A/N: I want to point out I started this, story earlier in the Fall than I did with my other crossover: Arashi Uzumaki of the Blue Plague, but still no where in the beginning, so if you want to know what happened in Blue Plague series before the point I used, you got to read the actual books. Just don't let kids read it.
I'm also censoring curse words as it's too many used in more than just saying usual ways that I can't ignore them all. At least with censoring I'm not going against my usual way of avoiding curse wordsof the Blue Plague series Tomas W. Watson, whose wife is Tina Watson. I should also tell you Watson always based a character after himself in his books, and in the Blue Plague series that's Bruce.
Finally, I don't own the Blue Plague series or the Naruto series or it's characters. But I do know the wife of the writer of the Blue Plague series Tomas W. Watson, whose wife is Tina Watson. I should also tell you Watson always based a character after himself in his books, and in the Blue Plague series that's Bruce.
if you see letters with '-' that's me sensoring curse words in case none of you realized that.
If you haven't read it yet, read this first:
Blue Plague's Nine-Tail Fox's Son: The Fall
Planning for the Cold Front
The week flew by. After the first morning, Millie brought Bruce breakfast to his room. She watched Bruce slam the tea, all while making funny faces. At noon he did the same thing but Millie never even waited to see if Bruce drank it. Bruce was forced to stay in bed and he started throwing fit until Debbie told him no more tea, then Bruce shut up.
He stayed in bed playing X-Box and waiting on his tea. It was Friday evening when Bruce did not want to drink the tea anymore. Debbie almost let him skip it then decided to make him drink it. Saturday, Millie had to stay until he drank it down all three times. When Bruce finished the last glass, he told everyone what they could do with that d- tea, in very graphic detail. Millie just walked out, smiling and Debbie had to stop Naruto from telling Bruce that Sakura and Paul already got a section ready for the herbs and was just waiting for Sunday when Carroll would give them the seedlings to grow it.
Sunday morning Bruce got out of bed at 0330, feeling better than he had in weeks. Looking back at the bed, Bruce saw Debbie, Stephanie, the twins, PJ, and Angela curled up with Cade. Bruce sighed as he looked at Angela. She still cried herself to sleep with Debbie and Stephanie holding her and Cade.
Bruce walked into the closet, grabbing some fatigue and a vest. Getting dressed, he grabbed baby SCAR and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Fixing a pot of coffee, he poured a cup and headed outside. With a cloudless sky the stars and moon provided more than enough light for him to see the farm. He saw a group of people working on the barracks and the storage area. Bruce headed toward the barracks, moving his left shoulder around. It hurt a lot but the pain was dull, not sharp.
Bruce walked inside the barracks. The rooms were done and the crew was painting the walls. Bruce walked upstairs and it too was done. The walls just needed paint. Bruce left the barracks and noticed another frame for more barracks. Feeling out of the loop, he walked to the storage area. The floor was laid out and ten people were putting up steel beams for the roof. Looking at how big it was, Bruce was glad the girls had made them settle for eighty thousand square feet. It was huge. Be d- if he would tell them that though. Bruce walked down to the area to the work group.
"I thought we didn't have enough concrete to lay the floor," Bruce mentioned.
"We got the rest of the concrete Thursday," one of them told Bruce. Bruce thanked them and walked out, looking at the fence. A slopping earthen berm ran the length of the property. Bruce whistled in amazement and climbed to the top of the embankment where he looked out to the area to the west. The heavy equipment was out there in front of a giant blond fox with seven tails helping with the digging what seemed to be a giant hole. Bruce guessed that was Naruto in a bigger version of his true form.
"Hey Bruce," He heard behind him. Bruce turned to see Paul walking up to him.
"What's with the pit?" Bruce asked, pointing to the hole outside the fence Naruto was help digging.
"It's a surprise," Paul told him.
"What are you doin' up so early?" Bruce asked.
"I get up several times in the night to make sure the night crew are doing okay. I just let them go and get cleaned up. Father Thomas is given' a service today and I wanted them to be able to go if they wanted to," Paul told him. Bruce nodded his head. "Come on, I'll show you around," Paul said and led Bruce around the property.
The fence was almost complete. The bulldozer and Naruto would dig the slope ditch in front of the fence next week. The only weakness were the gates. They had walled off the gate on the back of the property so they had the south, east and west gates. Paul told Bruce they would park heavy equipment in front of the east and west sides so they could not be rammed, and Mike and Naruto put claymore and paper bomb mines on the road and at the front gates. The claymores could be fired from the fort or Mission control and if they do the paper bombs can go off. If not Sai can send a superbeast scroll rodent in to trigger the paper bombs if there was some kind of failure.
When they walked into the front, Bruce stopped staring at the chicken house. "Paul, the chicken house grew," Bruce said.
"Bruce, we have over four hundred chickens now, with three hundred hatchlings," Paul told him.
"Paul, I have only been out of the loop for less than a week," Bruce said.
"Sorry Bruce, but Debbie and Stephanie wouldn't let anyone talk to you. I tried to go in after Debbie left your room only to find Stephanie standing over you. Bruce, she threatened to shoot me in the leg and if I didn't crawl out fast enough, she would shoot me in my 'pee pee spot'-her words," Paul informed him.
"That's okay, show me what else," Bruce replied with a sigh.
Paul showed him the rest of the improvements, including the new section off garden for the herbs needed for tea, which Bruce muttered some mean stuff in response.
"You made Sakura head of the Herbal Garden," Paul reminded him. "She got leader approval."
"Fine," Bruce responded.
They parted at 0600. Bruce headed to the house to find everyone in the kitchen dressed and drinking coffee. Even Naruto beat him coming in and took a shower as he looked as though he was freshly clean instead of covered in dirt.
"You look good, baby," Debbie told him.
"I feel like a million bucks, not that it means a lot now," Bruce said, getting another cup of coffee and walking to his place at the table, kissing Debbie as he walked by. Then he leaned over to kiss Stephanie. They both smiled at him as he sat down.
"Why are y'all dressed so early?" Bruce asked.
Mike answered, "Marcus and his clan will be here in a few minutes. We told them Father Thomas was giving a service and they asked if they could come over."
"Carroll also promised to bring seeds for Sakura's herb garden," Naruto said, carefully not bringing up the herbal tea.
As if on cue, the intercom went off as Konohamaru called, "The guests have arrived."
Mike walked over to the intercom. "Let them in," he told Konohamaru.
"Konohamaru Moegi and Udon are over mission control today, since I promised Father Thomas to give his service a chance." Naruto explained.
"When did you promised that?" Bruce asked.
"Friday after I was helping with the digging," Naruto said. "He was checking with Mike to make sure Carroll and Marcus was coming over today."
Naruto had spend most sermons training as he didn't want the beliefs of the elemental nations to come in conflict with the beliefs of Father Thomas in respect for the man.
Bruce nodded as he knew Naruto respected Father Thomas and was only avoiding the sermon to avoid conflict of interest. "Hey Mike, I went to the shop and our friends are gone," Bruce said.
"Yeah, Paul let them go," Mike told Bruce.
"He let them go?" Bruce asked in disbelief.
"Yep, he put 'em in a wheel barrel and took them to the scrap pond and let them go. Those gators don't really care if their food is yelling or not," Mike told Bruce, then added, "There are over a hundred gators in that pond now and we won't even talk about the creek behind the property."
"You feed them, they will come whether its blues or humans," Naruto added. "They appreciate the gang members by the way."
"Well, I guess it's okay that he let them go," Bruce said, drinking some coffee as PJ started yelling.
"Let's get this boy something to eat," Debbie said, getting up and heading outside to the center. She stopped as Marcus' clan pulled around and parked. Marcus and Carroll got out of an old pickup and people started jumping out of the back. People got out of the other vehicles, all carrying boxes of food.
Bruce came up to Marcus, giving him a hug, then motioned to the people carrying boxes. "Marcus, we have enough food here. Why did you bring more?" Bruce asked.
"Carroll said for ya ta ask her," Marcus told him.
"That's alright," Bruce said quickly, making Marcus laughed.
Carroll walked over and hugged Bruce, then said, "Let me see tha shoulder." Bruce never said anything, just lowered his vest, pulling his shirt open. Carroll lifted the dressing, looking at the healing wound then put the dressing back on. "You drank the tea," Carroll stated.
"I'm not talking about your tea," Bruce said, redressing.
"It got real bad on tha last day, didn't it?" Carroll asked, cackling.
"I'm not saying anything about that evil concoction, because a switch would be in my future," Bruce told her, turning around and walking away.
"We almost had to pull a gun on him to make him drink it," Stephanie said, making Carroll laugh more.
They all walked into the Center. It was the most people in one place they had seen in a long time; well, that weren't blue anyway. The group ate breakfast, introducing themselves to each each other. After breakfast, Father Thomas gave a good sermon, which made everyone feel better, and then led the group in prayer. After the prayer, Father Thomas looked at Bruce.
"Bruce, you want to start the briefing?" he asked.
"Paul, you start," Bruce said.
Paul walked to the front of with a stack of papers and turned to the room. "First, the barracks are done." The room erupted into a thunderous roar. Paul held up his hands for everyone to quiet down. Everyone had settled back down he started again.
"Nancy and Stephanie have the room assignments. The priorities are those with kids and couples. No one has a room by themselves. With the extra people Bruce and them brought, barracks are full. I want to ask you, Bruce if I can section off the dining room to make ten bunkrooms that will hold two people? With that we will have a spot for everyone just for now," Paul requested.
Bruce looked at Mike, Nancy, and Debbie, who all nodded their heads. "We don't care," Bruce said.
"Um Paul before you started I want to make request," Naruto said. "If Sai is going to need a roommate, I request I be it. I appreciate what you guys did setting me up, and David putting up with me, but I worked with Sai long enough to know he can be a hard person to get along and that his tendency to go by book knowledge combined with his lack of personality often cause trouble if not conflict."
"We already figured you would come to ask about giving up your residence in the house to spare anyone else to room with Sai and we'll allow it. And since Paul has requested to section off the dinning room into bunkrooms, I suggest you two take one of the rooms," Bruce told Naruto.
"Thank you, guys," Naruto said. "That's it from me Paul."
"Thank you, Naruto. Now after the supply area we're building two more barracks just like the one we built. We already have the frame up for the next one. As fast as we build them we fill them up," Paul said.
"We're saving humanity, Paul," Bruce said.
"Amen," Carroll said.
"I know, Bruce, that's why we're building two and have plans for four more. The pit that was dug in the west is for fuel tanks. There is a company on the other side of Shreveport that manufactures eight-thousand-gallon tanks. We are getting four, when the weather allow us. One of those trucks that we took from the truckstop wa loaded with batteries. We are making another battery house to offset the drain we are putting on the two we have now. The fence is almost done, and we are putting in raised platforms that we can fire from in case of attack. That's it from me for now," Paul said, and several clapped as he walked to his seat.
"Sakura, how is the herbal garden going?" Bruce asked.
Sakura rose. "So far so good, and with the new herbs Carroll brought Paul and I should have them planted before the cold front. Besides that, we should have enough herbs to start our own herbal pharmacy before it gets cold too."
"Thank you Sakura. I speak for the clan when I say we appreciate your effort in keeping us stock on medical herbs," Bruce said. "Lynn and Millie, you're next."
Not expecting to be called, they argued with each other until Millie finally walked to the front. "Bruce, you could've told us you wanted us talkin to these folks," Millie said nervously. Wiping her hands on her apron, she began. "I just want to say we've been having trouble with people helpin' in tha kitchen. Now we're staring to serve a fourth meal at midnight. We're puttin' out a small food area for snackin'. If you get caught takin' a lot you'll get spanked, and you won't be gettin' any more from it. We have ta remember there's a lot of us here, so be actin' right. That' all I got to say," Millie ran back to her seat.
"Millie, I been working on the nightly crew the last few nights finishing up Paul's projects, and I speak for the night crew when I say we appreciate you and Lynn setting up a fourth meal for us," Naruto said. "That being said, if there is anyone trying to the night crew's hard earn nightly meals, they can expect a visit from me, and it won't be a friendly visit... well not for you."
Naruto gave a mischievous grin that made many shivered as he retook his seat.
"Matt and Jake," Bruce said.
The two boys went front of the room and Jake pointed a remote to a wall. Bruce looked at the wall and saw the HD projector from the house. "Jake, what is that doing out here?" Bruce asked.
"Mama and Daddy Mike said we could put it in here yesterday. We can watch movies in here now. Movie night was canceled last night and moved tonight," Jake told Bruce. Bruce just looked at Mike and Debbie, who both refuse to look at him.
"Go ahead, son," Bruce said, just a little unhappy.
"Alright, first we have to tell everyone the government is still functioning underground and several military units are active," Jake said and a lot of people started clapping. "That is not good news, people. They are starting a totalitarian society. They have forced labor camps and any woman of breeding age is forced to get pregnant. The copies we got off the government computer gave us the locations and we hacked in via satellite to confirm it. Matt and I put a sleeper virus in their network to notify us if they try to use satellites to study us, and it'll white the screen if they try to focus on us. I'm not worried about them coming after us, only bombing us. They only have a force of ten thousand military in Colorado and half that in Pennsylvania. The Navy ships that didn't make it back have gone to Australia. Matt, get the lights," Jake said and Matt complied.
The projector showed a satellite photo on the wall. "This is the area north of Dallas," Jake said and hit the button, throwing up another photo this time closer. It looked like the land had spots over it. "This is a photo this time closer. It looked like the land had spots over it. "This is a photo of a mass movement of infected. What we have heard on the radio referred to as a horde. There are over three million in this photo. They just move in a group, disperse, then form up again move and do it all over again. The northeast is a lot worse," Jake pushed the button, causing another picture to come up. "This is Ohio and this one group has seven million. They move like locusts, slowly gathering then moving to a new area to hunt. We have noticed that those infected in the north are starting to hibernate. This has been confirmed on the short wave radio. Several groups have been in the path of these mass migrations and just laid low. Some were passed by but others were overrun. I didn't want to show this, but Dad said this clan has no secrets. We have no groups like this near us. The closest is the Dallas group and they're heading west. Any questions?" Jake asked and no one asked any.
"Now I want to show everyone what this group can do when we attack," Jake said, pushing another button. The screen showed a UAV video of the trap Bruce and Naruto had set for the biker gang. "This is what my dad set up for our biker gang on the road." The bikes drove down the road and the screen went white. "This is the trap Naruto set up." The next showed the groups heading into the houses and the screen went white. Several people started clapping. Then Jake showed the attack on the camp, including Naruto using a chakra bomb on the trucks.
"This is what we can do when we work together. We need everyone to train harder and give it everything you have. When you're asked to go out, we want you to come back, so you need to learn how to fight. That is all I have for now. Matt, you need to add anything?" Jake asked and Matt said he was good.
Bruce got up and walked to the front. "Good job, son," he said. Then Bruce turned to the room. "Okay, now again. Good work everyone on the training and getting the buildings up so fast.
"Marcus, the reason I wanted you here today is this: when the first frost hits we're gonna hit the military bases for supplies. I want you to pick twenty people from your group. We are committing forty plus security. We will take ten eighteen wheelers and start filling them up. When five are close to being full, five more will leave from here. This way we can keep a convoy running here with supplies. We are taking heavy weapons, assault rifles, ammo, clothes, and anything else we find. Debbie wants to send a group to Shreveport to gather supplies like clothes, food, and storage containers. We will only be training from now on; only current construction projects will continue. Nothing else until the weather turns cold. After the cold snap ends then we will finish putting everything up. It will be a- and elbows when it gets cold. I don't want to worry about ammo, and I want everyone here and at Marcus' farm to have three assault rifles each. If more a- show up, they will fear us, as the blues around here will start to. Marcus, what do you say?" Bruce asked.
"November fifteenth will be a two week cold spell. Then it'll warm up again until Christmas and'll stay cold 'til the end of January. I like your plan and` want to thank ya for including us," Marcus said.
"How the h- do you know when it's going to be cold?" Bruce asked in a shock voice.
"Farmer's Almanac," Marcus replied. Seeing Bruce's skeptical look, Marcus added, "It's only wrong by a day or two, Bruce."
"Well then, on the fifteenth we move. I expect it will take us ten days of steady work to move what we need from Polk to here. Marcus, can your group start on a large storage area?" Bruce asked.
"Already have. After we saw yours, we started one, and a barracks too," Marcus said.
"Well, if it's any consolation, I like your fence better," Bruce told him.
"OUr fence only covers twenty acres, but we're working on that too," Marcus replied.
"Marcus, if we get hit by one of the masses they call a horde, will you bring your clan here to make our stand?" Bruce asked.
Marcus leaned toward Carroll, Darrell, and Eric, quietly conferring with them. Then Marcus turned to Bruce. "That's a good idea. WIth more guns shootin' we stand a better chance of survivin'."
"Is there anyway you can make pens for your animals where they can't be heard, with enough supplies to hand to survive three days with food and water? My guess is if the blues don't hear food they won't even bother trying to get in. If they do, we can resupply you, but let's not throw away good livestock," Bruce said.
"If it can be done, we'll do it," Marcus said.
"If it helps, I can jump over there to talk to your animals," Naruto said. "It won't stop them from making too much noise but I can convince them to quiet down. Livestock are willing to try something new if it means survival of the fittest."
"We appreciate it, Naruto," Marcus said.
"Okay, when the weather turns cold, we'll secure solar panels for yor farm as well. I want to make a rule that we don't use fuel for electricity unless it's for emergencies. It's in short supply. We do have plans to make some, but it will not be in quantities for power production," Bruce told everyone. They all nodded in agreement. Those that been out in the worlds have lived for months without it. Now if they had it, they just accepted it anyway they could to get it.
"Okay, since movie night was canceled last night, we will watch movies after lunch. Marcus, your clan is more than welcome to stay," Bruce told him.
"Thank ya Bruce, we'd enjoy that," Marcus said.
Bruce left the front of the room and sat down by Marcus. "Marcus, thank you for coming to get us," Bruce told him.
"My pleasure, and I still have that pistol of yours," Marcus said, reaching to his back.
"Na, you keep it for saving a Ranger that got careless," Bruce said.
"You weren't careless, maybe a bit reckless, but Rangers like you aren't careless," Marcus told him.
Bruce just studied Marcus for a minute then asked, "You were in the 5th Special Forces group, weren't you?"
"Yep, Nam '64-'68 highlands," Marcus replied.
"Thought so. You used that .45 a little too easily, and when I was showing you how to make suppressors you understood the concept way too easy," Bruce told him.
"That was a long time ago, Bruce. I'm surprised you didn't go green," Marcus said, referring to the Green Berets.
"I might have, but I had to choose and I'm happy with my choice," Bruce said, looking at Debbie talking to Carroll in the corner alone.
"Yeah me too. I came home after my fourth tour and the girl I'd dreamed about my whole life came over to my house. When I answered the door, I almost fell over. Carroll asked me why I haven't come over and asked her to marry me yet. I hung my berate up that day and done what my daddy taught me," Marcus confided as he looked over also. The two just stared at the women talking.
After the meeting, Debbie and Carroll had moved over to sit down in the corner to talk. After about twenty minutes, Carroll looked at Debbie closely and asked, "Why are ya letting Stephanie close to your marriage?"
Debbie was totally taken back by the question. One minute they were talking gardening and the next, this. Debbie just looked at Carroll, trying to think of a reply. "Well-" Debbie started.
Carroll shook her head. "Debbie, the truth, please. We both grown women who married insane men. I ain't judgin' ya, I just wanted to know. That girl's sweet and kind. I don't think she's got a mean bone in her whole body. That Sakura probably could teach her a thing or two about how to be mean. Stephanie looks at you almost the same way she lookin' at Bruce."
Debbie took a deep breath and looked up at Carroll with tears in her eyes. "I'm making sure Bruce has someone there in case something happens to me," Debbie told her.
Carroll just studied Debbie for a few minutes. "No, you know somethin' gonna happen," Carroll corrected her.
Debbie nodded her head in agreement then asked, "Please, don't tell Bruce?"
"Ain't my place to," Carroll replied as she looked around the hall. Naruto was talking to Darrell and Eric, so she had hope he wouldn't pick up on the conversation. Then she turned back to Debbie. "But I think I know why you haven't. You're scared of what Bruce'd sacrifice for ya," Carroll stated. Debbie nodded her head in agreement again. Carroll sighed. "Well, you're right about that. The only thing I don't see him sacrificin' be tha kids and most likely Naruto as those two seem to grown on each other," Carroll replied matter-of-factly.
Debbie just stared at Carroll. Then she looked at Marcus and Bruce and the way they were talking to each other. "Marcus would do the same for you," Debbie said.
"Yeah, he would, as I'd sacrifice myself for him," Carroll replied.
"I can't let him do that, Carroll. Too many people are dependent on him," Debbie stated. "Naruto might be able to take up the roll one day, but I doubt it be in this world, plus he's not ready for the responsibility."
Carroll nodded. "I agree with you there about Naruto. He might be ready in the future, but not now and not in this world." Then she asked, looking at Debbie. "Who visited ya in your dreams?"
"How-" Debbie started as Carroll spoke again.
"My sister knoed. Our granny come to see her in dreams and told her it was almost time over and over again for many months. My sister told me about it and I just laughed. Several months later she was helpin' Pappy workin' on the tractor and if fall on her. Debbie, you have the same look on your face," Carroll explained.
Debbie wanted to run away from Carroll; she didn't like someone who could read her like a book, but she wanted to talk to her so bad, "Carroll, this is my choice but when it happens, Bruce is going to be hurt real bad. I can tell by the way Marcus and Bruce are talking Bruce was in the service and is a warrior like Bruce. The worst part of Bruce can't stay. He may save the world but he'll be alone, and that hurts me more than anything. All of the kids, they will be fine, so will Naruto as I can tell he already went through the pain before, but Bruce will follow the wave and have a cold lonely heart until he dies. I don't want to know where he will go if he follows the path. I have some hope that if I get someone close to him now, he won't shut out the whole world. Then that one person can bring him back," Debbie explained.
"Well, I can't say I wouldn't try the same thing, Debbie. You think after forty plus years I'd not get weak in the knees when Marcus looks at me but I still do. Do you have any idea when?" Carroll asked.
Debbie shook her head no. "Carroll, I want to ask several favors from you please?"
"If I can, I will," Carroll promised.
"If Bruce ever acts like he hates me, talk to him for me," Debbie asked.
"That man's not capable of hatin' you," Carroll informed her.
"We'll see. Next, Naruto, for whatever reason he fears the wave, anytime its brought up, I see it in him. He has rode the wave before, or whatever version he goes through, but he says he looses control when he did, and because of it I believe he fears the wave. If Naruto is to help Bruce, he needs to be able to set aside his fear. I hope maybe if he's reassured of his own confidence and capabilities he can do it, but-"
"I'll make sure Naruto doesn't doubt himself in fear, and if not me Marcus," Carroll said.
"Good. Next, the one Bruce chooses, guide her until she gets her bearings. One is so lovestruck with him I don't think she would rein him in if needed. The other, well-" Debbie said, leaving it open.
Carroll laughed and nodded. "You don't have to ask all your request now, especially if ya think you've time," she told Debbie.
Debbie nodded again, looking Carroll in the eye. "Thank you then, and I'll ask you for more later," Debbie said, "and Carroll, I dream about my dad."
A/N: Just so you know the next chapter be much like the book. Only reason I'm not skipping it is because the Danny/Matt and Mary/Jake pairing comes out as official-as in the teens are no longer trying to keep it a secret from their parents.