Thank you everyone for reading and supporting this story. Your kind comments always make me smile and strive to work hard. This fic may not be the perfect crossover, but I'll do my best to make it decent at the very least.

Before we get started, I just wanted to let you know I'll be responding to some important questions at the end. Questions regarding the plot and Naruto in general.

~ Chapter 5 : Manhunters (part 2) ~

"Oh lord! Danny!"

"Fuck! Are you okay?"

Lee did his best to conceal what he was feeling at the moment behind a neutral facade and made his way through the main gate, walking next to Andy's brother – his family noticed the blood trailing down his forehead the instant both were in sight.

Andy ran to Danny, a surprised look on his face. Brenda, their mother, covered her mouth with a hand, stifling a gasp.

"Lee, what the hell happened out there!?"

The aforementioned inclined his head. "We got ambushed by a bandit. He managed to knock Danny out before I shot him. We got lucky their friends weren't around", Lee easily lied, folding his arms over his chest. He ignored the way the older brother stared at him for a moment, as if scrutinizing him.

"Bastard got me good", Danny grunted, leaning on his sibling for support.

"My, why would they do somethin' like that? Those horrible people!"

"We'll get them mama", Andy tried to reassure her, though he didn't sound too convinced himself.

It seemed to work as Brenda nodded, turning to Danny with a motherly smile. "Don't ya worry now, sweetheart, we'll get ya patched up in no time. Andy, get him inside, will ya?", as the aforementioned started guiding his brother towards the house, the older woman turned to Lee with a seemingly appreciative look. "And thank you Lee for saving my boy. He and Andy are all I have left after Terry left us."

"No problem", Lee simply said, not caring about it in the slightest. Brenda didn't seem like a bad person. But then again, if her own sons were using the dairy for their own twisted purposes, he doubted she was being left in the dark about it. "I'll go check on the others."

"All right, but don't wander off too far. Dinner will be ready before ya know it!"

Brenda smiled and went after her sons, stepping into the house and closing the door behind her. Lee shook his head, but saw this as a chance to head for the barn and take a look around before they could come back. He knew Mark was being kept inside the house, somewhere, though there was no way he was heading in with the whole St. John's family nearby.

All he could do was hope those sick monsters hadn't done anything to him before he got a chance to confront them.

Lee didn't stick around for long and headed straight for the barn, raising his head to look at the grey sky above. There was a storm brewing in the horizon, and he could hear the distant echo of thunder not too far from the dairy. Rain complicated things, since if they got into a fight, which he hoped they wouldn't, it'd reduce their visibility and make it harder for them to focus.

Ignoring said possibility for now, Lee kept walking until he made a stop as soon as he caught sight of Lilly and Larry, resting by some gazebo a few meters away from the barn. He saw the look the older man gave him as he got there, but ignored it. He didn't have time to deal with him.

"Lee! You're back! How did it go?", Lilly straightened up from her leaning position and faced him with a hopeful look. "Did you find them?"

The man eyed Larry for a moment, debating whether he should tell him too but quickly chose not to. He'd probably laugh in his face and call him an idiot, or something similar.

"Lilly, can I talk to you for a second? In private?"

Larry didn't like the way Lee wanted to keep him out of the conversation, but he was unable to speak his mind as his daughter beat him to it. "Is... something wrong?", she cautiously asked, finding the look on the man's face a bit unnerving.

"Please. It's urgent."

That's all it took for her to be convinced before both walked the way of the barn, stopping just before they could reach the door. As soon as they got there, Lee made sure nobody was close enough to overhear them, before deciding to get straight to the point.

"Look Lilly, before I say anything, you have to promise me you'll keep it cool no matter what. We don't want these people to know..."

"Know what? Jesus Lee, you're scaring me", Lilly grew tense. "Did something happen back at the woods?"

Lee nodded cautiously. "Yes. Me and Danny got to one of their camps. There was nobody around when we arrived, but Danny still looked nervous about something. Like on edge", the man paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. Once he told Lilly the truth, there was no turning back. The same applied to Kenny. "A woman with a crossbow caught us off guard while we were poking around. She seemed to know Danny, and kept talking about him and his brother having plans for us. Something bad."

"What?", she breathed out, eyes widening. Larry frowned in their direction, but didn't stand up from his seat, much to Lee's relief.

"And that's not all. She was about to tell me what it is that they do here at the dairy when Danny shot her, right in the head!", Lee heard Lilly gasping in shock at the revelation.

"He... killed her? Why?"

"I confronted him about it. He told me he only did it because she had a gun pointed at him, but it was clear he was hiding something. Then... Naruto showed up", Lee couldn't help but lower the tone of his voice as he mentioned him, already aware the brothers didn't know much about him and he wanted to keep it that way. "He knocked Danny out before neither of us could see it coming."

"So that's the reason behind all the commotion we saw when you two came back..."

"Yeah. I lied about it. Told them a bandit had done it."

This time, Lilly looked genuinely surprised as she tilted her head slightly to a side. She wanted to ask the reason behind it, but guessed she was about to find out. Instead, she went back to what happened earlier. "Let me get this straight. Naruto goes missing the very minute you guys come here and then reappears in the woods to knock that guy out", at a nod from Lee, she sighed. "Tell me he had a good reason for doing that..."

"He did", the man trailed off then, getting mentally ready for what he was about to tell her next. It wouldn't be easy to hear. "He... saw Danny and Andy, both of them. They were cutting people up in the barn. Living people, not walkers."

Lilly raised her hands to her mouth. "What!? A... Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately, I am", Lee said gravely. "He described in his own words what he saw back there. Human limbs and organs, lying around like a fucking display in a butcher shop! God, it makes me sick just to think about it."

"Christ...", Lilly couldn't help but shut her eyes and shake her head, trying to get rid of the mental image Lee had just given her. "But Lee, how do you know he is not lying just to prove a point? We all heard what he said back at the motor inn. He never even trusted those guys to begin with."

At her remark, the man frowned. "I trust him. Do you really think Naruto would make something like that up? He's just a kid!"

"Yeah, a kid that never hesitates to kill walkers", she argued, watching Lee grow silent for a moment, his frown never subsiding. "All right, let's say I believe him. There is something weird about those two guys after all", she shook her head. "If that is the case, we should get out of here after dinner. Better yet, we get our food to go when it's ready and head back to the motel."

"I don't think that'd be a good idea. We may not even last that long. And I don't want to put Clementine or anyone else in danger if I can avoid it."

Lilly couldn't help but grimace at that. "Then what? You want us to fight them? Because that would go so well..."

Lee ignored the sarcasm in her voice and said, "just be on your guard. We don't want them taking us by surprise. Keep your gun close to you at all times, and be ready to act at the slightest smell of trouble", for further emphasis, the man gestured with his head in the direction of the house, where both noticed Andy walking their way with a weird smile. "I'll go tell Kenny about this, get his family ready to leave. As soon as they let us in their home, we'll find Mark and leave."

"Okay, okay, I like that plan", Lilly calmed down somewhat. She was relieved at seeing Lee showing some common sense unlike Kenny, who would have proposed to take those brothers out the minute he heard about it. Sure, he was going to know, but with Lee in charge, he'd have no other choice but to follow his lead. Things could go wrong really fast if they acted on impulse, especially when the kids were around. "I'll keep an eye out for anything weird. Thanks for trusting in me, Lee."

"It's nothing. Oh, and before you go, try not to tell your dad about it", at a raised eyebrow from the woman, Lee decided to elaborate. "He wouldn't believe it. It's better if we keep it between us. At least until we find Mark."

Lilly didn't like keeping his dad in the dark, but she did have to admit it was possible he would choose not to trust Lee and his accusations. Heck, even she was having some trouble believing it. Still... even if he wasn't right, there was no way she was going to risk her dad and the others' lives just for some food. It'd be harder finding another chance at a good meal out there, but at least they'd all be alive.

"Here Clem."

The little girl's innocent visage brightened up when Lee gave her back her lost hat. "My hat! You found it!", she was so happy Lee couldn't help but find the will to smile back. Honestly, seeing Clem grinning like she had got exactly what she wanted for Christmas put all his worries and fears aside for a moment. "Thanks, Lee", by her side, Katjaa smiled at the interaction between them, before going back to tend on Maybelle, the only cow alive at the dairy.

"You're welcome, Clementine", he told her. Lee planned to ask Clem whether she knew who might have taken it in the first place, but later. Right now, he felt was not the time, with all that was going on. "I'm going to talk with Kenny for a moment. Sit tight, okay?"

"Okay", he was about to leave and approach Duck's dad, who was standing by the door at the back of the barn, when he felt a hand tugging on his'. "Wait Lee."

"Yes, hon?"

The girl looked uneasy as she glanced at a smiling Andy. The man had entered the barn the moment Lee had gone in, preventing him from taking a good look around. He sat on a small stool on the side, arms folded over his chest as Katjaa sometimes asked for help whenever the cow needed it, so Lee knew he had to be extra careful around him. "Did you... Did you find Naruto?"

"Yeah! Where's he?", Duck perked his head up, looking frantically around the barn. "He's missing the cooow!"

Said question took Lee by surprise, and it looked like Andy noticed it by the way he now stared at him. Clem's caretaker had to school his features into the best worried expression he could muster and force himself to lie to the girl. "No. We… haven't seen him around, sweet pea."

"Oh", she seemed sad at hearing him say so. She wanted Naruto to be there with her, petting the cow while she taught him all she knew about farms and the animals one can find in them. That had been her plan, initially, hoping he'd change his mind about the dairy after he finished checking whatever was it he wanted to see for himself.

Still, she'd promised her friend she'd not tell anyone what his intentions were when he'd left the motor inn, and she wasn't about to break said promise.

"…I miss him. I wish he was here."

"Don't worry little girl, I'm sure your big brother will be more than happy to join us once you tell him how good mama's dinner was."

Lee scowled at how easily Andy was able to deceive Clementine, but opted to remain quiet about it. More than ever, Lee knew he needed to be calm and collected. Anger would lead to him making a mistake, something he could not afford as of now.

After saying goodbye to the girl, Lee walked away from the kids, Katjaa and Andy, and walked up to Kenny. He was leaning against one of the empty cubicles by the back doors, looking pensive about something.

"Kenny."

His voice broke the aforementioned out of his daze, making him straighten in a blur, his eyes soon finding Lee's. "Oh, it's you Lee", he said, heaving a sigh of relief. He then glanced in Andy's way to make sure he was distracted, and lowered his voice to the level of a whisper. "Listen. That guy is clearly hiding something. I saw him locking up this door reaaally tight the moment we got here. Now, I definitely heard a noise back there. I don't know what it was, but it gave me the creeps for some reason."

Lee was slightly surprised at what he heard, then again Naruto had said he'd seen some pretty fucked up stuff at the barn, so he guessed that if there was any place the brothers were cutting people up, it had to be in the back room. He nodded at Kenny, and decided to be blunt about it and as brief as possible.

He told him everything. From their trip to the forest to Naruto talking about the things he had discovered when the brothers weren't looking. Kenny's face changed from shock to horror and then to apprehension. His eyes shifted from Lee to his family, who was sitting right next to one of those guys that kept on pretending he was a good person. Kenny gritted his teeth, but remained still. "Shit Lee! That's... Fuuuck!", he managed to keep his tone low, but it was getting harder to restrain himself. "Those people are sick!"

"I know", Lee mumbled, understanding what his friend was going through at the moment.

"I have to get my family out of here, Lee! I can't leave Kat and Duck around those monsters any longer!"

"Wait Kenny, what do you think would happen if we were to walk away now? We don't know what these people are capable of", at that, Kenny calmed down somewhat, now seeing the risks of doing what he initially planned to do. "Think about it man, if you cross that gate, they could shoot you or worse!"

"But you'd have my back, wouldn't you, Lee?"

Lee massaged his temples for a moment. "It's too risky. I can't let anything happen to Clementine", he shook his head. "We have to be smart about this. They still have Mark at the house, and I don't plan on leaving without him."

"All right professor, what do you suggest?"

"Lilly already knows what's going on, so she'll be ready to follow our lead", Kenny frowned, but said nothing about it. He didn't trust Lilly to do what had to be done, though Lee... He knew he could count on him. "I think we should keep our heads low until dinner is ready. Once we are in the house, we demand they give us Mark back and we get the hell out of there, use our weapons if we have to."

Kenny didn't need more than just a second to think about his plan, and was soon nodding his head in agreement. "All right, I'm in. I'll try to warn Katjaa so that she can keep Duck and Clem out of harm's way", at seeing Lee smile in appreciation, Kenny risked a glance at the locked door on his right, looking pensive for a moment. "Still, maybe we should take a look inside, you know, just to check."

"If this is about what Naruto said..."

"I know what he said, and I trust him. Hell, I'd trust that kid any day over two guys I barely even know", Kenny shrugged his shoulders. "But, if possible, I'd like to take a look with my own eyes. Just to see what these fuckers are really up to."

"Hah... That won't be easy Kenny."

"We'll find a way, right pal?"

Lee sighed. He had to admit he felt curious about what lied behind those doors, and if they could somehow take a peek before dinner he'd take the chance. The lock didn't seem too complicated to get past, and he was sure he'd seen a tool box lying around on the outside, but how could they distract Andy while they got to work...?

"Kenny."

"Jesus Christ Naruto, don't sneak up on me like that!"

Naruto would have grinned at successfully managing to startle the older man if not for how dire things were at the moment. He'd just finished touring the interior of the house and wanted to share his discoveries with someone.

His first intention had been to talk things through with Lee, go over whatever was it the older man was planning to do and see if he could help somehow from the shadows. But Andy St. John had gotten to Lee right before he could step out of his hiding place, which had forced the young shinobi apprentice to seek out another adult.

Seeing the lone figure of Kenny standing impatiently outside the St John's house had help to make his mind up, knowing Duck's dad would pass along the message.

"Where were you? Lee said you'd be waiting for us at the barn."

"Lots of people at barn", Naruto simply said, crouching down. He took a quick, yet careful look around not wanting to be spotted just yet.

"Right. Well, you're here now, so I guess that's all that matters", Kenny then brought his voice down to the level of a whisper. "Did you find anything?"

"Mark. He's… up. In the house", Naruto tried to explain, furrowing his eyebrows. "He is in bedroom."

"You saw him? Is he okay?"

Kenny saw the way Naruto's face contorted into a frown at his question, and he found himself imitating the boy at seeing him shaking his head. "No. Danny was in the room. His mother too. They almost saw me."

"Shit. That doesn't sound good. If those assholes did something to Mark…"

He trailed off, paling at the sudden thought that crossed his mind. After what Naruto had found out about the St. Johns, Kenny felt like they were capable of anything. Leaving Mark to the brothers had been a big mistake, one he hoped they'd be able to fix in time.

Just then, the old fisherman spotted movement out the corner of his eyes and whipped his head to the right, seeing Lee and Andy making their way to the house.

"Listen kid, you did well, but we'll take it from here", Kenny mumbled, not taking his eyes off the incoming pair. "Stay hidden and don't take unnecessary risks unless you absolutely have to. Me and Lee got this."

Not hearing a response, Kenny glanced over his shoulder only to find Naruto had already left, hopefully to find someplace to hide before he could be seen standing out in the open.

Naruto had found a nice hiding spot right under the window to the dining room, from where he stood still and kept his eyes and ears peeled for anything that would happen. He'd been watching Lee and the others, and he knew the former had heeded his warning and told Kenny and Lilly about it. He wasn't sure what they were planning, but he still didn't allow himself to lower his guard as everyone but Lee and Kenny slowly moved inside, oblivious of what the brothers would do.

A loud rumbling noise echoed in the distance, and Naruto grew tense. The storm was getting closer and night would soon be upon them, which meant they'd lose the extra light the sun provided. Apart from the distinct smell of rain that hit his nostrils, Naruto's nose picked up a faint smell, one that always served to put him on edge.

It was the smell of walkers, something that Naruto knew should never be ignored.

Inwardly wishing he was just imagining things, the young boy took a quick look at the front door and saw Kenny standing there in a tense silence as he waited for Lee to show up.

Said man came walking in their direction a moment later, followed closely behind by Andy. The boy hid behind the wall to prevent any of them from seeing him, mostly because one of the brothers was around, but still risked a glance round the corner when they all met by the door.

"Hey uhm, what are ya doin' out here? It's dinner time."

"I just want a word with Lee, that's all."

Naruto could practically hear the suspicion in the older brother's voice as he spoke, humming to himself. "All right, but don't take too long. Food is gettin' cold", Andy said curtly before going in through the door, leaving both men alone. The boy decided not to make his presence known as Kenny began questioning Lee, just in case the brother decided to go back outside.

"So, did you find anything?"

"It was as Naruto said", Lee began, keeping his voice down. "There were lots of fresh blood and other stuff. Andy caught me red-handed, but when I confronted him about it he said they used those tools back there to clean and take whatever was edible from the animals they hunt."

Kenny didn't seem too convinced, however. "Animals my ass! If that was true, they wouldn't be so secretive about it", the man argued, this time rising his tone a bit. "Lee, we have to confront these fuckers right now! The kids and Katjaa are inside."

"What? But Kenny-"

"I know, okay!? I tried keeping Kat, Duck and Clem outside, but Brenda insisted they all went inside. Katjaa said it'd be fine. Besides, arguin' with her would've definitely blown our cover."

Lee let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Great. And Naruto?"

"Just spoke to 'im. He's around here, somewhere. I told him to stay put and let us handle things."

A nod was the sole response Kenny got. "What about Lilly?"

"Inside, keeping an eye on the children. Look Lee, it's now or never! Are we doing this or not?"

The aforementioned didn't need to be told twice before he pulled his handgun from his trousers, his face growing serious. "Let's interrupt that dinner, then."

Naruto's eyes widened momentarily as he saw them getting their weapons ready to barge in, get Mark and the others and leave. He didn't like the fact Clem, Katjaa, Duck and even Larry to a lesser extent were sitting at the same table those sickos were. Lee could have avoided that, he thought with a frown. But then he remembered Mark was still upstairs so if they had just confronted them outside the St. Johns could have just used the injured man as bargaining chip.

Or worse.

Nobody else was dying on his watch that day.

The blond made his way back to his hiding spot and didn't need to wait for long before shocked gasps were heard from inside.

"Nobody move!"

"What... What the fuck are you two assholes doing!?", he could hear Larry yelling. It was clear by the surprise in his voice that he hadn't been told about what was going on.

"Calm down, dad. We...", Lilly hesitated for a moment, "we are getting out of this place."

"Lilly!?"

"Lee, what's going on?"

Naruto frowned at Clem's voice, pulling a kunai out. She was afraid, he could tell. But all he could hope was for her to be strong and sit tight. He'd protect her, no matter what.

"Watch the kids Kat, and you three, keep your hands where I can see them", Kenny growled. "One wrong move and I'll shoot you!"

"Who the fuck do you think you people are!? You can't come into our house and threaten us like that!"

The blond risked a glance over the window sill and saw Larry, the kids, Katjaa, Danny, Andy and Brenda sitting at the table - in front of them, there were plates with meat and some vegetables. Kenny, Lee and Lilly, on the other hand, had guns aimed at the St. Johns.

"Shut the hell up!", Lee spat, his face contorted into an angry frown. "We already know what you do. You are monsters, all of you!"

"Lee... That's not a very nice thing to say..."

Larry nodded at Brenda's careful remark. "Yeah, I don't know how you got my daughter on this... this madness! But you are wrong if you think I'll let-"

"They are capturing people alive and butchering them up in the barn!

Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine as everything became deadly silent, Larry was taken aback at what he heard, turning to Brenda for clarification. He and the others were horrified at seeing her nod. "It's true. We go after people that ain't going to make it."

Danny didn't even seem phased by what Lee had just said and was now calmly eating the meat on his plate, as if there wasn't anything going on that was out of the ordinary. Naruto watched him swallow a bite, and then raise his eyes towards Lee and Kenny. "Everything would've turned out fine for you folks..."

Andy swatted his hand in the air, looking pissed. "He'd have been dead anyway! We just made sure he was useful to us, and not a waste of resources."

"What are you talking about?", Lee slowly and carefully inquired, looking alarmed. Naruto's eyes started to widen as his mind then shifted to Mark. The same seemed to happen to the others as all shared his shock. "What did you do to Mark!? Answer me, goddammit!"

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know."

Kenny's eyes narrowed dangerously. He looked ready to pull the trigger. "Answer the fucking question, now!"

Brenda closed her eyes, and both brothers exchanged a knowing look. The younger one had a deranged look on his face as he chuckled. "He's the reason ya'll got a meal in the first place..."

It only took a few seconds for everyone to process what he'd just said, including Naruto on the outside, but when they did... things went south, really fast.

"What... What the fuck-!?", Larry was having trouble breathing, his eyes moving about wildly around the table.

Clementine and Duck pushed their plates away from them, looking absolutely terrified, and Katjaa to their left grabbed the children by the arm, making sure they were away from the brothers. Lilly gagged on her own spit, covering her mouth in disgust. None of them had eaten anything, but the fact that sick family had tried to make them have Mark's meat for dinner was absolutely horrible.

Kenny widened his eyes, but quickly composed himself and kept his weapon fixed on the smiling brothers, Lee by his side closed his eyes for a moment. This was worse than anything he could have ever imagined, and if Mark was dead... Then they had to get out of there. ASAP.

At seeing only one of them focused on Danny, Andy took the chance to pull out his revolver and shoot at an oblivious Lee, missing him by a close margin. The gunshot alerted everyone, including Naruto, who was still outside.

"Get down!"

Amidst the confusion, Lee and Kenny ran out of the dining room, getting cover in the corridor just outside. Katjaa knelt down under the table with Duck and Clem, hugging them close. Lilly tried to get her dad, but a gunshot her way forced her to throw herself to the ground and crawl to the other two men in the group.

Larry could do nothing but freeze in place as he saw a rifle being aimed his way. His eyes widened in fear and his chest tightened painfully around the area where his heart was.

But right as he started to think his life was at its end, he felt a rather strong hand pulling him down and onto the ground, Danny's rifle being fired a mere moment later. He couldn't stop hyperventilating even after seeing Naruto Uzumaki crouching down next to him and examining him with a serious look.

His heart hurt so much he was unable to move a muscle. 'Oh god!', was all he could think before he collapsed, eyes closed in agony.

"DAAD!"

Lilly tried to run to her father's side, but was prevented from doing so by Lee, who seized her arm before she could do as she planned.

"What the fuck!?"

"Where did that brat come from!?"

"He was here the whole time!"

"Shit, kill 'em Danny! Don't let any of them escape!"

Very close from his position, Clementine only had time to realize Naruto was there with them again before shots were exchanged between Lee, Kenny, Lilly and the St. John brothers, Brenda screaming for everyone to give up from the kitchen. Meanwhile, Naruto cursed under his breath and tried to reanimate Larry by slapping his face, shake his shoulders, and anything else he could think of. He didn't know what to do in those cases, and Lilly was staring at them with a desperate look on her visage from the corridor.

"We have to get them out of there, Lee!", Kenny yelled, leaning out his cover to shoot at the older brother, who had tried to walk up on his terrified family while Danny provided cover.

"Wait, my dad is dying! I need to help him!"

Kenny scowled. "We don't have time for that!", his eyes widened at finally realizing Naruto was under the table, trying to revive Larry and failing miserably at it. "Shit, he's gonna turn on Naruto!"

Lee only needed a quick glance to see what they were talking about and fear suddenly filled his being at the sight that awaited him. This was bad. Really bad. Worse even, they were running out of bullets.

"KAT, BRING THE KIDS OVER HERE FAST!", Kenny yelled over the gunshots, reloading his handgun. "We'll cover you!"

"But-"

"NOW! GO GO!"

In a fit of rage, Duck's dad poked his gun around the door's frame and started shooting repeatedly, making the brothers get behind the kitchen counter and hide for a minute. Katjaa didn't waste a single moment and got Duck up first, signalling Clem to follow her. They ran out the dining room but Clem decided to stand behind and crawl towards a desperate Naruto, who was no longer trying to reanimate Larry. He looked fearful as he had his kunai at the ready to take care of the old man if he woke up as one of them.

"Naruto!"

It was at her voice that the aforementioned tore his eyes away from the fallen man and onto Clementine's hazel orbs. The boy couldn't help but look even more agitated at seeing she was still there, and not with Lee and the others. "Clem!? No, go! Danger!"

"I'm not leaving you behind! You are my best friend!"

Amidst all the chaos and what he knew was about to happen to Larry if he was dead, Naruto seemed to forget about all that for a moment, a genuine smile drawing on his lips at the girl. She had stood behind... for him? Even in the face of death, she had refused to go just to make sure he wouldn't be left behind. He was so happy. He'd never had a friend who would go to such lengths for his sake.

He ignored Lee's cries for them to get out of there and nodded at her, opening his mouth to tell her how thankful he was of having her by his side when the unexpected happened:

A large, strong hand suddenly reached under the table and grabbed Clementine by the hair, roughly pulling her out of cover and away from him and the exit.

"AHHH!"

"Clem!"

That hand belonged to Andy St. John; a man who was looking smug as he pointed his revolver at her head. "Put the guns down or I kill this little girl!", he threatened the group, which looked shocked at the sudden turn of events. "I'm not messin' around here! Do as I say, now!"

Immediately, the gunfire ceased on both sides, and Lee's expression twisted into one of absolute rage at seeing Clementine being roughly pulled back by the hair.

"LET HER GO YOU SON OF A BITCH!", Lee screamed in unbridled anger, held back only by Kenny's firm hold on his arms. "LET HER GO OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"You're in no position to make demands, Lee!", Danny had a smug smirk on his visage as he shouted back, feeling very confident about their odds now. "Just do as Andy says, unless you want that little bitch to pay the price! We won't tell y'all again!"

"Dad!"

As Lee continued yelling from the corridor and threatening the older brother with killing him if he didn't let her go, and Lilly came running to check on her dad and apply CPR to him, Naruto didn't even register any of it. All sounds and everything else seemed to vanish from his mind as his azure eyes kept fixed on Clem's face. He saw the look of pure fear, anguish and despair etched on her otherwise innocent expression as Andy kept pulling her backwards, dragging her slowly to the kitchen as she screamed in pain.

Something broke inside the Uzumaki at the sight. All his previous fears, worries and tension gave way to a distinct feeling, one that was different to all of it and filled his mind with nothing more than one thing: kill the one that had dared to hurt his friend.

"Leave her alone."

Andy St. John and his brother, who was still in the kitchen, turned their eyes towards the little boy they had met at the motor inn. They couldn't see the look on his face, as it was shadowed by his own golden locks, but his voice was deadly cold. So much so that they couldn't help but feel a bit taken aback at the tone he used to address them.

Behind him, Lilly gasped at noticing he'd gotten up from cover. "Naruto! Get down, now!"

"Stand back, you little brat!", Andy threatened, pressing the weapon harshly against Clem's head. There were now tears falling down the little girl's cheeks. "Or I'll make sure your little girlfriend here pays for it!"

Naruto visibly twitched at hearing that, his fists clenching so tightly everyone, including the brothers, were shocked at seeing trails of blood leaking down from them.

"N-Naruto...?"

"Let Clem go", he said calmly, slowly raising his head. "or I kill you."

Every single person in the room including Clementine gasped in horror at what they saw the moment Naruto's face became visible once again. His six whispers had thickened and widened, and his canines had elongated, now resembling a dog baring its teeth menacingly at Andy. What shocked everyone the most was not that, but the fact his once bright cerulean eyes had turned crimson and the pupils had become slitted, like those belonged to an animal instead of a human.

The kid growled at his target, making Clem and her captor shiver in fear and confusion, respectively. Andy's eyes were wide open as he tried taking a step back, something that soon proved to be a fatal mistake for him.

Naruto was on him in the blink of the eye.

"WHAT!?"

He didn't even get the chance to understand what was going as Naruto jumped over him and managed to pull Clem free of his grasp, punching his face with so much strength the man was sent to the ground, his nose broken. But it didn't stop there. Lee and the others could only observe in complete incredulity as Naruto continued punching and scratching Andy with his sharp nails over and over again, disfiguring his face.

"YOU HURT CLEM!", Naruto kept screaming as if he was in a trance, never relenting on his onslaught. "YOU HURT CLEM!"

As horrified as he was, Lee didn't even realize Clem had run away from the scene and was now hiding behind him as the Uzumaki kept on venting his never-ending anger on Andy St. John. He only reacted after a full minute of shock, only then noticing that Brenda was screaming in horror from the kitchen.

"Let him go, let him go!", she shouted over and over again, tears running down her face. She didn't dare approach them, nor did Danny, who looked to be in a horrified daze.

Lee steeled himself and ran to Naruto, ignoring Kenny's voice shouting at him to stand back. He carefully but hurriedly placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to be as gentle as he could. He gasped at seeing the boy abruptly turn his head his way, the animalistic look on his face not subsiding as his red eyes analysed Lee's visage for a moment, almost as if he didn't recognize him.

But then, all the anger on the boy's face dissipated and he looked on the verge of fainting, his orbs returning to their usual blue color and the features on his visage softening once again. Lee looked him in the eye all the time, trying not to show how scared and worried he was at what he'd just seen. Naruto seemed to calm down at his presence, and was soon allowing a long breath to escape from his lips.

"L-Lee...?", he carefully asked.

The aforementioned offered him a smile, but couldn't bring himself to do it. "It's okay Naruto. It's over."

"Clem...?"

"She's fine. You protected her", he reassured him, and saw Naruto looking relieved.

"I'm… glad."

Right then, Danny seemed to break out of his stupor and realize the state his brother was left in. It was a horrible sight to behold. Naruto had made a mess out of him.

"Andy, nooo!", he screamed, making all eyes look his way. As Naruto and Lee looked upwards, they saw Danny looking absolutely furious as he now aimed his rifle at the blond. "You will pay for that you... you monster!"

Nobody could predict what happened next, much less attempt to stop it. They were all so caught up in their own shock at what they'd just witnessed that only when Danny pulled the trigger and shot Naruto Uzumaki did everyone get out of it, their reactions a combination of gasps, screams and silent stares.

"NARUTO!"

The blond didn't feel a thing, only a warm, tingling sensation in his chest that was beginning to make him numb. His azure eyes slowly trailed down to the blood now leaking from a hole right in the middle of his chest and he only had time to press his fingers against it before he fell backwards, the world around him turning dark.

Clementine flinched slightly as a loud BANG echoed throughout the empty house, making her eardrums ring in an unpleasant manner. She barely paid any attention to it, however, too engrossed as she was staring blankly ahead.

There were people shouting and screaming all around. Someone was crying, a woman, but who exactly she could not tell. Then, she heard two adults arguing loudly. One sounded desperate, whereas the other strangely calm.

"…To do this."

"N-No, stop…! He's… dead yet!"

Kenny and Lilly were arguing over something. Something really bad. Even without paying enough attention, Clem could tell. It was like she was in a dream. A bad dream where bad things happened and she could not intervene.

The memory of Naruto attacking Andy St. John hit her mind, and she found herself absently blinking her hazel eyes. Her best friend was lying face up on the floor right before her, a small hole visible on his blue and orange jacket, right around the chest. There was some blood pouring out of it, but Clem saw Katjaa kneeling down and pressing her hands against the wound. His face looked nothing like it'd looked a few moments earlier, when he'd gotten so angry over her getting hurt.

"Andy, Andy, d'ya hear me!? It's okay, mama will patch ya up in no time. Have ya look handsome again like ya always were!"

"Snap out of it, Brenda! We need medical supplies to treat this boy's wound or he'll die! Do you have something we can use!?"

"What? J-Just go! Leave us be! Can't y'all see how much damage you've done already!? My boy is dead because of you! Damn you, damn you all! You bastards took everything from me!"

Clem moved her eyes and saw Lee now heading her way, a look of hurry crossed over his features.

"Clementine", Lee said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We need you and Duck to help us out."

"…"

"Clementine! Are you listening!?"

Finally broken out of her daze, the little girl was jolted back to reality as her hazel orbs scanned the older man's visage for a moment. She took a quick look around and saw Kenny yelling at Lilly to get away from Larry, the former shaking her head as she kept on trying to resuscitate him.

And then, her sight fell on Naruto's injured form, and her expression grew terrified at now realizing he'd been shot.

"Clem. We have no time to waste here", Lee urged. "Take Duck with you and search the second floor for any medical supplies we can use to help Naruto. Hurry!"

He spoke with such apprehension in his voice that Clementine was soon nodding her head, now aware that her friend's life was on the line. She turned to a silent Duck, who seemed to be looking back and forth between Danny's dead body, Andy's disfigured face, Larry lying face up on the ground and finally Naruto, a look of utter shock on Kenny's son expression.

Clem ran up to him and took his hand, tugging him in the direction of the stairs. "Let's go, Duck", she told the kid, pulling him along. The latter didn't offer any resistance, but neither did he mutter a response, too shaken to even begin to comprehend what was going on.

They made it up the stairs and Clem told Duck to check the door to the right, while she had a look inside a closet that stood next to a small desk at the end of the corridor. As the girl pulled the door open, she thanked the heavens above at seeing some stuff they could use, like towels, tissues, bottles filled with different types of medicine, among other things. She also saw a small power cord on the floor, but quickly shook her head, paying no mind to it.

Clementine was about to grab all she could to take with her, when suddenly she heard a loud gunshot coming directly from downstairs, soon followed by a scream of none other but Lilly.

"NO! DAD!"

"What the fuck, Kenny!?"

"I… I'm sorry", Clem heard Kenny say, his voice soft. "Someone had to do it…"

Soon after, Duck came running out of the room he'd been supposed to be checking over, almost tripping in the process. "Muuuum! Daaaad!", his face was contorted in fear as he all but ignored Clementine and ran downstairs, not looking back.

What Clem soon saw, crawling its way out of the room, made her gasp in shock.

"Urkkk…"

It was Mark.

Or what once had been Mark, now turned into a walker. His legs had been chopped off and his once gentle eyes were now pale and unfocused. Low, tentative moans escaped his mouth and Clementine felt her heart skipping a beat as he abruptly stopped, his head whipping in her direction all of a sudden.

The moment he saw her, his expression became almost desperate and he groaned loudly, hurrying her way.

"Lee", her voice got stuck in her throat due to her own fear, but Clem tried again. "Lee! Help me!"

"Clementine!?"

Clem took a couple steps back, hitting her back against the desk as 'Mark' drew even closer. The poor girl was unable to do anything else but watch in silent horror while the monster shortened the distance between them, eager to sink his teeth into her flesh.

She was so scared she never saw Lee running up the stairs.

"Mark!? Oh fuck!"

It was under the wide-eyed stare of the little girl that Lee's shoe came crashing down on Mark's head, cracking its skull. The monster squirmed and tried to shake free, its white eyes still fixated on Clementine.

But all of his efforts, even the noise he was making ceased the moment a bullet carved its way through its brain, killing it for good.

Lee and the others were absolutely silent on the way back, the former carrying Naruto's unconscious body on his arms and walking as fast as he possibly could. Carley and Ben had met them as they slowly made their way out the dairy, and were shocked at seeing Naruto shot. Though no matter how much they asked about it, nobody told them a single thing. Kenny had absently shaken his head as he walked ahead with Duck and Katjaa, both looking a tad shocked after what they'd been through.

On impulse, Kenny had shot Danny in the head a second later he'd tried to kill Naruto, with a tearful Brenda dropping her own gun as she went on to check on her younger son. He was dead, she soon realized, Andy clinging onto the world of the living for the moment but not looking good either. He'd lost too much blood, and everyone knew what would soon happen to him if they didn't put a bullet to the head.

Nobody had even bothered to do it, though. And it was the moment they'd left the dairy that they heard Brenda's screams of both agony and surprise, soon undistinguishable under the roar of thunder coming from the storm above.

Back then, Lee had done all he could to save Naruto's life, interrogating Brenda who just kept on screaming for the group to leave them be. Katjaa had managed to get over her shock and offered to help him patch the boy's up, with Clementine soon tasked with finding any medical supplies at the farm they could use. The girl looked lost, as if in a trance of some sort. Lee could not blame her, however. She'd been forced to see some seriously traumatizing things in the span of minutes, like Kenny shooting Danny in the head or Naruto being shot, to name a few.

In the end, they had managed to stop the bleeding, though they knew they'd have to pull out the bullet and close the wound when they got back to the motel. Kat had told Lee the bullet had narrowly avoided Naruto's organs, which meant he was likely to make it through the ordeal provided they acted quickly. She'd also promised to help the boy even after Kenny had looked unsure about it, his eyes staring at the unconscious blond under a different light. It was a look Lee knew well, one that carried fear and uncertainty. He understood why he felt that way, and honestly, he had to admit he himself had been terrified at seeing the blond go through that unnatural transformation.

Was it because of whatever was inside all of them that turned people into mindless cannibals? He wasn't sure. Perhaps it affected Naruto the way it did because he was different from the rest. Maybe. He just didn't know what to think. All he knew was that the boy didn't seem about to come back to life and try to eat him like all other walkers did. He was breathing, albeit a bit weakly.

Carley kept insisting Lee to tell her what happened, growing anxious at seeing the silence that was settled around the group. They were walking as fast they could, though that was proving to be a bit hard with the pouring rain falling down on their figures. Luckily, the trees looming over the path provided some cover, and Lee tried to keep the boy on his arms from getting wet by using his own jacket. The path to the motor inn wasn't a very long one, but time was of the essence as things stood.

His mind kept on showing him images of Naruto's animalistic expression as he mercilessly attacked Andy. He had done nothing to stop him until it was too late, not that he cared much for the man anyway, but he didn't want to allow the kid to lose himself as he pounded on the man who'd dared to hurt Clementine, if that made any sense.

"Wait, where's Larry?", Carley suddenly asked, looking around for any sight of the old man. She ignored the way Lilly grimaced at hearing her father's name being mentioned, but kept her mouth shut. She was still hurt and devastated at what had happened to him, and she didn't want to talk about it. Not now, not ever. "And Mark? What happened to them?"

"They are dead", Lee simply said and grew silent once again, something that made the ex-reporter widen her eyes in shock.

"What? No, we can't go on like this, you have to tell me what happened back there", she placed her hands on Lee's arm as they walked, her eyes wide. She looked desperate to find out, but didn't make any attempt to slow him down. After all, Naruto needed urgent medical treatment. The sooner they could give it to him, the better.

"Later, Carley."

"But Lee…"

"I promise", Lee insisted as he turned to gaze intensely into her eyes. Carley had no other choice but to nod her head and trust in Lee's judgement. She didn't like not knowing what had happened to them, especially when they all looked so distraught and refused to talk. Ben by their side wasn't doing any better, his eyes shyly scanning the others' faces in search of anything that could have helped him understand what they were going through.

He was smart enough not to ask, and instead settled for walking in complete silence.

The storm was slowly beginning to abate much to everybody's relief. The rain gradually stopped pouring over them and the roar of thunder in the distance became more and more intermittent until nobody heard it anymore. Lee only thought about it for a second before he felt the boy shifting in his arms, mumbling something under his breath.

Kenny, his family and Lilly seemed to pick up on it too and everyone came to a halt, turning in his direction. The former had his gun on his hand much to Carley's and Ben's shock, and Lee's anger. He would never let Kenny shoot the poor kid, he'd have to go through him first!

"Clem... Clementine..."

Multiple gasps and shocked looks met Naruto's sudden and unexpected awakening.

Clementine seemed to react to his voice calling her and ran up to his side, her big eyes looking at him worriedly. "Is he okay Lee?", she asked innocently, something to which the man's shoulders slumped. He was afraid the boy was hallucinating or something.

"Clem...", Naruto insisted, his eyelids tightening.

"I'm here", the nine-year-old girl eventually said, taking his hand in hers. "It's okay Naruto. Lee and Katjaa are going to heal you."

He didn't seem to acknowledge that, and instead tilted his head to a side. "I'm sorry, Clem. I tried... protect you."

"You did, Naruto, you did", Lee told him with a smile, coming to a sudden halt. "She's safe, see?"

The blond slowly opened his eyes and gazed weakly at the girl, who was on the verge of tears by then. "Good", he coughed a bit. "I'm happy. Clem... best friend."

At that point, Clementine was openly crying as she clutched his hand. "I love you, please don't die..."

Naruto's face seemed to regain some color at that and he even managed to smile for a moment before he passed out again, leaving Lee worried.

"We have to hurry, Clem."

"Y-Yes, I know, but... He's hurt because of me", she was sobbing as she used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears that kept falling down her face. "It's my fault. I got grabbed, again! I was so scared I stood behind when he needed me to help him..."

Lee grew silent as he thought about what to tell her, the others watching in contemplative silence. Kenny was always eyeing the boy, his visage inexpressive for the moment. It was like he didn't know what to think, or what to make of what he'd witnessed back at the dairy. He wasn't even sure his family would be safe around him anymore, but then again...

Kenny shook his head and frowned, turning around and resuming his walk. He was then followed by his family, and Ben, but Carley, Lee, Clementine and Lilly stood behind for a moment longer.

"No, hon, this is not your fault", Lee told her, with Lilly folding her arms over her chest. "Naruto did what he had to protect you. To protect all of us. Without him, I don't know if we could have gotten out of there alive. Those were bad people, and they would have hurt him anyway. Do you understand?"

"I t-think so..."

"Good. Now, don't worry about him. We're very close to the motel. Katjaa will help him."

That got Clementine to calm down somewhat, and nod her head at him, making Lee and Carley smile. The latter offered to carry him for a bit, but Lee refused anyway. Lilly gave them a weird look and then started walking again, though not without making sure Kenny was far away from her.

After what he'd done to her father, she wanted to have nothing to do with him.

In a dark and vast room where water covered the floor and pipes of all types and sizes ran along the seemingly infinite walls of the place lied Naruto Uzumaki. His eyes were closed as he floated in front of a massive cage, oblivious to the maleficent pair of crimson orbs that stared silently at him from beyond the bars.

"Hmm...", a powerful, ancient voice growled inside the prison, shaking the room a bit. "What a truly pathetic mortal. The host of the great Kyuubi shouldn't lose to a simple insect, much less one so weak a mere blow would suffice to get rid of it."

A huge, demonic smile made itself visible below the orbs, and the owner of said smile hummed in thought for a few seconds.

"I sense a great power, trapped inside this child, waiting to be released...", the hiding figure grew silent, contemplating its options. "I wonder..."

"Weak."

"..."

"I'm weak. So weak..."

At hearing the voice of its host, the presence beyond the prison took a step forward, revealing a long, furry face that greatly resembled that of a fox, with the exception this one belonged to a gigantic version of said animal. The Kyuubi stared at the minuscule boy floating in front of the gate and couldn't help but grin at his words. Yes... Yes, that would help.

"You are weak, yes", the fox said condescendingly, as if he was a god talking to a mere servant. "But I can help you become strong, lend you my power. Use it to kill those hideous things you call 'walkers'", the Kyuubi scoffed at the word, "or anyone else that tries to hurt your pathetic friends. They need you, don't they?"

Despite still having his eyes closed, it didn't take long for Naruto to nod his head. "Help me... I have to protect her. My friend... Clementine."

The Kyuubi grinned in pure satisfaction before a loud snort was drawn from his mouth and he started laughing evilly at the boy's stupidity. He was so eager, so ready to accept any help he could get that the fox didn't even need to try.

Oh, he'd give him what he wanted, and more... So much more…

But not just yet. The boy had yet to prove his worth. And until then, he would be waiting in the confines of Naruto Uzumaki's mind. He'd been waiting for 10 years; he could definitely sit back and watch for a while longer as things unfolded the way they were supposed to...

To be continued...

Done. Hope you liked it. I know I could have done some things differently but this is the way I pictured these events happening.

Now, let me address some questions that I feel like need to be answered before we go any further.

N°1: Is the Naruto depicted in this story a weakened/nerfed version of cannon Naruto?

No. Absolutely not. That's not what I'm going for here. Then again, remember he's only ten, so understandably he's not had the same amount of training a 13-year-old Naruto had at the beginning of Naruto. His short age and inexperience will also affect his decisions or actions. As a kid, he won't magically solve all the problems the group is faced with, or instantly know what to do. I've seen many stories where Naruto is incredibly smart and always has the right answer for each situation, so I'll try to avoid doing the same.

N°2: Will Naruto become more powerful as he grows older?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. His power will definitely grow and so will his arsenal of jutsus and skills. I don't want to spoil anything just yet, so all I'll say is that I plan this to happen gradually.

N°3: Does the story take place in the same world but different continents or in an alternate universe altogether?

Walking Dead's universe. Certainly not Naruto's. All of this will be expanded upon in the future.

N°4: What about Naruto's healing factor?

He'll still have it, of course. I haven't watched the series in a while, but I clearly remember it could take from a few seconds to a few minutes at most for this ability to heal him, depending on the seriousness of his injuries. The approach I'm taking here is that this ability will grow stronger as he does, sort of like a chain effect of him increasing his power.

N°5: Will Naruto be able to prevent some of the other deaths that take place in the games?

Some, yes. He'll save a certain someone from dying and this person will become very relevant in the story. Other characters' deaths will still occur, but this will only serve to push him into becoming better and stronger.

If I'm forgetting to address something, let me know in the review section. I'll be reading you all soon, I hope.

Luke out!