Welcome to Hell

Fifth Chapter.

The blood smeared sign welcoming them to Wakayama did not give the group a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Sakura blanched and Naruto looked green. It was going to be bad. This was their first urban area since Tokyo and they were starting to run low on supplies. As much as they did not want to enter the town, they had too. Urban areas were much more dangerous than the rural ones in their own way rather than just traveling on the highway. One; there were many more Undead because of the condensed populations, and two; there were a lot more hiding spots for them to jump out of to catch you by surprise. Sakura sighed and rested her weight to the side. She was tired. Although it was safer on the road, they were much more exposed and no one slept well. Urban areas had shelter, food and water.

"This is going to suck," Naruto whined, holding his head in his hand. Kakashi just closed his lone eye and sighed in resignation. Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked past them all and began heading towards the town. Sakura raised an eyebrow. That man was fearless.

"Well, he's right." Kakashi told the two. And walked past them as well.

"Right about what?" Sakura asked.

" 'Standing here isn't going to make it any better so we might as well get this shit over with.' " Naruto explained before walking away.

Sakura was silent, dumbstruck. The silent communication between these men was still a mystery she had yet to crack. 'Guess it has something to do with being together for so long.' She thought wistfully before following the men, turning around with the hand gun they had given her at the ready in case they were being followed. It was a pattern they had developed over their travels; the person at the back keeps watch at the back. The Undead were smart, attacking when the person was most venerable and from the back where it was easiest. Sakura knew this because of her last encounter in Tokyo where the child zombie had so unnerved her, it hadn't attacked her immediately but snuck around to her back, Sakura had found its footprints circling her in a spiral. Not only had it circled her, but stalked her without her noticing.

'They're evolving,' she had thought, 'mutating and learning.' It made her question just how intelligent these things could be, and how much danger they were in. She glanced at the backs of her teammates, she hadn't told them yet of her suspicions, mainly because she wasn't sure herself. Also it was a onetime event that hadn't been repeated in the weeks she had been with them.

Her hair was getting long again; she had to cut it soon. Sakura sighed; her thoughts were so random even she couldn't keep up with them. But it was true her hair always grew at an alarming rate, something she had been proud of in her past life, now it was just annoying.

Annoying, well shit. She was picking up everyone's habits. She thought as she held her head in her hand and sighed.

…

Damn it!

XXX

The last few weeks have been, for lack of a better term, interesting for the young Uchiha. Sasuke sat back on his heels at his post atop the roof of the abandoned house in downtown Wakayama. He was on watch while Sakura and Naruto raided the stores below looking for anything of use. Kakashi was a block away with his rifle at the ready, Sasuke was there in case any of Them broke through Kakashi's vigilance, which was slim but Sasuke wasn't one to take chances with his comrades lives. He chewed his lip at the thought of his companions, even with the military Sasuke was a loner, isolated by his family name and his own elite abilities, he learned to project a cold exterior to dissuade any friendly encounters before they learned the hard way what it meant to be the friend of an Uchiha. Disposable.

But things had changed so drastically so quickly Sasuke was having a difficult time to catch up with the events even eight months after everything began. Being the last Uchiha, he no longer had the family commitments to tie his down and choose his path. The old nobility bloodlines were no longer worth a damn yen. He felt oddly relieved at that revelation. He could interact with whom he wanted without fearing their safety…well from a human attack anyways.

When he was bitten for the first time, he felt the world was going to end. Around him his family was dying, killed by the dead rising again. His own brother had infected him trying to take his flesh and Sasuke had ended his existence with a single shot between the eyes. Blood of his own kin staining his face a drop or two landing in his mouth. When he had felt his neck begin to burn Sasuke knew something was wrong, a bite wouldn't have shot pain down his arm and chest and head. Not that quickly before infection could set in. Sasuke fled his family home, leaving the screams of the dead and dying behind him. He didn't want to be one of those monsters. He entered the wood behind the estate, staggering and leaving a smeared trail of bloody handprints on the rough tree trunks. Sloppy, he thought, thinking back now. When he was sure he was far away from anyone and everyone he had collapsed, intending to kill himself before he became one of Them. But he had gone on too long and had no strength to lift the gun to his head, instead he passed out. The pain had kept him immobile for two days, wavering in and out of consciousness until he woke up on the third morning to find himself changed. Not one of Them but his senses, he noticed, were sharper. He could smell his sweat and blood from his body, so strong he was nauseated. When he finished dry heaving he smelt the under tones of damp earth and plant life. It had rained while he was incoherent. He opened his eyes and snapped them close with a cry. Crawling over to a river he could hear nearby his muscles screamed in excruciating pain. Gasping, he opened his eyes once more, slowly to become accustomed to the light piercing them. It was then, looking down into the running water, he first saw his eyes. The Sharingan was a legend in his family, a tale from older times. Now the infamous tomoe spun lazily in red irises reflected back at him. His mind was numb, the Sharingan in his eyes shocked him to no end, the last Uchiha who was said to have them died over half a millennia ago and he did not have the most virtuous record. Sasuke remembered the cold chill that had run down his spine then, he had been named after that ancestor, right before the smell of rotting meat hit his nose. Without thinking and much faster than he should have managed Sasuke had pushed away from the river, back to his resting spot, grabbed the gun he had dropped spun and shot what had been his cousin right between the eyes. With the gunshot echoing through the woods Sasuke had realized how quiet it had become and knew he had to leave.

Coming back from his trip down memory lane Sasuke was acutely aware of that silence now. That silence blanketed the world where ever he traveled. Not even animals had escaped the breakout out of whatever it was that changed humans into cannibalistic monsters. It hadn't been long afterward that he had met the two men he travelled with now. His eyes had freaked out Naruto but the blond quickly accepted it and Sasuke learned how to deactivate them since using them for too long gave him headaches.

When Sasuke learned that Kakashi and Naruto too had been bitten he had felt a weight taken off his shoulders, they were immune like him and he didn't have to worry of always being on the lookout for them. But with the arrival of this girl…Sasuke felt the old worry come back to him. She had never been bitten. True she had been scratched badly and had show some after affects but it wasn't the same as being bitten and Sasuke needed to keep an eye on her. Somehow she had become his responsibility in his eyes. After seeing his own mother become a monster right in front of him…call it overcompensation if you want but he really didn't want another woman to die in such a horrible way. Because to Sasuke, to become one of Them, was to die.

…

He didn't want her to die.

With a sigh that brought him completely back to reality he continued to watch the deserted street below. From the looks of it, the residents had tried to flee before the virus had reached them, only to have to run from hordes of decomposing friends and family. He could see Naruto and Sakura climbing out the window they smashed to enter the store, their packs bulging with the stolen necessary items. Water, food, bullets, not exactly prioritized in that order. Sakura had changed her pants, from baggy cargo to sleek cotton slacks that made less noise as she moved. In place of all the pockets she had Sakura had taken a utility belt with a variety of pouches. Sasuke approved. He saw the blond wave to him and Sasuke stood. Walking up to the edge he merely stepped over the side and dropped three stories to the ground landing in a silent crouch. Another gift from his brother, his body was a hell of a lot more resilient than before.

XXX

Seeing Sasuke drop from such a height and walk away like nothing happened made Sakura more than just a little jealous. Not she was willing to try and become like him. From Naruto's stories it sounded painful and Sakura had enough pain in her life, also she had the feeling that Sasuke would be seriously pissed if she even tried. Sakura didn't know why his opinion mattered so much to her, because frankly he was a complete jerk but, it did. The cool wind picked up and threw the long black coat he wore far behind him. Sakura and Naruto watched as he approached him and Sakura noticed how even now he was observant and prepared for anything, ready for an attack at a moment's notice.

'Must be exhausting,' she thought slinging her one of the packs on, crossing the strap on her chest and resting the bag on her hip before shouldering her rifle.

"Oi, teme," Naruto asked the approaching Uchiha, "See anything interesting?" Sakura rolled her eyes, for all their caution sometimes it seemed like the boys went looking for trouble.

'Testosterone,' Sakura began walking in the direction she knew Kakashi to be in, trying to ignore the bickering between the 'men' behind her. She cast her attention a head of her trying to catch any sound any smell that could be from Them. Earlier she had noticed the strange lack of bloodstains on the walls and ground. But the abandoned cars and trampled debris on the road was a sharp juxtaposition, the store they had just broken into was locked for goodness sake! These people hadn't left in too much of a hurry; they tried to leave before they had gotten infected.

'Yeah, good luck with that.' Sakura thought looking around at the weather worn walls and dirty glass. They would have a relatively warm place to sleep tonight. 'Doesn't mean they didn't get attacked later down the road.' The cynical thoughts were not new to her but she was shocked at her callousness all the same. Sakura knew it was the result of all the events she had witnessed and acts she had done, it was also a form a defence to protect her from future horror's but all the same she despaired at how much she had changed in the last eight months. Despaired but accepted it. She had to change, she knew, to survive this new harsh world. Now, more than ever, she wanted to reach Konoha. Konoha meant, to her, a much needed rest.

And while she thought of heaven, they were attacked by hell.

XXX

It was instantaneous. He didn't have time to think anything but 'Stupid!' First mistake was letting Sakura walk ahead of him alone, the second was getting caught up in his damn argument with Naruto that he didn't sense the danger before it had presented itself. He had been wrong thinking that they were safe, just because the residents left didn't mean something else hadn't moved in. The large Undead male leaped out of the supposedly empty doorway and lunged for Sakura. Hampered by the bag at her hip and her rifle still on her shoulder, she couldn't retaliate. So, to her credit, she dodged toward and under the monster and landed heavily on her side, knocking the wind out of her. She scrambled to her feet leaning heavily against the wall of the store behind her. Sasuke darted in drawing his sword and in a flash separated the things arm from its torso. It threw its' head back and shrieked. It fell into an aggressive stance while Sasuke eased into a defensive one, sheathing his sword and placing it at ready for a quick draw technique. But strangely enough the monster was not fixated on the immediate threat of Sasuke, which was the unusual, but on the woman behind him catching her breath. Its gaze did not waver from the pinkette which was odd. Sasuke frowned, he knew that look, it was the look he had seen many times directed at him all his life. Lust.

Okay this was weird. Could the undead feel emotions? This was the first time such a thought crossed his mind. A gunshot ripped through the air, Kakashi! But the beast in front of him did not fall.

"What the hell?" He heard Naruto mutter, it was then Sasuke looked around. The Undead were appearing everywhere, from alleys and open doors, surrounding them. They had walked into an ambush. Sasuke's mind reeled, this was beyond his comprehension. The undead advanced slowly, their jaws yawning and gnashing as they approached the trapped trio.

"Well, fuck. Of course I just had to be right!" Sakura muttered behind him. Sasuke risked a glance over his should at her and saw her pale face. She unslung her rifle slowly and looked as if her mind was racing a mile a minute. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. What did she know? But that was a question for another day. Right now, they we're going to be eaten or worse for the woman behind him. Where was Kakashi? Sasuke scanned the hoard there seemed to be fifteen, maybe twenty undead. This will be tricky. The leader, it seemed took a step forward drawing Sasukes attention once more. Clearly it was pissed at Sasuke's position between it and Sakura. It growled deep in it's chest, baring fangs that were yellow with stains of old blood.

'Alpha,' Sasuke thought completely still, 'definitely an Alpha male, dominating others and controlling them.' It was an obvious thought but he kept going down that train to cover the undercurrents of what he was feeling. 'Was this what he could have become?' that thought paralyzed him. The realization of how close he had become to being one of these things. He felt something slender rest on his shoulder and a deafening bang which made his ears ring.

"Dream on sicko." He heard Sakura mutter right before she blew the monsters head off. It exploded, brains scattering in a fountain of blood and bone. It dropped, hitting the ground with a dull, wet, thud.

"Doesn't matter how strong and controlling you are, you still die when a bullet hits you head and blows out your brains." Sakura said coming from around Sasuke her face impassive but still a little pale. Her earlier comment finally registered in his head.

"You have some explaining to do Haruno." Sasuke hissed to her. She scoffed at him.

"Oh as if this is my fault!" She snapped at him, slightly taken aback. And infuriated to boot.

"You know something!" he said. Sakura opened her mouth to reply but Naruto cut her off.

"Guys, I really don't think this is the best time." Naruto said slowly his twin guns at the ready he had already fired off a few quick shots, dropping two or three of the undead.

"We'll talk later." Sasuke told her Sakura stuck out her tongue at him and the three of them charged the hoard.

End of Chapter

NG: I will just say flat out that it was very difficult to write this chapter. But! It is a filler chap. The four previously were an arc, and that's how I'm going to write this story, in archs, so this is an in-between chap of arch's. Next up, the trip to Konoha arch with developments in the SasuSaku department... hopefully.