I turned to Shikamaru slowly and murmured, ''Whoever shot this can't be far away. The car is a lost cause. Get the others, we're leaving.''

''Where to, Neji?'' Shikamaru asked. ''I think another town is not for forty minutes away. And thats by car.'' He looked at the surroundings around him and the Hummer. ''We are surrounded by cornfields.''

''Go through the cornfields.'' I simply stated. I turned around to walk back to the driver's seat. ''Get up, we're going.'' I called out to the others.

Shikamaru opened Tenten's passenger door of my car and looked in at me. ''You cant be serious, Neji. After what just happened an hour ago, you want to go out there?''

''Go where? Whats going on?'' Tenten asked looking worried.

''Hey, you want to stay here be my guest. But when whoever shot that bullet at our tire comes looking for the car, and the people driving, I will be long gone from here.'' I firmly told him.

''Wait. Wait-wait.'' Kiba started. ''Your saying someone shot our tire out..?''

''We found a bullet in the rubber, Kiba.'' I said, looking under the driver's seat for a flashlight I usually carry in case of emergencies.

''And you want us to leave the car and go outside?'' Kiba continued.

Finding the flashlight, I flipped it on. ''Yes.'' I grabbed my hand gun off the top of the dash board. ''Into the cornfields.''

''There is no way in hell-'' Kiba yelled but I cut him off.

''I'm not asking you to come, I'm telling you.'' I gave him a fake smile and turned to Tenten. ''Lets go. Use my school bag in the back to store supplies in. Just dump all my work and binders out of it.''

She was about to mutter something, but opened the door of the car and walked out to the back of the Hummer. I closed the door of the driver's seat and went around to the back passenger seat where Temari and Sakura were. I looked on the floorboard as Sakura was getting out. Finding the shotgun, I threw it over to Temari. She caught it easily and brought it down to rest on her hip.

''Can you shoot?'' I asked.

Without a answer she just cocked the shotgun and smiled at me. I was slightly disturbed but I had bigger problems to deal with.

''Everyone out of the car. Get as many supplies you can carry. And if possible find an object that can act as a weapon. I don't know what we are going to be dealing with.'' I commanded, walking to the back of the Hummer.

Tenten was waiting for me, with my school bag on her back. Bulging, with supplies I suppose. Nodding to her as I passed, I lifted the flashlight to illuminate the path in front of me, and raised the gun up as well. I walked to the edge of the road and stopped at the cornfields. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my way into the tall stocky plants. A hand grasped my shirt following me, which I assumed was Tenten. Sparing a glance behind me, Kiba followed Tenten, looking pissed. Sakura after him making up the middle, Naruto behind her watching her protectively, with a pocket knife in hand. Was he carrying that all along? Strange, but even so, its good he did have it. We might need it. Second to last came Temari with the shotgun pointing at all angles, with Shikamaru at the rear. Cautiously, I made my way through the cornfields. For a few minutes all I heard was the crunch of corn stalks and dirt.

''Neji..?'' Tenten whispered only loud enough for my ears to hear.

''Yes?'' I asked, still looking forward.

''If we don't make it out of this alive.. I just wanted you to know that I-'' She stopped as if afraid to continue.

''You what?'' I turned to face her.

''I l-love you.'' She whispered.

The silence didn't last long as I stood there apalled. A horrifing shriek filled the air, that I knew all too well. We all came to a complete stop. Shit. Shit. Shit. Where did it come from? The sound of crunching corn and grass filled my ears as I panicked and looked around at my surroundings. Corn. Corn. Just corn. Where? Which direction? A louder high pitch screech filled my ears as if it was standing right next to me. I turned to look over Tenten's shoulder as the corn stalks parted down the line. A blurred image of a man tackled Sakura to the ground, breaking her from the straight line we were in. Naruto dove straight after her with his pocket knife raised. The three tumbled out of sight, with shouts and screams.

''Move, move!'' I yelled, pushing Tenten and Kiba out of the way to get to the screaming girl.

I rushed towards the man-creature who was ontop of Sakura. Naruto was trying his best to stab the thing over and over again with his knife, but it was as if the creature did not even feel it. The sight before me almost made me throw up. I could feel the bile in my stomach rising as the creature ripped off Sakura's arm, blood spraying onto Naruto as he struggled to save her. The creature dug more into her, pulling back bloodly, string-like meat. The sickening yellowish bone was showing from her arm and the thing dove again at her. That caused Sakura to start screaming insanely as the creature went for her neck. Bang! A bullet slammed into the thing's head. I slammed my foot into the side of the monster pushing it off of her. A small amount of smoke came from my side-arm as I kicked the creature to the side again and fired two more rounds into its skull. Blood flied up near my face.

The creature seemed different from the last one we saw. It had extended limbs but in a way looked more human. Minus the fact blood covered its body and it had sharp pointed teeth.

Maybe there is more to this than I thought..?

I cocked the gun again for a third shot, but a hand fell on my shoulder. I spun around and pointed the gun at my attacker, but it was only Shikamaru.

Shikamaru held his hands up in surrender, and said, ''Its dead, Neji. Come, we have to help Sakura.''

I merely nodded and slowly walked back over to her mangled body. Her right arm was torn off from her elbow down. Blood was spurting from her neck as Naruto took his shirt off to try to stop the bleeding. Gashes covered her body, and I wondered how she was still alive.

Tears forming his eyes, Naruto screamed at us in a panicked voice, ''Help me! For God's sake help me!''

I looked around and how we were just standing there, looking at her with shocked expressions. Even disgusted expressions. Temari was the first to move as she knelt down by her looking at the wounds, with wide eyes. She then looked at the limb that was missing from her arm. Her look then changed to confused. I followed her gaze and saw why she looked so confused. Blood started to stop from pouring out of Sakura's wound. She was missing an arm, she should have bleed to death. I moved to her missing limb and looked closer. Veins running from the open wound were a purplish-black and it continued that way up to her shoulder and then up to her neck. It was starting to form along her face, coming from below her neck, across her jaw and onto her cheek. I could litterally see the blackish veins spreading across her body and face. I took a step back. What the..?

Sakura was moaning in pain. Saying, 'I'm not going to make it..' and 'It hurts..'. Naruto was trying to calm her, but in reality he needed to calm himself. He was hysterical.

Sakura breathed out a huge sigh and closed her eyes. Silence, she did not open her eyes, she was still.

''Sakura..?'' Naruto questioned, shaking her. ''Wake up! Come on. WAKE UP!'' He screamed in pain as we turned our heads to look at the ground in pity.

Tears finally fell free from his eyes, they splattered over the ground as he moved to place his shirt over her face. But as he went to put it on her, she opened her eyes. Two dark black holes staring him down.

''Sakura! Your ok! Thank god!'' He sighed in relief.

''NARUTO GET AWAY FROM HER!'' Tenten screamed.

''What why-'' He questioned as she lunged for his thoat. Blood flew and hit me in the face as her teeth made contact with his shoulder. He screamed in pain and fell back onto his back, struggling with her. I jumped back pushing Tenten behind me as she bit deeper into him. More screams filled my ears. But to my horror, I realized they were not his. No. They were more of those 'things'. On the opposite side where we were standing and on the other side of Naruto and Sakura, the corn stalks moved.

''Run!'' I screamed, pushing Tenten away from the appending doom.

We all scattered. Gun shots fired from Temari and I. We didn't know where 'they' were but we fired into the corn. We ran in different directions, but heading to the same general area. I made damn sure Tenten stayed at my side though.

All I heard was my labored breathing as I pushed through corn stalks. Don't look back. Don't stop. I forced my legs into a dead sprint with Tenten beside me. Behind me I heard the crunching of stalks. Trying to pull my pistol from my belt, it got caught up on my shirt and fell from my hand. Shit! Don't go back for it. Keep running!
Tenten and I pluged through the end of the cornfields and in front of us was another road. A few meters away from us Kiba bursted out from the stalks and ran up beside us. Temari and Shikamaru soon appeared and ran up to join us. Sadly, I still heard running in the corn stalks.

''What now?'' Kiba yelled, staring at the corn fields.

(Beep! Beep-Beeppp!)

Huh? Coming down the road was a black Cadillac. The car was honking its horn like crazy, as it slammed on its brakes in front of us. The window rolled down as a familar face stared back at us.

''Hurry, get in.'' The driver demanded.

''Kankuro?'' I yelled.

''No time to talk, GET IN!'' He yelled back.

Tenten wasted no time jumping into the back seat as I followed her. Kiba jumped and slid across the hood of the car to get to the passenger's seat by Kankuro, as the rest of us pilled in the back. Kankuro threw the car in drive as Shikamaru slammed the door to the vehicle. Hardly getting a meter from our current stop, a figure ran into the road in front of us, fifty yards away. It was grapping its shoulder and standing in the middle of the road blocking our path. It was Naruto. One hand was held up, palm facing us, telling us to stop. 'Please', he mouthed, as we sped towards him. The look on Kankuro's face told me he had no intention of stopping. Kankuro honked his horn and held it out and we closed in on Naruto.
Before we even got to him, another tall figure tackled him to the ground out of the road. His screams faded as we sped pass him.

The speed meter rose untill it hit a steady speed of eighty-five miles per hour. Still to me, it was not fast enough to get away from that horriable place.

''Kankuro, how did you find us?'' Kiba asked.

''Long story. I figured you all would go to Shikamaru's dad's place. So after getting out of the city I came this way and ran into you guys.'' He stated.

''Where's Sasuke? And why did you come back?'' Shikamaru asked.

''Dead. And once again long story.'' He sighed. ''I looked at a map.. There's an old motel up ahead. We could stay there and rest up. Talk it over.''

''Kankuro... what happened to you..?'' Tenten asked, as I saw what was on his clothes. Blood. Dried blood.

''Let's just say Naruto was right.'' He replied.

''How long until the motel..?'' I spoke up.

''Thirty minutes.'' He answered. ''If you want some shut eye, go ahead, I'll tell you if I see anything. Ok?''

''Yea that sounds good.'' I sighed in exhaustion.

I rested my head on the window as I, for once in this entire night, closed my eyes.

- Twenty-eight minutes later..-

A hand nudged my shoulder and shook me awake. I opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times.

The sun was peeking up from the horizen, shining on the Cadillac.

''Thank god this night has ended.'' I heard a voice say.

''Neji, we're here.'' Kankuro leaned back from his seat and told me.

I looked up out the windshield past him. A lone building stood in the clearing, with the sun coming up behind it. After what we've been through tonight... it was the prettiest sight I had ever seen in a long time.