The Epic Author's note returns!

I'm making a conscious effort to update this story as often as possible, so you faithful readers don't get bored. The least you can do to pay me back is review (PLEEEEEASE) :')

Right, shameless pleading aside…down to business.

This chapter is set about two weeks after the beginning of the Apocalypse, so Shannon has gotten to know the Konoha team a lot better than before. Everything else shall be revealed….

I am aware that this was a rather useless author's note. Meh.

READ, ENJOY, AND REVIEW!

**Chapter 5**

It had only been two weeks since the world ended, but to Shannon, it felt so much longer. The constant nagging worry she had over the whereabouts of her mother and best friends had slowly been worn down to a weak throbbing at the back of her mind – not present in her waking thoughts, but not completely gone either. The only way she managed to squash it down was by pushing herself and not giving herself time to think. She had been the one to suggest that they make for the city - she reasoned it would give them the best chances of survival until Konoha figured out a way to get them back. And it would also give her an oppertunity to search for her mother. Not that any of the other knew that.

She had had time to bond with and get to know her travelling companions a lot better in that short amount of time. When one's life is constantly on the line, one tends to make the best of the time they have left. Shannon found that she got on quite well with most of the squad, aside from Sasuke and Sai. Sasuke and Shannon didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, his nonchalant and controlling manner managing to constantly get under her skin. Whereas Sai…Sai just scared her.

She found that she identified a lot with Sakura and Hinata, aside from the fact that they were the only females in the group of nine. Shannon had a similar temper to Sakura when roused, but when she just needed to be around someone quiet who would listen to her concerns, or just generally would keep her company, she found she could turn to Hinata anytime.

Shannon clambered over a large slab of rubble from a fallen overhead pass as she and the Konoha ninja made their way down an abandoned highway, towards the city centre. Coming to a halt on the other end of the concrete boulder, Shannon stopped to take a breath and rest in the shade, out of the blistering heat of the sun. She shaded her eyes and looked off into the distance, trying to make out the tall shapes of the high-rise buildings that made up the city.

She didn't know if any of them were still standing, after the earthquakes and flaming comets. But if she squinted hard enough, she swore she could still see some indistinct black shapes rising up on the horizon.

A few pebbles of concrete clattered to the ground as two figures dropped down beside Shannon, peering in the direction she was facing.

"See anything yet?" Shikamaru asked, his hands shoved in the pockets of his ripped jeans.

Ah yes, and then there was Shikamaru and Lee. Shannon had probably grown the closest to those two during their journey to the city. She attributed it to the fact that she and Shikamaru had very similar, laid-back personalities (hers being laid-back, his just being plain lazy), and Lee was naturally a very likeable person. When he had first met Shannon, Lee had declared (much to Sakura's chagrin) that he would protect her with his life until they were safely back in Konoha.

"Nothing that I can clearly make out," Shannon replied, rubbing her eyes. Red spots danced in her vision from the bright sunlight.

"How much longer until we reach our destination?" Lee asked, his thick eyebrows scrunched together in concentration as he squinted in the sun.

"I'm not exactly sure, but if we keep going at this rate, we should be there in a few more weeks," she said, starting off again with her companions on either side. The rest of the squad were walking a few meters behind the trio, rapidly tiring in the heat.

"I don't know how those three do it!" Sakura groaned, her head lolling back from exhaustion. "It's like an oven out here!"

"Well, I can understand Lee, his determination is astounding," Sai commented, his expression impassive as always. "And I think Shannon is just used to this climate. The complete anomaly to me is Shikamaru. Who knew he had that much stamina? He never does anything."

"My thoughts exactly," Sakura slapped a hand over her face.

Up ahead, something caught Shannon's eye. She quickened her pace and made her way over to the rusting wreckage of an old delivery truck. The side of the trailer had been torn open, and its contents were spilled out over the ruined highway.

"Look at this!" Shannon called over her shoulder as she rummaged through the pile of debris. She tugged something free of the mess and held it up triumphantly. "Torches!"

"Torches? Hell yeah!" Naruto called from the back of the group, suddenly seeming to find some energy as he dashed over to Shannon.

The group had established a while ago that the Shadow Creatures – as they had dubbed them – were highly intolerant of light, in any way, shape or form. It seemed to burn them, and if in high enough doses, killed them. Torches were a very good defense against a hungry monster trying to claw your face off.

"First of all, do they work?" Shikamaru, took the one Shannon held out to him and rattled it, listening for the clank of batteries.

When he heard the distinct thud inside the plastic torch, he flicked the switch. The lightbulb flickered into life. Shannon, watching over his shoulder, grinned.

"Thank god," she breathed a sigh of relief.

With Naruto and Lee's help, Shannon dug through the mass of junk, pulling out every torch she could find and checking every single one had batteries. She didn't know when they would ever stumble across something like that again.

Light was fast become the most valuable resource out there, along with food. And neither was in plentiful supply. It seemed the Creatures just destroyed everything they came across, including foodstuffs. The squad's supply was dwindling dangerously low, and they had been living off Sakura's soldier pills for the past couple of days. Shannon hated them, but they kept her going.

"How many did you find?" Hinata called as she and the rest of the group arrived at the ruined truck.

"I've got three so far, believe it!" Naruto answered, tossing his down from his position inside the bowels of the trailer.

Lee bounded around from the back of the truck, arms full of the black torches. "The power of youth has blessed me with many!"

Shannon rolled her eyes at Lee's 'youthful obsession' and slid down the pile of junk, clutching her own collection of torches in her arms. She added them to the steadily growing pile.

"These should last us quite a while," Sasuke said, looking down at the number of torches.

"Best share them out and keep the rest packed away for future use," Sakura sighed, dropping to her knees and piling the torches into her pack.

Shannon grabbed a handful and handed them out to the others, one torch each. For emergencies only.

It was about three or four hours later and the squad seemed to be getting no closer to the city than they had before.

"Remind me why we're even going there again?" Shikamaru sighed, his hands clasped behind his head as he walked.

Shannon snorted and whacked him on the shoulder. He pulled a face at her and she smirked. "We've got the best chances of surviving in the city – there's bound to be more food around there, and shelter. And there could be other survivors there, too."

She fervently prayed that there would be other survivors there, namely her mother and Ashley.

"By the time we get there, there probably won't be anyone left," he rolled his eyes. "This is such a drag."

"Stop complaining," his brunette companion snapped. "It could be a lot worse."

"Well, well. What have we here?" a cold voice said somewhere behind them.

The nine companions froze.

"I think you jinxed us, Shannon," Sasuke said flatly.

"Shut up."

AHMAHGAHD this just wouldn't END D'X

I promise the next chapter will be a BAZILLION times better! (or it had better be, at least)

Brownie Points to the person who noticed the Chuunin Exams reference XP

R&R

*EDIT

I just realized something…I left a major inconsistency hanging… SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DON'T GET REVIEWS? TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN AND I DON'T NOTICE!

I realized late last night that I left the thread of Shannon wanting to search for her family and friends completely hanging :/

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?

This issue will be promptly fixed in this chapter. And hopefully something like this will never happen again. I'm a perfectionist that way.

Now hopefully we've all learned something from this.

I need to pay more attentionYou people need to REVIEW. I'll do anything for some feedback. Name your price. Help me avoid mistakes like this in future!

There is a serious lack of communication between us, readers :( help me fix that. TAAAAALK TO MEEEEEE.

I hope I never sound that desperate again