and felt a something hit his leg, as he acted on reflex and pointed his weapon down he almost leapt when he saw the small girl looking up at him petrified.

"I'm sorry." The small girl cried as she bowed polity and raced off to where a group of children were playing tag, it was then that Naruto heard the music for the first time. The sweet sound of a violin was playing somewhere further up the hill, it was a slow and sombre tune that rose and fell periodical.

"Naruto." The blonde was torn form his daydreaming as Tsuande pointed to where the large ape demon stood by a set of stairs leading up the hill. As they followed the demon they could hear the music more and more and then as they arrived at the top of the steps Naruto saw the small table and chairs where sitting like an island of tranquillity in the midst of chaos Faust sat playing the violin.

With looking or stopping the tune Faust spoke.

"Lady Tsuande, you didn't ware a dress and your late." Faust said reproachfully as he continued to play his tune as around him what seemed like hundreds of children played and laughed utterly unaware of the horrors that had gripped their city.

TBC