Howdy everyone! Here's chapter 2 of 2555 days. I was pleasantly surprised by the instant support you all showed this story, even though we're just warming up the engine, which motivated me to post this earlier than I originally planned.
Without further ado… enjoy!
~ Chapter 2 : The Drugstore ~
Most days at the Greene's farm began quite early in the morning. Even with monsters roaming around the streets and eating the flesh of the living, Hershel Greene and his family didn't plan on deviating from what'd been a daily routine for generations. For them, life went on as normal at the countryside.
The family at the barn had woken up quite early too, jolting Lee from his slumber. There were three of them; Kenny, his wife Katjaa, and their son Ken junior, affectionately referred to as Duck, all originally from Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Lee had been pleasantly surprised at seeing how friendly all of them were towards him and Clementine, which was something that helped the little girl take her mind off the horrors she'd been forced to experience in the past couple of days.
Honestly, it was still difficult to believe the dead were coming back to life and going after other people. It all seemed straight from one of those horror movies his ex-wife liked so much when she was still alive, which made Lee appreciate the fact they now had a relatively safe place to stay and forget about everything else. At least for a while.
After taking a quick look around the farm, Lee came to check up on Clementine while she was getting acquainted with Katjaa, Kenny's wife and Duck's mother. He'd already given Shawn a hand with the fence, so he was free at the moment.
"Hey girls, how are you two getting along?"
Katjaa, a woman in his early 40's with short, dark blond hair, turned towards Lee with a polite smile. "We are doing just fine. Clementine was telling me about first grade."
"First grade, huh? So, uh, how's that Clem?"
"It's very easy", the girl pointed out with evident pride etched across her features.
"It sure is", Lee nodded his head with a chuckle. He noticed she was looking better that day, more relaxed. He'd been preoccupied last night after seeing the way she kept worrying over Naruto. Still, that didn't mean she hadn't just forgotten about the matter, and Lee figured she wanted to go out looking for him. "By the way Clem, I just wanted to let you know me and Shawn will head back to Georgia in a while and look for Naruto. Hopefully, we can find him somewhere. Then, we'll be in our way to Macon."
"Oh! That's her friend, right?", Katjaa interjected. "Clementine told me about him. He found her in her treehouse and looked after her", Katjaa had a warm look on her face as the girl by her side brightened at the mention of the boy. She liked what she'd heard about him, but didn't know he was missing, so she couldn't help but worry about it.
"Yeah, he wasn't there when I ran into her. But I promised Clem here we'd go back looking for him after we found help, so that's what we are going to do."
Lee was feeling positive that day at finding the boy. He had seen the strange drawings on her book and what he assumed were Asian words, Korean or Japanese, based on what Clem had said before about him not being Chinese. If he didn't speak any English, he was more likely to have been avoiding other people, or maybe he had family around. He just hoped he lived somewhere close to Clementine's house.
The man didn't know whether they'd be able to find him, but they had to give it a go. After all, they couldn't leave a kid behind in all that chaos, no matter the risks they took going back.
Imagine his surprise when instead of being happy or relieved he and Shawn were heading that way, Clementine just shook her head. "It's okay. You don't have to go."
"Wait, what? Why not?"
She smiled innocently. "Because I saw him last night, at the farm."
Lee and Katjaa exchanged a look before both turned to stare at the girl with confusion written on their faces. "You... met him, here?"
"Yup."
"At the farm?"
Clem pouted. "Yeah, we talked a bit and then he left. He said he wanted to explore the farm. I asked him if he wanted to meet you, but he didn't. I think he doesn't like the idea."
"I... I see."
Lee didn't know what to say. It was practically impossible for a kid to have travelled so far, in a matter of hours, just to meet with Clementine alone. Plus, nobody had reported seeing him around or any vehicle that could have brought him there. Not only that but Lee couldn't help but wonder, why wouldn't he want to show up and introduce himself to everyone? It didn't make much sense. And that Naruto kid didn't sound like someone who was up to no good.
There was also the fact that he himself had never seen Naruto because he was always 'exploring'. He trusted Clementine, he really did, but this...
Katjaa didn't look like she could make any sense out of it either.
"…I'm going to take another look around. See if Kenny needs any help with his truck."
"Okay!", Clem waved his hand goodbye and went back to chatting with Katjaa, who did her best not to comment on what had just happened.
As soon as Lee turned his back on her, he let out a silent sigh. He was beginning to doubt that boy even existed in the first place.
Naruto watched from behind some crops as that man, Lee, spoke with a slightly older looking one. He thought the latter's grey beard looked ridiculously long and messy. He imagined growing up and having a beard. That would suck.
His thoughts shifted for a moment to the old Sandaime Hokage and his famous, pointy beard. That looked a little better, though funny. When he was a baby, Sarutobi had told Naruto he'd pull on his goatee with the strength of a grown-up every time he was in his arms. Naruto smiled at the memory. He really missed the old man.
Both Lee and that bearded guy, Kenshi, or whatever his name was, were talking about him, he could tell. They were mentioning his name and gesturing towards Clem. Lee looked unsure of something while the other patted his shoulder and shook his head.
"Look", Naruto heard Kenshi tell the other man, "all I'm saying is we may be dealing with an imaginary friend case here. I've heard some kids make them up to feel less lonely."
"What about Duck? Has he ever had any of those?"
"Nah man, my son is too busy running around and breaking stuff to worry about that. Hell, all his friends are real kids."
For a moment there, Naruto spaced out. What were they saying? Nothing bad, he hoped, as no matter how hard he tried to make sense of it, he couldn't. It didn't really matter anyway, though if they attempted to do anything to his friend they'd pay, he'd make sure of it.
Still... Lee seemed like a decent man. But appearances could be deceiving, and that was something Naruto knew very well. Clem had tried to take him to the dark-skinned man so that they could meet in person. He'd refused. Some adults back at Konoha had pretended to be kind towards him in hopes he'd lower his guard around them and they'd get to punish him for his deeds or just for being who he was. Thus, no matter how good Lee's intentions appeared to be, Naruto had to make sure he wasn't going to hurt Clementine. Even if he had to resort to remain hidden for the time being and simply observe from afar.
Naruto wished they didn't move for a day or two. Getting under that... metallic thing that moved really fast had been hard enough without anyone noticing, and more so holding onto it as it bumped along the road out the city and into the countryside. He hated travelling like that, but Naruto had to admit it was practical and fast. He could have tried to chase them, but it'd have taken a lot of effort and time.
Just then, the boy felt a shiver running down his spine. He remained still in his crouching position and drew a kunai from the holster on his hip, narrowing his eyes. One of them walked through the crops not too far away from him, followed closely by another, and another. Naruto counted three before they moved on and towards the fence where that loud kid and the teenager that'd taken Lee and Clem to the farm stood by, ignoring the danger that lurked around the corner.
'Time to move', he thought, never realizing Lee had left and gone to the barn to see if Hershel Greene required assistance.
"Watch out!"
Like it had happened several times in the last two days, what had been a calm and peaceful day so far and a chance to forget about the horrors everyone had witnessed ever since the dead arose and started eating the flesh of the living, turned into chaos in the blink of an eye. Lee stood next to Clementine, his mind running wild while he froze in place, unsure of what to do first.
Shawn was yelling in pain, trying to pull his leg from under the tractor's wheel as he pleaded Lee to come save him...
...while Duck was trying to get away from the multiple arms that tried to drag him towards the corn field. His eyes wide and face contorted in fear, he kept on shouting for his mum and dad, begging for help.
It was a single moment when the world slowed down and Lee found himself unable to hear anything other than the sound of his own breathing. Whatever decision he took, he had to move fast, or else both would fall victim to those horrible creatures.
His eyes moved from Shawn to Duck one more time, before he found himself dashing in the latter's direction. He ran to him and immediately started pulling Duck in the opposite direction. But the dead were stronger than they looked, and Lee struggled to keep the boy away from danger.
Luckily, Kenny was there an instant later, assisting the man in his task. They both soon managed to free Duck from his captors, and then turned in Shawn's direction.
"Now help me! Please!"
Kenny didn't even think about lending the young man a hand as he turned around and ran in the same direction he'd come from. Lee gasped, but instead of fleeing he hurried to save the poor boy from a terrible demise.
Or he would have done so, if he'd been able to reach there in time.
Half way there, the dead that now had their attention focused on the teenager succeeded in their efforts to break the improvised fence, their white eyes shifting towards their prey and their mouths opening to feast on him.
They never got the chance to do so.
All three of them suddenly fell to the ground in a swift movement, their faces inches away from Shawn's torso. The young man looked on in a mixture of horror and relief as the monsters collapsed and didn't get up after that - the back of their heads having identical cuts that Lee didn't fail to pick upon even in his shock.
"Shawn!"
Hershel Greene came running then, his old rifle in hand. He saw his son had his leg trapped under the tractor, his breathing ragged and his eyes wide open. He'd managed to witness the moment those monsters almost got him, but for whatever reason didn't, and he silently thanked God above for what he believed was a miracle.
"Dad, dad...! They are gone! Ugh, I thought I was done for..."
"It's okay Shawn, breathe, you're going to be fine", the old man then sharply turned to Lee and Kenny. "You two, help me get this tractor off him."
The three managed to push the vehicle away from Shawn's broken leg in no time. Hershel immediately went down and helped his son up, placing one arm around him to keep him steady. The boy had his eyes closed in agony, and he took sharp breaths in hopes of making some of the pain go away. He was limping as his father helped him get to the house, slowly and carefully. They didn't even pay a single glance to Lee, Kenny or his family.
It was when they reached the porch that the owner of the farm stopped, and with a scowl on his face said: "I don't know how this happened, but none of you tried to help my boy", his tone was restrained yet dangerously close to snapping, like it barely managed to conceal underlying anger. "So, I will only say this once. Get your stuff and go. I don't want to see you here when I come back."
Hershel didn't give anyone a chance of responding and hurriedly helped Shawn get up the stairs and into the house, slamming the door behind them. Lee looked down in shame, but above all in confusion and shock. He still didn't know what had happened back there. That kid was about to die and yet... he hadn't. What on Earth had stopped the monsters?
Kenny by his side was pondering over the same thing. He'd seen the corpses. They all had identical holes in the back of their heads. That meant someone must have taken them out from behind, though he wasn't sure. He didn't see a thing, so anything could have been possible.
He wasn't willing to stay and find out. Right now, they had to get their asses off of that farm and be on their way.
Duck's father nodded to himself and approached a silent Lee, tapping his shoulder. He was about to say something when someone else beat him to it.
"It was Naruto."
Every single pair of eyes in the area turned to Clementine, Katjaa and Kenny glanced her way like she had grown a second head all of a sudden while Lee widened his eyes. Duck, on the other hand, tilted his head to the side. "Who's Naruto?"
"Nobody Duck, don't worry about it."
"He's Clem's friend", Katjaa frowned at Kenny, who simply shrugged his shoulders.
"What?"
"It was him, I'm sure", Clem smiled at Lee. "He saved Shawn."
"Did you... did you see him, Clementine?"
Her face fell a bit at that as she shook her head. "No, but I know it was him. He is here too, remember?"
"Clementine...", Lee didn't know what to tell the little girl. While it was true that someone, or something, had killed the walkers, he doubted a ten-year-old boy who refused to come out and meet them had been the one behind it. It didn't sound... plausible.
"Whoever it was, doesn't matter. Lee helped me save Duck, so that's worth something in my book", Kenny tipped his hat with a serious look as he turned to Lee, a look of gratitude crossing his ruggish features. They didn't have time to deal with this 'Naruto' guy that girl kept on babbling about. "Anyway, you got that ride to Macon if you still want it."
All that Lee could manage as a response was a curt nod, his eyes once again shifting onto Clementine. She was looking towards the hole in the fence, surely hoping to see her friend come out of it. "Clem, let's go, okay? Kenny is waiting."
"Oh, okay", she said with a shrug, though not before glancing one more time towards the fence. "Do you think he'll find us again?"
But Lee didn't answer. He himself didn't know what to think anymore.
Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance. He'd once again been riding below one of those metallic things for hours before the group reached a new place, a city like the one he'd found Clem in. The group had been mostly quiet throughout the trip, though the boy had heard Clem mention his name every now and then. Maybe she was worried he wouldn't follow her. Heh, as if! He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. He'd promised himself he wouldn't, and Naruto Uzumaki never went back on his word, no matter what.
Though next time they used those things to move around again, he'd be making sure to find a better, more comfortable way of going with them.
Still, if that wasn't enough, the bearded guy, Kenshi, had gone and called the attention of nearby dead people by mistaking one for a human. Naruto had facepalmed himself at that. Honestly, how could he be so dumb and careless?
The whole group had been surrounded in a matter of seconds, but just when he was thinking of going in and help Clementine someone else got in the way, a young woman, who carried one of those loud and annoying weapons people used to kill things in that strange world he was currently in. He had to admit they were efficient though, as they were enough to get the job done without the need to dirty one's hands. Besides, he never liked when he himself had to take them out, monsters or not, but he still did it if that's what it took to save an innocent person.
Lee and Kenny had guided the kids, Katjaa and their savior towards a nearby store, which had an iron gate that separated the main door from the outside. It was locked the very same moment everyone went through and into the store, preventing the dead from chasing after them. Naruto had relaxed for a moment from his position atop the roof opposite the place, though that feeling was soon replaced by alertness as he heard people arguing inside a moment after.
'Ugh, unbelievable! These guys get out of trouble and start fighting among themselves right away. Adults suck', he thought, groaning out loud. If any of those things was inside, they would be drawn by the noise and maybe even go after Clem. 'No way I'm letting any weirdo get to her. I should get closer and find someplace with a good view. Hopefully, nothing bad will happen'.
After making sure his goggles were well secured around his forehead, Naruto nodded to himself and jumped onto the roof in front of him, not stopping even when he landed to make his way towards the group.
All the adults were fighting. Clementine watched in silence as some old man named Larry kept on yelling and being rude to Lee and Kenny. He was talking about doing something really bad to Duck, as he claimed the boy was going to become one of those monsters that had attacked them outside. She saw Duck sitting with Katjaa by some fridges and ice cream machines. They too looked scared, and Duck's mom wouldn't stop checking on him to see whether he was hurt.
Arguing was bad. Not only because people shouldn't fight each other in her opinion, but also because it made a lot of noise and the dead would hear them. Clem tried several times to open her mouth and tell them to stop, but she was afraid they'd get mad at her. Kenny was really angry, and Lee too. It seemed like things would only get worse.
"Lee", Clem gave his big hand a tug, making him glance at her from over his shoulder. "I have to pee."
That hadn't been an excuse to try and get Lee away from the fight, as Clem was already at her limit. She didn't have the chance to go to the bathroom at Hershel's farm, and now there was no way she could hold it back anymore.
Lee looked conflicted for a moment, before he shook his head. "In a minute, Clem."
And just like that, he was back to arguing with Larry, Lilly and the other people in the drugstore, leaving Clementine to try and take care of her little problem on her own. She just needed to find the girls' bathroom, wherever that-
There!
Without any of the adults noticing, Clem made her way to a door by the counter. There was a bathroom signal on it, so she guessed it was the only place she could go to. The little girl raised a hand and placed it on the doorknob, but just as she was about to turn it open, she heard something on the inside. It'd been like the sound of something crawling around on the floor, though it stopped as soon as it appeared.
Fear crept in on her. Maybe she'd just imagined things, but what if someone else was inside?
"L-Lee, there's someone in there...", she tried to warn her protector, hoping he would make sure nothing bad was waiting for her in the bathroom.
"It's just locked", Lee said dismissively as he noticed how Larry cracked his knuckles with a grim look on his face. He really seemed ready to kill Duck at any moments' notice, something that Kenny didn't fail to realize, either. The latter stood in front of his family, and claimed they'd have to kill him first before any of them could do so much as lay a finger on his son. "The keys are behind the counter... probably."
Meanwhile, Clementine gulped. She was afraid to go in alone, but there was no other choice. Taking a small breath, she walked to the counter and after a moment or two looking around, she found the keys Lee was talking about. Then, she headed straight for the bathroom door inserting the key in the lock and hearing it 'click' when she turned it counter clockwise.
Clem almost smiled in relief as the door finally opened, though all that turned into surprise and fear as something shot out from inside, throwing itself at her. Her reflexes kicked in just as a bony hand tried to grab her and took a big step backwards, putting some distance between her and the creature that came from inside. The monster fell down on the floor with a loud growl, making the girl scream and every other person in the room turn their heads in shock towards them.
"Clementine!", Lee pushed Larry aside as he hurriedly ran her way.
He didn't make it very far with his wounded leg and couldn't avoid slumping to the ground as he applied too much pressure on it. Everyone gasped as the creature closed in on the girl, her current caretaker trying to get his bearings after hitting his head on the floor. Clem kept on moving backwards in an attempt to get away from the creature, though it was moving faster than her and would soon shorten the distance that separated it from its prey.
Lee shook his head and stood up as quick as he possibly could just as Carley aimed her gun at the monster's bald head.
They didn't even have time to get there or shoot, as someone else got in the way.
"What the...?"
Out of nowhere, a small, blue-eyed boy had jumped between Clem and her attacker, plunging a weird looking knife right below the monster's jaw and all the way through to its brain. Everyone watched as the creature gurgled in its own blood, its eyes becoming half lidded for a moment before it dropped down, dead for sure.
Ten pairs of eyes stared in silent awe at the newcomer who merely took the knife out the zombie's skull, swiped it against his jacket to remove the putrid blood out of it and swiftly stored in its respective holster by the hip. He shook his head in disgust before finally turning around to face Clem, offering her a smile. "You okay, Clem?"
Like the previous night, when they had met at the barn, Clementine couldn't help but pull the boy into a bear hug. She was so happy Naruto was there. "Naruto, you saved me!", she exclaimed, resting her head sideways on his chest so that her hat wouldn't get in the way.
"I promise!"
"Hehe", Clem giggled at the way he spoke. It was clear he needed more practice but she was pleased he'd been paying attention to her teachings. "Thanks."
"Fuck... I can't believe it..."
"Did y'all see what that kid just did?"
"Oh my god, he's no older than that little girl..."
"Who's he? Anybody knows?"
As Kenny, Dough, Carley and Glenn respectively voiced their own thoughts, Lee couldn't keep his eyes off the figure of the blond child. He was there. The kid Clementine wouldn't stop talking about ever since he'd found her in that treehouse back at Georgia. He was real. Lee felt both terrible at having doubted his existence before, and, above all, he felt relieved. Not only at seeing Clementine safe, but her friend too.
Having someone she cared about with her would make things easier for her, and the kid had saved Clem before any of them could step in to take care of the monster.
"Is that your friend, Clementine?", Katjaa's question broke Lee out of his stupor and just in time to see the girl nodding excitedly.
"Yeah! This is Naruto."
"Wait a minute, what the fuck is going on here? Where did that kid come from!?"
"Dad, stop. You'll scare him..."
Larry turned to Lily and snorted. "Ha! If that kid there has the guts to kill one of those things all by himself then he sure as hell can handle me."
While his daughter tried to convince him not to do anything rash, Katjaa took the chance to speak up.
"It's very nice to meet you, Naruto. I'm Katjaa, and this is Duck", the older woman flashed a kind smile his way, which make the boy look the other way in a hurry. Duck was still in shock after what he'd just gone through, though he too was looking the blond's way in curiosity. "How old are you, sweetie?"
"I'm...", the Uzumaki shyly glanced in Clem's way, who smiled encouragingly, and said: "I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm tien years."
"Ten years old", Clementine corrected with a laugh. "We need to have an English class soon, Naruto."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He felt the way everyone was looking at him like he was some sort of... weirdo, or something, and he didn't like it. But that woman looked nice enough, so he guessed he could stay a bit.
He had been forced to intervene after seeing Clem in danger. Sure, the adults that realized she could get hurt may have been able to get there just in time, but Naruto decided not to take any chances. He knew it only took one small bite from the monsters for a person to turn into them. He'd seen it happen to other people before back at Georgia, when he'd been out exploring in the neighborhood.
Seeing that old lady turn and attack her own son had been horrible enough for him to ever want to repeat the experience of witnessing such transformation first-hand, much less if it happened to someone he cared about.
"Lee, Lee, come meet my friend."
As Naruto raised his eyes, he found a tall man kneeling beside him with a smile, his eyes scanning his face. "Hey there. My name is Lee. I'm Clementine's... guardian, for the moment", Lee saw Naruto frown, but ignored it for the moment. "She has told me all about you. Especially how brave you are and how nicely you've taken care of her. I really appreciate it. You don't have to be afraid anymore, we'll take care of you too."
He extended his hand in Naruto's way, but the latter merely stared at it for a good minute, before he shook his head and turned to Clem. "I go."
"What? Again?", the little girl gasped. "No, don't! You can stay with us now. We are safe here."
"Clementine, what's he saying?", Lee eyed the girl with worried eyes, a feeling that she seemed to share.
"He wants to go and explore", she said dejectedly. It was clear Clem didn't want him to leave, as she was afraid of what could happen to her friend, especially with all the monsters roaming around in the streets.
"Huh? What do you mean you're leaving? You can't do that, kid!", Kenny walked up to both children, a frown on his face. He didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't going to stay quiet and let a mere child walk to his death. "It doesn't matter how tough you think you are, it's really dangerous out there! You're staying here, and that's final."
Whatever Kenny expected the boy to do didn't include him pulling out his tongue and his eyelid down at him, in a clear show of defiance. The older man was taken aback for a moment, like everyone else in that room, before he openly scowled. "You fucking kid, come here right this ins-!"
"Kenny, don't!", Katjaa gasped, standing up.
But Naruto didn't allow himself to get caught. In a shocking exhibition of speed, the blond climbed up one of the store's shelves, dropping some stuff in the process, and then right before Kenny or anyone else could react, he dashed out the room through a door leading to the office.
"Shit! Come back here! Lee, come on!"
Lee didn't need to be told twice, and immediately went with Kenny in pursuit of Naruto. All the others stood behind in silence - to say they were shocked at what they'd just witnessed would be an understatement.
"Whoa mum, did you see that? He was so fast!"
Duck had been the one to break the quietness that settled over the drugstore, all eyes turning his way as his mum gently hushed him, saying now wasn't the time for that. It also served as a reminder for Larry to keep away from the boy, his eyes narrowing. He hadn't forgotten about the possibility of him being bitten, and he wasn't about to take his eyes off the time bomb that was Duck. Said kid was now cleaned up, and although he couldn't see any bite marks on him didn't mean he was fine.
Only a matter of time, he thought, his expression darkening. He made sure to have Lily by his side. If anyone had to die, it sure as hell wouldn't be his daughter.
Five long minutes passed by, where nobody said a single word. All were sitting down and eyeing each other, waiting for Lee and Kenny to come back with the boy. It only took a look at Clem to see she was worried, and kept glancing at the office door every now and then. Duck had asked her about it, and although his mum told the girl she didn't have to answer if she didn't want to, she had just shrugged her shoulders with a pout and said: "I don't like it when he leaves, but I know he'll be fine. He's strong and fast, and he told me he's a shi... shino... shinogi."
Glenn perked his head up at that. "A shinobi?", he asked cautiously.
"Yeah, that!", she chirped.
"Huh..."
"What? What does that mean?", Carley wondered aloud. She saw the way Glenn's eyebrows furrowed in thought, almost as if he was contemplating something. "I've never heard that before."
"I'm not surprised", Glenn folded his arms as he leaned against the wall he was standing next to. "I think it's a Japanese word. It means something like warrior or ninja, can't say for sure."
Doug raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Do you speak Japanese, Glenn?"
"Nah, not really", the young man wearing a cap shrugged his shoulders dismissively, before he added, "my grandparents were from Japan, though. They used to talk to me sometimes in Japanese. I ended picking up some cool phrases and words throughout the years."
Lilly was about to open her mouth and add something to the conversation, when suddenly the door to the office opened and in stepped Kenny and Lee, the latter sulking. "Did you find him?", Katjaa asked both men, and her worries grew as soon as she saw her husband scoffing.
"We didn't find shit", his tone suddenly softened and so did his expression. He felt bad at knowing he'd been an asshole to that kid. Nobody could blame him, though. Moments before one of the other adults in the room had threatened to kill his only son. "We had to come back before those bastards surrounded us."
"Yeah", Lee continued. "It was like he vanished in thin air. We saw him running to a nearby street and then disappear around the corner. We were right behind him. I don't know how on Earth he got away."
Doug, Carley and Glenn exchanged a silent look, inadvertently thinking the same thing. Clem, on the other hand, didn't seem too worried this time, although she inwardly hoped he was okay. In her short time knowing him, she was well aware Naruto was not like her or the kids at her school. He was much braver, stronger and faster than them, hence why she felt like she could trust him to come back safe like all those other times he'd done so.
"Are you telling me two grown-ups couldn't catch a little boy that was right there in front of them?", Larry pumped his fist in anger as he walked around the room, his tone rising. Kenny was practically growling at that point, and it took all of his willpower not to go and kick his ass right there and then. "You two are worthless! How could you let him walk away!? He'll die out there", he all but shouted. "That was stupid! That was-! Agh!"
"DAD!"
"Oh fuck...!"
Larry slumped to the ground under the shocked stare of everyone present in the drugstore. His legs gave way under him and he fell on his bottom, gruntling in pain. His daughter ran to his side in an instant, kneeling down beside him to check his pulse and heart.
"W-What's wrong with him?"
"It's his heart, he is taking pills", Lilly hurriedly explained as her dad moaned in pain, clutching his chest. Lee calmed down somewhat at hearing that. For a moment there he was afraid Larry'd been bitten.
"Uhm, nitro-glycerine pills?"
"Yes! We don't have any more left. We've been trying to get into the pharmacy", she gestured towards the office behind her, "since we got here."
Kenny raised an eyebrow. "Any luck so far?"
"Not yet. The door's locked", Lilly then moved her eyes until she was staring into Lee's. "Please, you have to find a way to get in there."
Lee exchanged a quick look with Kenny and Katjaa. He ignored the fact all eyes were on him now, and lowered his head. He still couldn't get that kid out of his head, and he hoped he'd be back soon and stay for good this time. Lee didn't want any more dead people on his conscience, especially not a boy who was only slightly older than Clementine. Neither was he going to let Larry die on his watch, no matter how big of an asshole he seemed to be. Those people had saved their lives, so it was time to repay the favor.
"Of course", he finally said, nodding at Lilly. "We'll get through somehow."
Lee and Clem had just made their way out of the owners' office when Kenny called the former over. "Lee, a word please?", the aforementioned nodded at the man before gesturing the girl by his side to go and keep an eye on the walkie-talkie. They needed to be ready to move if Glenn, who was on a supply run, asked for help.
"Sure. What's up, Kenny?"
"Not here. In private."
Ignoring the look on his wife's visage, Kenny walked away from Katjaa and Duck, with Lee following close behind. They went into the same office Lee had just exited, and closed the door once they stepped inside.
The room was pretty much empty save for an old mattress by the floor, a TV with no signal, a desk Lee and Clem had moved to unblock the door leading to the pharmacy, and the exit to the back alley.
Both men stood in silence for a few moments before the older one spoke. "Look Lee, I'll be straight with you. I don't have a clue what's going on between Clementine and that other kid, Naruto, was it? Jesus, who calls their son like that?", Kenny shook his head in disbelief, before folding his arms over his chest and frowning. "Frankly, I don't care about any of that. All I want, is to keep my family safe, and that brat ain't nothing but trouble, I'm telling you."
"What are you saying?"
"I don't know", he shrugged. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about him. Like, can we really trust that guy if he shows up again?"
At that, Lee frowned. "Kenny, that guy is just a kid!"
"So? A kid doesn't go around killing those things with a weird looking knife and hiding from normal people like a stalker", Kenny couldn't help but shrug his shoulders. "I mean, why would you do that if you had nothing to hide? That's plenty suspicious if you ask me."
"You can't say that. We don't even know what that poor boy has gone through! What if his whole family was murdered by those monsters or, worse, the living?", as Lee kept on bringing up possible cases, Kenny's expression went from dead-serious to realization, and ultimately to shock. He widened his eyes as his mind contemplated those scenarios. "We have seen some serious shit on the way here, I wouldn't be surprised if he got it worse than we did."
Kenny seemed deflated as he took off his hat to scratch his head for a moment. "Fuck, Lee. I don't know, maybe. I didn't really think about it that way", his eyes scanned the room for a second, as if he was looking for something in particular. He did this under the cautious stare of Lee, who paused to observe the dried blood on the floor by the mattress lying close by. It was blood that no doubt belonged to the owners of the drugstore, his parents of all people. "Still, I don't like not knowing what's going on. Clementine said he was there at Hershel's farm right at the same time we were, and now he magically appears in Macon the moment we get here? It doesn't make sense."
Lee didn't want to admit it out loud, but Kenny had a point. Or more than one, in this case. He knew Clem was telling the truth, so how could have that Naruto kid followed them from the farm to the city in such a short amount of time? Maybe someone else had given him a ride, though neither he nor anyone else had seen any other vehicle or person going after them when they left the farm. There was also the fact that Naruto didn't speak English according to Clementine...
None of it made any sense to him, no matter how much he raked his brain for a logical answer.
"I have no idea, Kenny", Lee eventually admitted. He saw Kenny nodding his head, glad he too shared his disbelief. "I also don't know why he's so adamant in hiding from us. Maybe he's just afraid; thinks we're going to hurt him if he gets close."
"But we aren't!"
"Of course not, but maybe he doesn't know that", both fell silent for a moment at hearing someone talking to Clementine on the other side of the room. It was Carley, she seemed to be checking on her, though only bits of their conversation were audible from there. Lee then added, "I don't think that kid means any harm to any of us. You saw how quickly he got there to protect Clem, and how much she likes him. If he wanted to, he could have hurt her already."
"Yeah, I guess", Kenny let out a deliberately long sigh, and he massaged his temples in frustration. "Look, I'm not saying we should point a gun at him if he comes back. Just... keep a close eye on him, make sure he's not going to try anything stupid."
"Sure. And maybe next time, we'll be able to talk him into staying with us. Clem could use the company."
"Sit tight. We'll be there soon."
"Will do."
Glenn took the walkie-talkie Lee had given him earlier at the drugstore and put it in his pocket, though not before making sure he hadn't accidentally turned it off. Then, he leaned back and tried to make himself as comfortable as he could, given how small the place he now found himself in actually was.
The icebox was only big enough for him and maybe one more person, which in theory meant he had enough room to stretch his legs. He didn't though, but he wasn't about to complain any time soon. It was ten times better inside than out there, with all those bloodthirsty corpses mindlessly walking around the motel.
He was lucky it wasn't working when he'd jumped inside without checking it first, otherwise he'd be freezing his ass off right then. At least the ice had long ago melted by the time he'd gotten there.
Glenn tensed up when he heard a soft knock on the doors of the box. He sat still, holding his breathing and didn't even dare to blink his eyes in fear whatever was outside noticed there was someone in. He waited for a few more moments, and just when he thought he may have been imagining things, he heard that knock again, this time a bit louder and with a rhythmic pattern to it.
No way one of them could do such a thing or even find him when he hadn't made any audible noise from within.
"G-Guys?", Glenn shakily asked, controlling his tone so that it would be just above the volume of a whisper. He didn't hear any response, so he took a deep breath and carefully pushed the doors open. What he saw then, made him widen his eyes. "You?"
It was that kid from earlier, Naruto, crouching by the icebox with a goofy expression on his face.
"Hey, you're that Naruto guy! What are you doing here?", no longer afraid, Glenn jumped out, though not before making sure no one else was around. Then, he turned to a silent Naruto. "Did Lee send you?"
He doubted that was the case, but he still felt like asking. Who knew what could have happened back at the drugstore during his absence.
Naruto tilted his head to a side, his face blank for a moment.
"Right. No English. Almost forgot", the young man resisted the urge to facepalm himself and instead settled for cursing under his breath. "My Japanese is so bad too. Ah, listen kid, just... go. Go back. Hide. It's too dangerous out here. Danger", Glenn wasn't sure he had said it right, but by the way Naruto shook his head and grabbed a hold of his weird goggles with a grin, he hoped he didn't say anything else instead.
"It'll be okay! I can take care of those monsters. Wait here."
Glenn couldn't help but blink his eyes and frown in thought. "Bakemono... Why does that word sound so familiar...?", he wondered to himself, never noticing Naruto was slowly and stealthily making his way towards the multiple creatures that lurked around the gas station, looking for some fresh meat. Some of them were pounding on a door in the second floor, from where Naruto could hear a girl crying loudly.
A frown crossed his features. It didn't seem like she would get caught any time soon, as the door leading to her room looked pretty reinforced and secure. Then again, he had to get rid of each and every last one of them before he could even attempt to rescue her.
'Hmm... How should I do this?'
As Naruto sat behind a low wall that provided good cover from some of the monsters that roamed around just ahead, he placed a hand below his chin and contemplated his options for a moment.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?", he suddenly heard Glenn's voice coming from his left, and sure enough, there he was when he turned his head in said direction, crouching as he approached him. "Didn't I tell you not to go? It's dangerous out here!"
The blond didn't seem to understand the reason behind the teen's disbelief and instead shushed him in an annoyed manner. "Keep quiet, baka!"
"Oh, sorry", Glenn was surprised at how easy he'd got that. It was the same thing his grandmother used to tell him when he was a kid and went around playing with his water gun, laughing and screaming at the top of his lungs. "Still... We should wait for Lee to get here. He told me he's on his way."
Naruto merely ignored his new acquaintance and took a kunai from his holster. Glenn flinched at seeing how sharp it looked, and the way in which the blond twisted it in his hand as if it was nothing dangerous.
"Wh-Where did you get that?"
"Watch me", the blond told the young man with a confident grin as he suddenly jumped over the wall, leaving Glenn incredulous for a moment.
"Naruto, wait!", he half whispered/shouted from his position, lifting his head above his cover. Just as he did so, he was horrified at seeing the ten-year-old kid walking right behind one monster's back and humming loudly.
The creature seemed to react to the sound and abruptly turned around, catching the scent of living meat. Glenn was on his feet the very same moment that happened, but didn't even have time to react as he saw Naruto destroy the monster's brain by plunging his kunai into the base of its skull.
A disgusting sound echoed in the empty motel as the blond took out the blade without even flinching, the monster slumping to the ground a mere instant later.
Meanwhile, Glenn stared at the scene unfolding before him in a mixture of horror and surprise. That kid was tough! No, more than that, he was ruthless! He'd taken care of one of them without even hesitating or thinking about it, and he had just stood behind, watching from the safety of his cover.
Glenn stood there, eyes wide open as Naruto finished cleaning the blade and then flashed a grin in his direction. It was like he was looking for Glenn to say something, to express his admiration or whatever. But said young man walked up to him with the same shocked look he'd had on his face the whole time. "Are you crazy? You can't do that alone!"
Once again, his warnings fell on deaf ears as the ten-year-old was quickly on the move. Glenn soon found out his worries had been unfounded as Naruto took care of all the monsters around the entrance with ease. In just a matter of minutes, the whole place -with the exception of the two that still pounded on the door to the room in the second floor- was clear of the undead, with nothing but their lifeless corpses as proof of their previous presence a while ago.
"Holy crap...", was all Glenn could say. He now looked at Naruto in a different light. He knew he was tough, but that? That had been insane.
"Hehehe", Naruto flashed the victory sign at him. It was clear he liked the attention he was getting, though Glenn didn't mind. That kid deserved it, albeit he was still a little bit adamant at finding out what else he could do.
"Don't get so full of yourself kid, we still have those two over there to deal with", from their position next to an abandoned RV in the motel, both watched as the monsters grew restless at not being able to tear the door down and get to the crying girl on the other side. Glenn narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Listen. I know you want to do this alone. But let me help you this time. You take care of the one on the left, and I deal with the one on the right."
To make sure the child understood, Glenn pointed his finger at Naruto and the creature standing closer to the stairs leading to the second floor, and then at himself and at the one next to it. The kid's previous grin faltered at realizing what the plan was, before he nodded, twirling his kunai on his hand until he was holding it sideways.
The idea was for Naruto to catch the first one off guard and before its companion could notice their presence, Glenn would take it out. The question was... how?
Glenn looked around for anything he could use as weapon and eventually spotted an axe hanging on a wall by the stairwell. He smiled as he grabbed it and ran a finger along the metal. It was sharp. Good. That would do.
"Let's go."
A moment later, both were making their way up their stairs, moving slowly and carefully to avoid being seen sooner that they'd anticipated. Naruto moved in front, kunai against his chest. He looked tense and cautious, but Glenn couldn't blame him for feeling a bit scared. No matter how strong, fast or efficient he was at killing those monsters, Naruto was still a boy. That got him thinking for a moment, how could a mere kid be so hardened to the point where it didn't even phase him when he used his weapon to kill those things?
Whatever he had gone through up until point, Glenn wasn't sure he wanted to find out.
"Gaah!"
The guttural growl the dead made as they kept pounding on the wooden door brought the young man back to his senses. It was then he realized they were already up on the second floor, and that Naruto was about to intercept the closest monster to him any time now.
Which he did in the blink of an eye.
"Gotcha!"
The blond jumped on the monster's back and before it could even realize what was going on, took it out with his kunai. Glenn didn't have time to breathe or think about his next move as the other corpse was now looking their way and moaning furiously. A putrid smell emanating from its decaying body almost made the young man gag in disgust, but he kept a hold of himself and took quick steps forward, closing the distance between him and Naruto.
He raised his axe high in the air, shut his eyes in fear and prayed he wouldn't die right there and then as he swung the weapon downwards.
"Urk..."
Glenn felt his muscles straining as the unfamiliar sensation of the axe struggling to cut onto something made his body tense. He quickly opened his eyes and clenched his teeth at seeing the indentation on the monster's skull. Blood began trailing down from the open cut his axe had made as he pulled it out with a strong pull, feeling disgusted when he saw its brains on the inside.
A moment later, the monster was lying next to the other one, both now inert.
"We... We did it", the young man breathed out, leaning down on his knees while he tried to get over this new feeling of realization. He had killed those things before, but it never got any easier. He preferred to avoid rather than face them, and that smell, oh god, the smell. It was the worst thing that had ever hit his nostrils.
Naruto too seemed disgusted by it and pinched his nose, though not before tapping the shoulder of a dazed Glenn. "I know", the older teen said, shaking his head. "We should check up on the girl before..."
Whatever was it that he wanted to say died in his throat as the minute his eyes turned the way of Naruto he caught sight of two other people, precisely the ones he'd been waiting to come looking for him before he was found by the boy.
Lee and Carley had surprise written all over their faces as they stood right behind the pair, and couldn't stop moving their eyes from the dead monsters to Naruto and then to Glenn.
"H-Hey guys", Glenn awkwardly said. He wanted to break the weird silence that had settled around the four.
At that, the only woman in the group blinked in disbelief.
"What the heck happened here?", she clutched onto her handgun as she spoke, afraid one of them would still be alive. "Didn't you say you were pinned down?"
Glenn folded his arms with a smile. "Well, yeah, but I got a little help from this guy over here."
Naruto waved his hand nonchalantly at the newcomers. He looked proud of himself. Very.
Though the other adults felt differently about his doings. "Are you saying this kid helped you kill them?"
"No. I just took that one out", Glenn gestured towards the corpse nearest to the door. "Naruto killed the rest."
His claim had Lee and Carley exchanging a shocked look for a moment. They didn't need any words to know both were thinking something similar.
"Damn..."
Lee had to admit, besides feeling worried about the fact a ten-year-old boy could handle himself like an adult and kill as if it wasn't a big deal, he was thoroughly impressed. One quick look at him was all he required to see him completely unharmed and practically clean. To be able to move like he did and take them out fast and quietly took some serious skill. Lee couldn't help but wonder where had he learned to do that.
Carley, on the other hand, was all but impressed. "Glenn, how could you? This is a kid we are talking about!"
"Hey, don't blame me. I tried to stop him but he went on and killed them regardless."
"That's no excuse", the young reporter shook her head disdainfully. "We can't just let a boy do whatever he wants just because he can do it."
Glenn scowled at her tone. "In case you haven't noticed, things aren't exactly 'child-friendly' nowadays, so excuse me if I don't think it's wrong for Naruto to watch my back!"
Lee frowned as he realized how quickly things were getting out of hand. "This is not the time to be fighting among ourselves!", he spatted, mindful not to rise his tone more than he needed. There could be more of them lurking around. "We should just head back to the drugstore, with Naruto, of course", the man flashed a smile at the boy, who had his arms behind his neck and looked no more interested in the conversation taking place than he was in Lee's proposal. "Did you get what you came for, Glenn?"
"Yeah", the aforementioned let out a calming sigh at the mention of his name. "I put some gas and other supplies I found on a cab down by the entrance. We can get back on it."
"Good", Lee said appreciatively. At least the trip down there hadn't been for no reason. "Then let's all head... Huh!?"
His companions turned to him and then glanced in the way he was looking, soon understanding what had got Lee so quiet all of a sudden.
The kid was standing on the roof above, looking down at them with a grin.
"Hey!"
"How did he get up there?"
Lee took a cautious step towards Naruto, his hands up in front of him to show he didn't mean any harm. "Come on Naruto, just... come back with us. To Clementine. She'll be happy to see you", at hearing her name, the boy's grin faltered slightly, and he looked conflicted for a moment. Lee thought he could convince him, and added, "we are good people. We can take care of you."
Although the blond didn't get what the older man was talking about, he did see the worry in his eyes, something he'd only seen in a bunch of adults in his whole life. Ichiraku, Iruka-sensei, the old Sandaime Hokage, maybe one of the anbus that sometimes kept an eye on him to make sure he wouldn't get into trouble. The rest, Konoha shinobi or villagers alike, just stared at him like he was some kind of monster. Like one of the dead that killed people round these parts.
Naruto crouched down on the roof, and after thinking about it for a minute, eventually shook his head. "I go", he just said, making Lee sigh dejectedly. He turned around and was about to leave when suddenly he remembered he had something to do first.
Three pairs of eyes watched in curiosity as the blond reached for what seemed to be a secret compartment within his jacket and then threw something at Lee, who almost failed to catch it.
It was an apple.
"Clem", he simply said, before running away in the opposite direction. The sound of his feet hitting the roof tiles became quieter and quieter until it was gone in a matter of seconds.
"Where do you think he goes all the time?", Carley couldn't help but wonder, placing her free hand on her hip.
Lee shrugged his shoulders, and then glanced at the apple in his hand. Clementine would definitely be happy when he told him who had got it for her. Still... it was hard to just go back and pretend he was okay with Naruto being out there on his own, which he wasn't. True, he didn't really know the kid, but Clem did, so in a way he felt responsible for him.
He was about to say something, when the sound of the girl inside the boarded room crying and telling them to leave her be brought him and the others back to reality. All three of them shared a cautious look.
"Uhm Glenn...?"
The aforementioned blinked. "Oh, right."
"Be careful, Lee."
"Keep an eye out, will you?"
Lee clutched the axe in his hands as he stepped out into the open. He could hear the never-ending moans of all the monsters in the block gathered by the electronics store right across the drugstore, and it sent a shiver down his spine. He briefly glanced back, in the way of Doug, who gave him a curt nod. If it wasn't for him, they'd have never found a way to distract the dead by turning all those TVs on and clear a path forward.
Even then, the clock was ticking. Lee knew they would not be fooled for long.
He steadied himself and hastily approached the monster on the other side of the street. It was trapped under a lamppost that kept it immobilized.
As soon as he got within smelling range of the creature, it jerked back to attention, raising its empty eyes to glance at its prey. It growled energetically and tried with all its might to grab a hold of Lee, but failed in all its attempts. Not even when Lee knelt down before it did the monster manage to seize the visibly shaken man.
"Hey, bud."
The monster paused just for a moment, before resuming his futile efforts.
"I don't know what happened to mum and dad but… if you were there, you'd have died for them. So, I'd like to believe that's what happened."
Lee's features softened. His brother… no, the monster who had once been his younger brother seemed unable to comprehend a word he was saying to it. Much less realize the man kneeling down before him was family.
It was as if it could no longer rationalize or feel anything. In its mind, there was clearly nothing more than a deep hunger for meat. The thought sent a twang of pain to Lee's heart.
"Did you find them yet!?"
"Give me a second!"
Lee scowled at Doug over his shoulder, upset at the interruption. He quickly steeled himself. He knew he had no time to waste, no time to reminisce about the past. His brother had the key to the pharmacy, and there were other people hoping he'd succeed in finding it.
He just needed to put his last 'living' relative out of his misery. Save him from a fate worse than death.
"… I found a little girl yesterday, hiding away in her treehouse; I don't know what happened to her parents but I'm going to take care of her from now on."
Despite knowing his brother was not paying attention, Lee felt some sort of comfort just by opening up to someone he'd always been able to trust.
"There's also another boy. Naruto's his name. I wish I could tell you more about him, but we're still trying to figure him out. He's a special kid, that's for sure, and I plan on looking after him too… if he ever decides to trust us, that is."
A ghost of a smile reached his lips as he finally turned around, facing the monster once more.
"I wish you were still here, man. You'd know exactly what to do. I hate to admit it, but you were always more sensible than me."
Lee chuckled softly for a moment. And then, his expression darkened.
He stood up, gave that which had once been his brother a last look, and got his axe ready.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here when it happened", Lee mumbled. "And I'm sorry I left. I should have been around more."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Lee took a deep breath and brought his axe down in one single, devastating blow to his brother's head, killing it for good.
And with that, all the people he'd ever loved were now gone, his ties irrevocably severed.
Naruto Uzumaki facepalmed himself as he saw the predicament those stupid adults had put the whole group in... AGAIN! He didn't have a clue what was going on, or how did it happen, all he knew was that Lee and some other woman had made an extremely loud, and annoying noise after going through a door that was originally locked. What was worse, the noise didn't seem to be stopping any time soon, for some strange reason. Seriously, what had those bakas done this time!?
The blond let out a loud groan, one that was lost in the multitude of moans and sounds coming from the multitude of monsters that now surrounded the drugstore.
"As soon as they get out of there, I'm pulling the biggest prank ever on them!", Naruto resolved with a foxy grin, nodding to himself. His grin soon turned to a serious look as he watched the tons and tons of corpses that joined others as they slowly but surely made their way towards the epicentre, which was where all the adults had hidden themselves in.
He had honestly never seen so many of them all together in one place. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of himself fighting for his life down there in the middle. That wouldn't go so well. Things would be different if he'd been as powerful as the Sandaime or any other jounin, though he doubted any of them would last too long in a fight. The enemy was slow and predictable, but their numbers were practically endless.
One single mistake and you were gone.
Naruto grimaced at the thought. "Maybe I should go help... Aww but I don't want to see that Kenchi guy again! Or the grumpy jiji. Those two are really annoying", he then pictured Lee, Glenn and the others, fighting for their lives as he sat down and did nothing. "Clem must be really scared right now... I hope that Lee gave her the apple... Ah, I can't stay here! I have to go, make sure she's okay."
With a nod, the blond pulled two kunais out from the holster and twirled them around in his hands, one in each. A moment later, he was jumping down and right into the alley behind the drugstore. He timed his descent so that he'd fall directly on top of a monster, who was currently a few meters away from Kenchi - the latter slamming his foot on a fallen corpse's head.
"Kenny, behind you!"
From his position next to the gas tank of his cab, Glenn tried to warn an oblivious Kenny of the imminent danger that awaited him. Though he soon realized it hadn't been necessary as Kenny had only time to turn around before he saw one of those things falling limply right in front of him... and Naruto sitting on its back.
"Way to go Naruto!"
The aforementioned grinned at Glenn before freeing his kunai from the fallen cannibal's head, all of this under the cautious scrutiny of Kenny. When he stood up, his azure eyes met the older man's ones, and they proceeded to stare at each other for a few seconds, neither saying a word or making any movement.
Yet with death lurking around the corner, literally, Kenny decided to put his mistrust aside and give the kid a thankful nod, who nodded back his way.
"Hurry Glenn, help me with the gas!"
Without even telling Naruto what to do, both men hurriedly turned to work on the truck, their hearts pounding on their chests as the yells and moans combined of dead and living alike could be heard from within the store even amongst all the noise the alarm was making. As they did so, the ten-year-old kid provided some cover, taking out whatever monster that happened to catch a glimpse of them in the back alley.
There weren't so many of them back there as they were at the front of the store, but Naruto was sure the longer they waited, the worse it got for the people inside, which were shouting and fighting for their lives as well. Plus, no matter how easy it was to kill those things, he and Glenn and Kenny were three people against dozens of them.
Only two minutes had gone by, but to Naruto it seemed like an eternity had passed when Kenny finally went inside to look for the rest. Naruto kicked a monster on the knee and then twirled around it to plunge both kunais on both sides of its head, watching as it fell on the ground. A moment later, two more turned around the corner, and he frowned. 'Is there really no end to these creeps!?', he thought, just as Carley got out of the store, shooting her strange weapon at one that had managed to get past a busy Glenn on the other side and was now trying to get a good bite at that guy, Larry, and the long-haired woman that was always by his side.
"Naruto!"
That was Clem's voice. He was honestly glad to see she was okay. But right then, all he could afford was a passing wave before he was forced to slam his fist into a monster, making it stumble and fall over one walking right next to it. Naruto would have laughed at the scene, if not for the fact they weren't out of the woods yet.
"Hurry Clementine, get in!"
"Wait, Lee is still in there!"
"What about Doug!?"
"He… He's dead!"
"Shit!"
Naruto heard someone running back inside. As he ducked under a monster, chopped its head in a swift motion and made it fall to the ground with a well-aimed kick to the leg that he'd learned at the Academy, he grunted. He was getting slower. Sweat was falling from his forehead, and even though it'd take more than that to stop him, he couldn't help but wonder:
'What's taking so long!?'
The answer to that question came a moment later when Kenny came running out of the drugstore, followed closely by a bruised Lee. "Hey kid! We're getting the fuck out of here! You coming or what!?", Kenny didn't even give him time to ponder over his words as he ran straight for his truck, where a frightened Katjaa and Duck waited.
He was about to head forward and destroy four incoming corpses when he felt a hurried tap on his shoulder.
It was Lee.
"Naruto, come on!"
He didn't need to be told twice. Glenn was already driving his cab away with Carley, Lilly and Larry on it. Naruto couldn't see that other guy, the chubby one with blond hair, but he put that thought aside and climbed onto the back of the truck with Clem and Lee. The girl clutched onto his arm as Kenny drove away, going in the same direction Glenn had headed onto.
And it was only when they managed to get past some of the monsters that tried to get in the way of the vehicle that he allowed himself to relax, the adrenaline dying down. He watched the change of scenery as they started to get out of downtown Macon. The buildings and stuff around were very different from the ones he was used to seeing back at Konoha, like more technologically advanced and taller.
It was a striking contrast to his village; one he wasn't even sure he would ever be able to get used to.
Clementine leaned against the back of the RV at the motel, absently staring at the ground, visibly upset.
Her walkie-talkie, the very same one she used to speak to her daddy and mommy, was broken. She'd tripped and fell on the way out the drugstore, and now the device was all but worthless.
It made her feel sad. That walkie-talkie was the only thing, apart from her hat, that served as a reminder of her parents. She missed them. She missed them so much her heart ached at knowing they were out there, worried about her.
But she refused to cry. Now, more than ever, she had to be strong. It wouldn't do to concern Naruto or the others. They already had enough things to worry about.
Glenn walked up to them, looking like he wanted to tell Naruto something. His mouth opened and closed just as quickly. And in the end, he settled for tipping his hat.
"Take care of each other, will you?", Glenn flashed them a small smile. "See you around guys."
She saw him exchange a few words with Lee and leave in his cab. All the adults looked distraught after he'd left. Clem wasn't surprised. After what they'd just been through, it was okay to be scared. She definitely was. Glenn though seemed worried more than afraid. Maybe he was going to find his family?
"…And that move you did!? Aww man, that was sooo cool! Those knives look really sharp, I bet they can cut through anything!"
Her hazel eyes rose to glance in the direction of Duck. Ever since the group had arrived at the motor inn, the hyperactive boy had not stopped going on and on about how cool Naruto was and if he could teach him how to fight like he did.
Naruto himself was not really paying much attention to the child, most likely not getting a single word he said. Instead, his deep blue eyes were cautiously glancing in the direction of all the adults at the motel, pausing at each one, before moving onto something else that'd catch his attention.
Clementine then spotted Lee bidding farewell to Carley out the corner of her eyes, before making his way to them. She saw him frowning at Duck, who had yet to shut up.
"Hey, Duck, you mind cooling for a bit?"
"Oh, okay, sorry."
Lee turned to her and Naruto. "I'm sorry", he told them. "There's… uhm, not a lot of kids around here."
Clem quickly saw what Lee meant, and shook her head fervently. "No no, it's not that", she assured him. She didn't want Duck to feel bad. "It's just…"
She was about to say what the actual problem was, when her nose caught a whiff of an awful smell coming directly from Naruto, one she'd not noticed up until that moment.
"Oh no. Naruto, you're all covered in blood! Gross", Clementine told her new friend, stepping away from him. How could have she not seen that before? He was basically drenched in monster blood! "Lee, we have to clean him up."
"We will Clem", Lee had a smile on his face as he watched the look on the boy's face. He didn't have a clue what they were saying. "Once we get settled here, at the motor inn, we'll give him a nice bath."
"That's good. He smells really bad."
"And he's not the only one", Lee glanced at the third child in the group. "You too, Duck."
"Eh!? No way!", the aforementioned boy grew terrified of having to take a bath, something he hated with a passion. "Daaaad!"
Duck ran away, flailing his arms around. It made Clem giggle, her previous sadness over her broken walkie momentarily forgotten as she turned her attention back to the boy by her side.
Naruto watched with an embarrassed smile as his friend arched her nose in disgust and pointed at the blood on his clothes, with Lee openly chuckling at that. The man then fell silent as Clem began checking the boy for any wounds, on his face, his arms and shoulders, with the latter trying to pry her hands off him and complaining aloud.
The world as Lee knew it may have very well ended, and his parents and brother may be gone now, but just by watching those kids he felt like not all was lost and that there was hope for a better and brighter future.
To be continued...
And that's a wrap for now, ladies and gents.
One thing I'd like to point out is that although the story is kind of fast paced, it'll start to slow down a bit in the following chapters.
Anyhow, let me know what you think in the review section. Writing this story for me has been a total blast so far, as I hope it is for you to read.
As always, thanks for reading and take care of yourselves, all right? Things are hectic out there, so it's never bad to be cautious. Luke, signing out!