Chapter 2 What the Hell
Sakura didn't know how long they had running into the deepest part of the woods. Finally they stopped by a large tree.
"Ok…what the hell was that thing?" asked Ino
"That was Lee." answered Tenten as she sat down and leaned against the tree.
"How can that be Lee?" asked Hinata "That was a horse thing?"
"The virus." answered Tenten "It turns people into things like that."
"Half horses?" asked Sakura
"If all of them where horse that would make it safer." Answered Tenten "No…many different things Horse man are not as dangerousness as the werewolves and were cats."
"Werewolves?" asked Temari
"Ya, werewolves." said Tenten "Apart from the big cats they were the worst. Some of the lower ones would simply run away when they saw you but not them."
"How did it start?" asked Sakura as she stood on a single knee.
Flashback
The alarm beeping filled the room as Tenten opened her eyes. Slowly her arm came out from under her blanket; she hit the snooze button on the clock. She turned over expecting to find her future husband still asleep. However there was nothing there. Slowly she sat up and looked around the room; Neji's ANBU gear was still there which meant he hadn't been called out on emergency mission during the night.
"Neji-kun" said Tenten as she got out of bed. She quickly put on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top which had been tossed around the floor the night before. She walked out of the bedroom and into the hallway of the small house they owned. Suddenly she heard what sounded like someone throwing up.
"Neji must have gotten the flu." thought Tenten as she headed toward the bathroom. She walked in to find Neji over the toilet dressed only in his boxers.
"Neji are you alright?" asked Tenten as she knelt down beside her soon to be husband, as he threw up. That is when Tenten noticed the water was red; she looked closer to see the water was covered with blood and what looked like human teeth.
"Tenten….you need to get…out of here." said Neji in a deep voice, too deep of voice.
"Neji what is wrong?" asked Tenten as she placed her hand on his back. Instantly Neji turned and looked at her, however his face was different. His lips and nose had pushed out into a dog like muzzle; blood flowed out of his muzzle as new sharp teeth came in.
"Neji?" asked Tenten "What is wrong?"
"Ten….ten… it is taking all my strength not to attack you." stated Neji as black fur started to appear on his face. "Please…run."
Tenten slowly backed away as Neji stood up. His muscles which were always ripped where doubling in size or more with each passing moment. Tenten could hear Neji's bones snapping as he grew to such a size that he couldn't fully stand in the bathroom. His legs began to reform into something that more belonged to a dog or wolf. Black fur appeared across his back, a spurt blood covered the floor as a long tail took form off his spine. His long black hair fell away as black fur took its place; two pointed ears appeared on top of his head.
"Neji?" asked Tenten as Neji turned around as best he could in the room. He had changed, he was now covered with black fur expect across his chest which was covered with white fur.
"Tenten." growled Neji as he licked his lips with his longer tongue. As Tenten noticed his new member coming out.Tenten jumped out of the room slamming the door behind her. She started to run down the hall, she reached their bedroom when the bathroom door came crashing down. Neji was on all fours his white eyes locked on Tenten. "Come here, become like me."
Tenten bolted into the room before diving for her weapon stash. She grabbed a kunai and threw it toward the door frame just as Neji appeared. The kunia landed on the above doorframe, Neji looked up to see the explosive tag on the end. The tag went off causing the doorframe and the roof above it to come crashing down on Neji. For a moment Tenten just stood there looking at the mound of rubble that had fallen on Neji. However before anything could happen a hand shot out of the rubble, one with seven inch black claws on each finger.
Tenten quickly grabbed her shoes and her weapons before jumping out the window and taking off toward the village center. She could hear screams and animal sounds coming from all around her.
"What ever happened to Neji-kun is happening to other people." thought Tenten as she looked back to her home. She turned to see Neji jump out of the window and land on the neighbors roof on all fours, only to have the roof give way under his weight.
End Flashback
"So Neji turned into a dog?" asked Hinata
"That is what I thought until I saw some members of the Inuzuka clan who turned mostly into dogs standing beside a wolf." said Tenten "Neji-kun is a wolf now."
"Are you saying that Kiba is one of those things?" asked Ino
"I would be surprised if there is anyone left in the Leaf who is still human." said Tenten "We fought them off for two days but in the end Tsunade ordered everyone who could to leave."
"How did the virus progress?" asked Temari
"Aren't you worried about Shikamaru?" yelled Ino
"OF COURSE I AM!" yelled Temari back, showing her emotions and her worry "But there is nothing we can do about that right now we need to make it back to the Sand and then…"
"Don't bother." said Tenten as Temari looked at her.
"We got word from Gaara that a virus just like what hit us hit them and they were about to be overran." said Tenten "By the time you get back it will be too late, the Sand will be gone."
Sakura watched as Temari rubbed her temples as she tried to process the information.
"I thought you said that guys where changed first?" asked Sakura
"It is different for everyone, some change totally right away like Neji and some change within a couple of hours." said Tenten as she looked at Naruto "He didn't turn for over a day and Tsunade believed he may have be the cure until he started showing signs. Then she thought something in him may be able to slow down if not stop the changes."
Sakura looked down to see the tip of Naruto's nose was now black as the changes kept happening.
"Where do we go?" asked Hinata
"There is an old underground Sand base maybe five miles away." said Temari
"You have a base so close to our village?" asked Sakura as Temari nodded her head.
"Yes, we used it during our attack on you during the chunin exams…there is room for over a hundred ninjas." said Temari
"We need to get going." said Hinata
"Why?" asked Sakura as she turned around to see Hinata looking toward the village, her Byakugan activated.
"There is a group after us?" asked Tenten
"Not after us, looks like a family of human sized monkeys heading our way." Said Hinata
"A family?" asked Ino
"Ya, a father, a mother and two kids." said Hinata as she pointed to their right "They are maybe four miles away."
"Probably running from the Leaf." said Tenten as the others looked at her "Most of the villagers turned into prey animals."
"And now they are being hunted like we are?" asked Sakura
"We are being hunted because the males like Lee, Neji, Kiba and Shikamaru want us, their mates back." said Tenten "They are being hunted for food."
"I am not mated to Lee…I don't like him that way." said Sakura
"It doesn't matter, it is only what he wants that matters." said Tenten
"Let's get going." said Temari as they picked up and left.
They jumped from tree branch to tree branch, Temari in the lead followed by Ino, then Sakura still carrying Naruto in her arms, lastly we Hinata Byakugan scanning the forest.
"Tenten, how did the males infect everyone else?" asked Ino
"Mostly by biting people." said Tenten "Whatever you are bitten by that is what you become. Husbands went after wives; lovers went after each other all in an attempt to turn their families."
"Do people bitten change right away too?" asked Sakura
"It depends but most within a few hours, Tsunade believed the more virus in the system means faster turn." said Tenten
Flashback
The Leaf village hospital Tenten leaned against a wall, they had been fighting for two days straight and they were now down to the last three city blocks. All around the hospital where people strapped down to beds…well it was hard to call most of them people now. They were either transforming or transformed into those animal things. More and more people where turning into those things leaving less and less of a force to fight back. The last male above puberty to still be unturned was Naruto however even with all his power he couldn't stop their advance.
Tenten." said a voice as Tenten looked up to see the currently head doctor.
"Shizune what is wrong?" asked Tenten
"Lady Tsunade has ordered an evacuation of the Leaf of all uninfected people." said Shizune "You are to leave the village with Naruto and all the data we have and find Hinata, Sakura, Ino and Temari before they reach the village. Get them to a safe spot and work on a cure."
"Are you coming too?" asked Tenten
"I can't." said Shizune as Tenten noticed that Shizune's arm was wrapped up in bandages and covered with brown fur. "I was trying to heal someone and got bitten."
"I am sorry." said Tenten
"Thanks, it seems I managed to get most of the virus out up I am slowly turning which means I'll be a dangerous to everyone." said Shizune "I know it is a lot of reasonability but you are one of the few who isn't infected so you have to bring the information to our forces outside the village."
"It may sound bad, but I can go faster if I leave Naruto, he is turning." Said Tenten
"No, he may hold the cure…if we can find out how he was able to stay human even after all the men turned we may find a cure." said Shizune "You carry our village's if not the world's best hope for a cure.
End Flashback
"Alright how where people turned…like who was turned first?" asked Hinata
"First all the men and boys over 12 seamed to turn in the span of a few hours most into none deadly animals like mice bunny squirrels. However a large number of the ninjas turned into more dangerous creatures' like wolves, big cats and other mammals. They in turn would infect their wives and children to unite their families."
"But they are animals." said Ino
"The need for family is strong, it is one of the basic needs all creatures have it." said Sakura
"What about kids?" asked Hinata
"The father infects the mother and then together they infect the kids." said Tenten "It isn't pretty."
"We are here." said Temari as they stopped in front of a small clearing. In the clearing was a decent sized river with a small waterfall.
"I don't see anything." said Hinata
"We placed a seal designed to stop the Byakugan from seeing it." said Temari "I am glad it worked, it means Neji or any other member of the Hyuga clan can't find us."
Slowly Temari walked up to the waterfall, she placed her hand on a nearby rock. Suddenly a seal appeared on the stone, a few seconds later the waterfall parted showing an entress.
"Move." ordered Tenten as they all ran into the entress way. Temari removed her hand from the seal as the door slowly started to close.
"Hold on." Said Temari as she walked through the darkness, finally she found the light switch. Instantly Sakura and the others found themselves standing in a solid steal room.
"Great base, a small empty room." said Ino before the sound of moving metical parts filled the air. Slowly another large door opened up. The door was maybe two feet thick of solid steel with large metal bolts on the side.
"You where saying?" asked Temari as she led them down a large staircase into the base. They passed multiple rooms until they reached another staircase.
"Where are we going?" asked Sakura
"There is a place where we store prisoners, it should hold Naruto." said Temari
"NARUTO ISN"T A PRISONER!" yelled Sakura
"YA, HE IS OUR FRIEND AND THE MAN I LOVE!" yelled Hinata
"I know but we have to restrain him." said Tenten "I have seen people who look totally human but in their minds they were already animals."
"As much as I hate to say it she is right." said Inner Sakura as they walked down to the lowest level to a line of thick steel doors rooms. Each door had a single bared window in it. Finally they reached the very end.
"Put him in this one." said Temari as she opened up one of the doors. Sakura carried Naruto though the door and into the room. The room was bare, with a concrete bed and thick stone walls. A single toweled and sink where in the corner. Sakura gently placed Naruto on the bed, making sure his head was supported.
"Sakura, Ino you two are the medical ninjas so check Naruto out." ordered Temari as Tenten passed them the medical files that she had taken out of the Leaf.
"I'll help." said Hinata
"No." ordered Tenten "We can't risk you getting infected; besides you are not a medical ninja."
"But it is Naruto-kun." said Hinata
"Don't worry Hinata we will take care of him." said Ino
"Alright." said Hinata
"I need to turn on the active alert system, Tenten can you and Hinata check our supplies on the second floors?" asked Temari
"Alright." said Tenten
"We meet on the first floor in half an hour." said Temari as Hinata, Temari and Tenten headed off.
"So Sakura how do you want to do this?" asked Ino as she turned to the more senior medical ninja.
"I'll check Naruto out while you wait outside." said Sakura
"It would be safer if both of us is in there." stated Ino
"Ino we can't risk both of us getting infected, you can wait outside with the notes." explained Sakura
"Alright, let's begin." said Ino
Well I hope you liked the second chapter of the story. Now please keep reading, thanks Wilkins75