I know it's been nearly five years since I last updated either story I have. So many things have happened that's kept me away for so long. However, this chapter I have been writing a little at a time in the last four years I managed to finish and wanted to post since I did start this chapter. I knew from the beginning of writing this fic there were a lot of reviews on how zombies would be easy kill for ninja and I ignored those reviews because I knew I was going to get to the point of explaining why they would fail. This is that chapter and it was the best thing I could come up with and if anyone doesn't like this explanation, oh well.

With that being said, I do plan to try and continue this story and Naruto-sensei to their end. I can't say when I will upload next, but I will try to make new chapters in less of a time frame than this nearly five year wait.

I do not own Naruto or its characters.

EDIT: (February 7, 2024) I have found a massive plot hole from last chapter that I forgot I had written (it was over four years ago since the last chapter lol) so in this chapter there is a scene I cut out and fixed the plot hole by putting in what was mentioned in the last chapter as part of Yuko's research in this chapter.

Chapter 28: The Research

"Is this some kind of joke?" asked a female, her face shadowed by the forest's shade.

"No, they're here!" said Lee frantically. He was standing in a area where the sun was coming through and lit up his face.

"If this is some sick attempt at getting me alone, I'm going to make it hurt!" said the shadowed female.

"No, I swear it's not," Lee panicked. "This is their hideout."

Naruto looked around the room and made sure everyone was present. Choji and Tenten came inside last since they were manning the guard towers. Choji and Tenten both wondered if leaving their post was such a good idea but if Naruto didn't say anything about it, it must of been okay for the moment.

Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata with Akamaru and Sasuke were present as well. They all seemed a little impatient as to why Naruto had called everyone inside.

"Why'd you bring us all here?" asked Sasuke.

"When I interrogated Yuko," Naruto began, "She told me some things that were concerning and that everyone needed to here."

"Shouldn't you wait for Lee then?" asked Tenten.

"No," answered Naruto. "This is too important to wait for Lee. When he returns, I will tell him a shortened version of what Yuko is about to tell everyone."

Naruto looked around and see he had everyone's attention. He turned around and motioned for Yuko to come forward. She walked up to the front, standing next to Naruto.

"Tell everyone what you told me yesterday," Naruto said.

Yuko took in a deep breath, "I guess I should start from the beginning why exactly what I was doing at laboratory researching this thing."

Nine Months Ago, Three Weeks After Illness

Yuko sat in a dark room, her windows boarded up in hopes it would keep people and the undead out. She didn't really have anywhere else to go and didn't want to risk dying trying to find somewhere else to hide. It had been three weeks since people started falling ill from some strange virus and it's been a week when everyone found out once those that were ill die, they came back to life but as vicious, flesh-eating killers with only one way to kill them for good, a blow to the head.

Yuko was a scientist, studying infectious diseases before this unknown outbreak and once people at the lab she worked in her village in the Land of Grass started getting sick and she stopped going. Three weeks and everything's gotten worse and ever since, she's been quietly held up in her own house.

Yuko was taken out of her thoughts when a faint knock came at her door, which she fortfied from the inside with several chains and deadbolt locks. She didn't make a sound as she hoped whoever was knocking on her door would give up and go away. Her hopes went unanswered as the knocking got a little louder.

Yuko scrambled as quietly as she could to grab a big knife from her kitchen just in case whoever was at her door would find a way inside after all. Yuko was about to breath in a sigh of relief but the knocking came again and it was much more forceful and this time someone yelled from outside.

"Miss Yuko, can you please open up," said a male's voice. "We were sent to come get you to take you to a laboratory far away from here."

Yuko didn't believe him and stayed quiet just pleading in her head that this person would just leave but he was persistant.

"You probably don't believe me but I am going to slide my credentials through your mail door," the male said and dropped a badge inside Yuko's house.

Yuko quietly walked to the front door and picked up the badge. She then quietly walked back to the kitchen and turned on the light for a moment to read the badge.

"It's a real health department badge," she whispered.

Yuko walked back to the front door, still with the knife.

"I'm going to open the door!" she yelled. "But if you try anything stupid I'm going to stab you!"

"No ma'am, we are not going to try anything funny," the man said.

Yuko opened the door to find two individuals in black cloaks and ANBU masks from Kusagakure. The second cloaked individual did quick hand signs and blew in her face.

"Sorry but this is necessary for transporting you," said the the cloak individual who had been talking to her.

"You bas..." she blacked out before she could finish her sentence.

Yuko woke up in a bed in a small room that would be the size of a walk-in closet. She checked herself to make sure those two people didn't do anything funny after all, but she realized that she was wearing the same clothing, so nothing was taken off. She looked around the small room and found a coat hanger with a white lab coat. Yuko inspected it and it had her name on it.

Yuko started wondering why Kusagakure wanted her so badly. She was startled when an older man with short silver grey hair, glasses and a white lab coat over a brown collared shirt and khaki pants.

"Aw, Yuko-san, you're awake," he said. "Welcome to The Research Pod, my name is Taki, Head of Operations."

"The Research Pod?" asked Yuko.

"The Research Pod is a multi-nation facility in charge of researching unknown diseases," Taki explained. "Scientists from all the nations allied or foe, put their differences aside for the common goal: To keep the general population of the world healthy."

Yuko was in awe.

"You were selected by Kusagakure to help us in figuring out this new illness that is spreading fast and turning the dead back to life," said Taki.

Yuko was shocked that her skills led to her nomination to be here in this type of facility. She didn't think she was all that but she was kind of glad she wasn't holed up inside her house that probably would be broken into one way or another.

"Come walk with me," Taki motioned, "I am going to pair you up with a tech. A tech will help you get the things you need for your research."

"What exactly is it I'm going to be doing?" asked Yuko.

"In do time young lady," Taki answered.

"Is this place really that safe?" asked Yuko.

"Of course it is," Taki answered. "The Research Pod itself is inside a mountain. The enterance is guarded 24-7 and there is fencing on top of that. The fencing is far enough away that any type of sound coming from our facility won't attract the undead."

Yuko followed Taki through a hallway where the rooms looked like massive gas chambers. After passing several rooms, Taki finally stopped at one where a man with short, spikey black hair. He was also wearing a lab coat with a black shirt and khacki pants.

"Yuko I want you to meet your tech, Tensai," Taki introduced. "Tensai, this is Yuko, the scientist from the Land of Grass."

"Nice to meet you Yuko," Tensai held out his hand. Yuko shook it.

"Nice to meet you too, Tensai," she said.

"Now let's show you your research chamber," Taki said. He scanned a card and the door opened.

Everyone entered and inside there was a monitor next to a bed that had chains that looked like to be used for chaining something up. There were several carts of tools and instruments.

"Everything you'll need will be in this room," Taki explained. "This is where Tensai comes in, he'll be the one to hand you the tools and instruments when you need them and he will clean and sanitize them after your use for them are done. However, before you get started, make sure you go into that room, this is where you'll put on Hazmat suits to keep yourself from being contaminated."

"How is this room itself cleaned?" asked Yuko.

"When your done with your specimen, it will be discarded and the room will use an ultra-violet light and sanitizing agent that has to sit in the room for at least eight hours. Therefore, your researching hours will be nine A.M. to five P.M. this allows the chambers to be sitting in the sanitizing agent for sixteen hours. Five minutes before you start the chamber vaccuums out the agent," explained Taki.

"The clock says its seven P.M.," Yuko pointed out.

"Ah yes, however, since this chamber hasn't been used yet, the cleaning schedule has been disbabled for the time being but I will be enabling it again tomorrow since you'll begin tomorrow," Taki answered.

They exited the research chamber and Taki dismissed Tensai. Taki then walked Yuko back to the room she had woke up in.

"If you haven't guessed it by now, this will be your sleeping quarters," Taki said. "I know it's small, but necessary to make sure our lab runs efficently."

"What about a bathroom or shower?" asked Yuko.

"See that green button above your bed?" answered Taki with a question, Yuko nodded. "Press it and a door will open where the bathroom is. It will close automatically when you enter. There is a button to reopen it in the bathroom once your done."

Yuko sat down on her bed, she was still tired from whatever the ANBU used on her and now that her head was full of all this knowledge she got in such a short amount of time, she just wanted to crawl into her new bed and sleep.

"Before I go, the clocks in your room and chamber have an alarm automatically set," explained Taki. "The clock in your room wakes you up an hour and half before your work starts to give you time to eat and get ready. The clock in your research chamber goes off at one P.M. for your lunch break and again at 4:30 P.M. to signal it's almost 5, which gives you 30 minutes to clean up."

"Got it," Yuko said.

Taki nodded and left. Yuko took off her shoes. She decided to go through the dresser and found some of her clothes in there.

"Wow, they brought some of my clothes too."

Yuko changed into pajamas and laid in her new bed and quickly drifted off to sleep as she thought about exactly what kind of work she would be doing.

Yuko woke up quickly as the clock's alarm blared through her small room. She sat at the edge of the bed for a few moments when the door to her room opened a cart with trays was there, but it moved and a male in a kitchen apron grabbed one of the trays and set it on the small table-like structure that was attached to the wall.

"What is this?" asked Yuko.

"It's your breakfast," said the male. "This facility provides its workers with meals."

"I don't get to pick what I get huh?" Yuko asked.

"There is a cafeteria that is open for lunch, you get to chose then," the male said. "Otherwise your breakfasts and dinners are pre-chosen."

"Well thank you," said Yuko. The male nodded and continues his route.

Yuko ate the breakfast that was provided her. By time she was done, it was now Eight-Fifteen in the morning. Yuko checked out the bathroom that was practically hidden away and took a quick shower to get ready.

It was Eight-Forty-Five by time she was done with her shower and getting dressed. She left her sleeping quarters and headed back to the research chamber she was given. When she got there, Tensai was already there waiting.

"Surprised to see you here already," Yuko said, trying to be friendly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Tensai, feeling a little offended.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to offend you or assume anything," Yuko said, waving her hands.

Tensai didn't say anything as Yuko just waited until nine.

"You don't have to wait to nine today, the chamber doesn't have any of that sanitizing agent in it right now," Tensai said.

"I, uh, um," Yuko paniced as she didn't know how to open the research chamber door, Taki opened it yesterday with his badge, but she wasn't given one.

Yuko frantically searched her lab coat pocket and found nothing. She told Tensai she would be right back and ran back to her room. She looked around and found a badge with her name on it on top of the dresser. Yuko was kind of upset no one told her it was even there to begin with.

Yuko ran back to her research chamber to find Tensai still waiting, but looked very annoyed. Yuko just smiled nervously and used her badge and the door opened. She was surprised when she found Taki there in a Hazmat suit, waiting.

"Ah you're finally here," Taki said. "Get your suits on, your first specimen will be arriving shortly."

Yuko and Tensai waited inside the research pod when the inside bay door opened up. On a conveyor belt, a live specieman, whos arms and jaw were cut off so it couldn't hurt the researchers, arrived. Yuko and Tensai pulled the speciman onto the research table and Yuko began her work.

For several hours she poked and prodded the specimen, cutting open its head while also making sure not the kill the specimen outright. During the process, Tensai was there grabbing all the tools and equipment Yuko needed.

The alarm in the pod went off, signaling it was lunch time. Both Yuko and Tensai went into the decontamination room and was cleaned. They also disgarded their lab suits and exited the pod and went to the cafeteria that was only open to the workers during their lunch hour.

While eating in silence, Tensai finally broke the silence that was between them all morning while Yuko worked.

"Figure anything out yet?" asked Tensai.

"I'm starting to believe when the virus attacks the host, making them sick and die, the virus actually restarts the brain and causing the host to awaken as these flesh-eating monsters," whispers Yuko.

"Wow, that's crazy," said Tensai. "When I was told you were supposed to be the best, I'm not going to lie, I didn't believe them but I guess I was wrong.

"It's only a theory," continued Yuko, ignoring Tensai's little tid bit of disrespect, "They only way I could know for sure is to work with a body that's infected and not yet dead."

An hour had passed and lunch time was over. Yuko and Tensai made their way back to their research pod. Once they reached their pod, Yuko was surprised to see Taki waiting by the door.

"Taki-sama, is there something wrong?" asked Yuko.

"Oh no Yuko-san, I actually came here to find out if you discovered anything useful," answered Taki.

"Well as of right now, it's only theory but I believe once the virus kills the host, it restarts the brain to awaken the host as these flesh-eating monsters," explained Yuko.

"Theory, you say?" questioned Taki.

"The only way I could prove it for sure is if I had a person that is sick with the virus that is dying but not dead," answered Yuko. "I know that sounds horrible and there is..."

"Consider it done," Taki interrupted. "We have patients who are infected in a containment room below the main facility. I figured we were going to need one alive sooner or later."

Tensai was shocked from what he had just learned. They actually kept sick people in the facility.

The next day, back in the pod. Yuko and Tensai awaited. A new specimen came into the pod, this time was one that was still alive, but sick with the infection and dying. Yuko, with Tensai's help, hooked up the patient to monitors and waited.

After a few days passed observing, Tensai began to get mean and hostile toward Yuko and she was decided she was going to complain and ask for a new Tech once her research here was over.

She looked up at the patient who slipped off into a coma and then pass away, she watched the monitors as the patient's brain function stopped. While Yuko was watching the monitor, Tensai strapped down the arms and muzzled the mouth of the dead patient in the even if they do come back to life, it cannot attack anyone.

Yuko noticed that brain activity was beginning to happen again and sure enough, the patient awakened again as a flesh-eating monster. Yuko then tried another experiment, how to stop them altogether and took a kunai and stabbed the patient in the heart but it still lived and then in the head. Yuko looked at the monitor again and sure enough all brain activity ceased.

Yuko didn't say anything to Tensai and hit the button to call Taki. Twenty minutes passed and Taki finally came to her pod.

"I assume you discovered something useful, Yuko-san?" asked Taki

"I was right, the virus does reactivate the brain after death. However, how long it takes depends. It could be minutes or even days," answered Yuko. "I also discovered how you can stop the living dead. You can only kill them with a deathblow to the brain."

"Excellent work Yuko-san," said Taki. "This exactly why I brought you here since you are the most brillant scientist here. I have one more thing I need you to study. The effects of this virus on a Shinobi."

"Sure I can do that Taki-sama," said Yuko. "However, I do have one request."

"And what's that?" asked Taki.

"I want a new tech," answered Yuko. "I don't know what has gotten into him but lately he's been cranky and verbally abusive toward me and I'm tired of it."

Taki sighed, "I knew this was going to happen again. I'm sorry to have given him another chance. He had been a problem employee that I thought I got through to but I guess not. I will switch your Techs immediately."

Tensai walked outside the pod just in time for Taki to motion for him to follow. Tensai glared at Yuko as he walked with Taki.

Yuko and her new Tech Hojo worked with their new specimen, a Shinobi who had died from the virus. Yuko had all the tools she needed and worked through the day, studying everything she could find. Studying the Shinobi's chakra network and the amount of virus in the specimen's body.

"I think I found something," said Yuko.

"Really?" Hojo asked, surprised. "I'm kind of surprised since this specimen is dead."

"And I'm sure Taki has a Shinobi that is alive still that I could study to make sure I'm right," said Yuko.

Yuko hit the button to call Taki and went into the decontamination room and was cleaned. She exited her research pod and waited for Taki to come. Taki came a few minutes later with a smirk on his face.

"Got some news for me?" asked Taki.

"I believe the virus changes a Shinobi's chakra network into something that can still keep them alive but hinder the molding to use in jutsu," Yuko stated. "But of course in the end it doesn't matter because they'll just die from the virus in the end anyway."

"It's still a breakthrough," said Taki. "I'm assuming you need an alive Shinobi to see if your hypothesis is correct?"

"Yes," answered Yuko.

"You'll have your patient first thing in the morning," said Taki. "Go ahead and clean up and take the rest of the day off, you deserve it."

Hojo watched as Yuko continued to work. The dying Shinobi she was working on was sedated so they didn't have to feel any more pain than they already had with Yuko poking and prodding.

Yuko worked until lunch; she didn't want to take her lunch break, but she knew she had to. She left the pod to the cafeteria where she spent her hour. Upon return, she continued right where she left off.

Towards the end of the day, her patient died on the table. She watched the monitor and about fifteen minutes later, her patient reanimated to a flesh-eating monster. Yuko was quite surprised with what she had just witnessed. For whatever reason, Yuko had a new hypothesis and took a tube of her blood. Yuko asked Hojo for a sample of his blood and he agreed.

After collecting both blood samples, she tested it. Yuko's eyes widned at the information in front of her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing in the results.

By the end of her shift, she collected all the information that she needed.

"I take it your happy with your results?" asked Hojo.

"Yes, I've learned a lot today," replied Yuko.

Yuko and Hojo entered the decontamination chamber where they disgarded their worn lab suits and were cleaned. Yuko and Hojo leave the pod and are surprised to see Taki waiting.

"Taki-sama," Yuko started. "I'm suprised to see you here this late."

"Of course, I wanted to see if you found anything out today," Taki said.

"The virus does indeed attack the chakra network and changes it. It remains a lifeforce that keeps you alive but you can no longer mold it and perform jutsu with it," stated Yuko.

"Fascinating," Taki said. "I knew bringing you in would help us understand this thing faster and hopefully we can figure out a cure now."

"There is more," cut in Yuko. "When the virus first infects a Shinobi, their senses and reflexes get immediately weaker. It explains how the undead have managed to cause such a collaspe in our society."

"How did you figure that out with a dying patient?" asked Taki.

"It was me," answered Hojo. "I requested a newly infected patient because she..."

"That's quite alright Hojo," interrupted Taki. "I'm just glad we have some knowledge on how this virus works. Now tomorrow we begin researching for a cure."

"There is more," interrupted Yuko. "My sick patient died on the table so I learned something more. The virus reanimates Shinobi differently than regular civilians. The new lifeforce that chakra changes into is also responsible for kickstarting a Shinobi's brain after death."

"So in short, the virus itself kickstarts a regular civilains brain while in a Shinobi, the charka that is changed into some unmoldable lifeforce kickstarts a Shinobi brain?" asked Taki.

"Yes," replies Yuko. "I also tested mine and Hojo's blood and I found that even though we don't show any signs of sickness, we are infected with the virus so I believe if we die in any capacity, we will turn ourselves."

"What?!" shouted Taki. "Are you saying everyone's infected no matter?"

Yuko nodded.

"Great work Yuko, you and Hojo may take the rest of the day off," stated Taki.

Yuko laid down in her bed, exhausted from her work. She had just gotten out of the shower and dressed in her pajamas. She slowly doses off only to be woken by a loud alarm. This wasn't like the alarm that woke her up to begin her day. This alarm was if the facility was in panic mode. Yuko opened her room door and found Hojo running toward the research area.

"Hojo, what's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing to worry about, just some outside undead have made it to the outside fencing. Techs and other people have to go out and dispose of them," answered Hojo. "Since you're the scientist, just go back to your room and keep it locked. Once the threat is eliminated the alarms will turn off."

Yuko returned to her room and locked her door. The alarms went on and off for about another twenty minutes before they stopped altogether. Yuko breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the threat had been taken care of.

Suddenly, an even scarier alarm went off. The lights in her room turned red. A computerized voice came over the intercom staring they were in stage 2 emergancy lock down. Suddenly she received a video call on her computer in the room. It was Taki.

"What's going on?" asked Yuko.

"Unfortunately, the outside fencing collapsed due to a large amount of undead," Taki answered. "However, don't fear, they won't be able to get inside."

"What do you need me to do?" asked Yuko.

"Just stay inside your room," Taki answered. "All the Techs and lower personnel are handling the disposing of the undead. We should have regain control soon."

That was the last time Yuko would hear from Taki. As she waited, locked in her room under red lighting and the awful siren alarm.

It felt like eternity then she heard loud banging on her door. She didn't know if she should open it and she didn't first until she heard a familiar voice on the other side she hadn't heard in a while.

"Yuko, it's me Tensai. I know you hate me but we need to get out of here!" he yelled.

Yuko opened the door, "Why do we need to leave? Taki said for us to stay locked inside our rooms."

"We got to go now, they've managed to get inside," Tensai explained.

Yuko followed Tensai through the research facility. Sure enough, she could see the giant horde of undead coming through the front enterance. Tensai took Yuko to a secluded secreat enterance and they left the building.

They began climbing down the side of the mountain face where front of the facilty could be seen only. It felt like forever before the reached the ground and took off running toward the outer fencing.

They reached the fencing and sure enough it had collapsed all around. Before leaving, Yuko noticed that the fencing was cut at a point where it was collapsed. Some one might of done this on purpose but she was broken out of her thoughts by Tensai.

"Come on we got to go!" yelled Tensai, "There is some undead right behind you!"

Yuko turned to see a few of the undead walking toward them and she took off with Tensai heading off to somewhere unknown, hoping to survive.

Back in Konoha Prison

"And of course, then we ended up here," Yuko finished.

"So let me get this straight, our chakra network is changing and eventually we won't be able to use our ninjutsu ever again?" asked Tenten.

"I'm afraid so," answered Yuko. "We were going to start looking for a cure for regular civilians and a way to reverse the effects on Shinobi the next day, but of course that never happened because of the collapse."

"One thing you said during your story makes sense regarding one of our recently deceased comrads," Shikamaru stated. "How this virus immediately weakened our senses and reflexes, it explains how Kiba managed to get bit, because he was the king of great senses and reflexes."

"It's the reason a lot of Shinobi have become overwhelmed by the undead and once they figure out they can't use their jutsu anymore, it's really going to cause more damage," Yuko added.

"Even if we don't use our chakra at all, it's still going to change and we still won't be able to use jutsu anymore?" asked Naruto.

"It will slow the process down but ultimately yeah you would," answered Yuko.

"So I guess we should all agree to stick with our kunai and other weaponary to kill Walkers," stated Sasuke.

Everyone in the prison agreed to the terms to not use their chakra and justu for any reason. Even know they knew they eventually won't be able to anymore in the future, they didn't want to speed up the process if they didn't have to.

"You did say the outer fencing was cut, correct?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah," said Yuko. "I suspect Tensai did it because he was bitter about being thrown out of the facility. Although I don't know why he snuck back in and got me out and left everyone else to die."

Suddenly they heard a knock on their gate. Tenten and Choji went to check it out. Tenten saw it was Lee, returning from the Northeastern Outpost, however, there was someone with him that surprised them.

"It's Lee!" shouted Choji, "He also brought a guest!"

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and both mouthed 'A guest?' and then looked back. Naruto nodded for them to let Lee and his guest into the prison. Sasuke whispered to Naruto that he was going to check on Tensai's whereabouts and he'd be back later. Naruto nodded and Sasuke disappeared.

Shino and Hinata were surprised by Lee's guest as well. Never in a million years thought they'd ever see this person again.

"You guys all look like you've seen a ghost," said the girl with short pink hair, her Konoha head band tied up in her hair. She was wearing a tan cloak.

"See Sakura-chan, I told you it was their hideout," Lee stated.

"Okay, okay, I believe you now," Sakura said. "So who is in charge here?"

Shino and Hinata, blocking Sakura's view of Naruto, who was behind them with Yuko and moved out of the way. Sakura's eyes widened when she saw him. Naruto's eyes couldn't believe who he was seeing.

"S-Sakura-chan," he said.