Carly's POV

Carly and Doug witnessed a little slaughter—well, not a slaughter per se, just more like Travis getting his leg sliced off right in front of Ben. Carly feared for Ben's safety as well as Travis's. She quickly came out of hiding and fired a few warning shots near the crazy man's feet. The crazy man, at least intelligent enough, ran towards a nearby tree to get cover. However, he wasn't that smart because he didn't bring his weapon with him. He was pretty much unarmed. Before Carly could go and help Travis, Doug went over, having the same idea but acting faster. He quickly got down towards Travis, seeing how badly his leg was bleeding profusely. Doug didn't waste time. He quickly unzipped his coat and ripped off half of the sleeve to use it as a makeshift tourniquet to ensure no more blood leaked out of his injury.

"Oh my God, Travis," Ben said, touching his friend's face with concern. "Do you... do you think you'll be okay?" Ben stuttered out, unable to believe that his friend was in this condition.

Carly didn't catch the entirety of what he said next because she heard a gunshot right next to her tree. This made her focus on the guy she had pinned down. At first, she thought he didn't have a weapon, but she was wrong; he had a shotgun. It must have been Travis's. Carly then realized that the guy was smart. She tried to get around the tree he was behind, but he moved towards another tree. She also noticed Ben was running in the opposite direction of Doug, who was carrying Travis. Ben was carrying an ax, and she remembered it was Lee's ax. She didn't know why they went in different directions, but Carly didn't question it. She trusted her boyfriend; he knew what he was doing. At this point, Travis and Ben had helped them get to this point. Hell, she'd bet on Ben and what he'd do in the future; she'd trust him for now. Her bets were in. That's why she'd hold them off. One thing she knew for sure: only one would come out of here alive.

Randy's POV

Randy ducked down and narrowly avoided getting shot in the head. It had been a few hours since the shootout had happened, and Randy found himself pondering how he got to this point. Why was he engaged in a firefight outside a dairy with an evil vampire person? How did it come to this?

Randy couldn't recall the exact beginning of it all, but one thing was certain – he was terrified. Not just for himself, but for his wife and their unborn child. He felt a deep commitment to protect them at any cost. Reflecting on the situation, he realized that this entire conflict seemed utterly meaningless. Randy had never resorted to consuming human flesh; being a farmer before all this, he was able to grow vegetables and produce to sustain himself. However, that choice had led him to a dairy, where all his friends were dying one by one. It made him question the decisions he had made and the path he had taken.

"Supernatural monsters, amusement, f*** That, man, we're done. This is not worth it anymore, everyone! We're falling back! Fall back, everyone!" Randy ordered. A tall Hispanic man got up and confronted Randy.

"What are you talking about, Randy? Those guys killed my brother. They deserve to pay," he yelled, filled with anger and grief.

Randy felt sympathy for the man, but he knew that killing someone was not the answer. "Shut it, Randall! We're done. Unless you want to take the road, whoever wants to stay can stay. I'm just offering for us to leave, okay? This is all your choosing. So, do you want to get home to all of your family members left worrying if their loved ones are ever going to come back? What's left for us for now will come back, get our dead, and give them a proper burial. Alright? I promise you all this!" Randy yelled, emphasizing his promise by placing his fists near his heart.

This seemed to get through to everyone, and they started running through the forest. Randy sighed, looking over and seeing a figure in the distance aiming his gun. Randy didn't blame him; he would honestly be happy if he died here. However, fate had other plans for him. The man lowered the gun and quickly ran away. Randy didn't care; he just needed to get back, get back to camp, get back to his wife, and hopefully put this bad situation behind him.

"I swear, if Jackson ever shows his face here again, oh, he won't make it out alive. I can promise that," Randy said to himself, ready to confront Jackson at any moment if he ever returned to the Bandit camp. He didn't even know why they were called bandits in the first place; they were just people who were angry and hungry but were just people. Randy knew for sure they would either have good plans for him or very cruel plans for him. He just hoped that those plans would be just and fair.

Mark POV

Mark didn't know why he lowered the gun. He had one of the bandits at his mercy, maybe one of the top people in their operations even, but he just put down his gun and watched him run off through the forest. Was it sympathy, pity, or regret? He didn't know which one it was, but there was one thing he did know for sure—he felt them all in waves. Ever since the reveal of Jackson, he could only feel guilty that his friend or so-called friend had played him for giggles and laughs. All the fun times they had were just to get what he wanted, and Mark felt angry. He would have torn Jackson apart if he knew where he was, but he knew he had more pressing matters to deal with. His regret, as well as anger, could wait.

He quickly ran towards Lily, who was running right towards him as well. Both met in the middle of the field near the gate of the dairy.

"I think they ran off," Lily said, relieved.

"It's not over just yet," Mark said, turning towards the fight between Lee and Andy, which was almost ending, at least that's what Mark could tell. And it was in Lee's favor.

Then he heard another voice, and Lily knew that voice too well—it was Larry. He was withh Katjaa and Clementine. When he got closer, Mark saw that Larry was carrying Kenny in his arms. Mark was surprised; he thought Larry would be out for weeks, maybe in a coma. To be up like this must be a miracle and also made Mark shuffle, knowing that Kenny was being helped by the man that he tried to kill. That would probably become his entire argument back at the Motor Inn. Once they got out of this situation, but that's future stuff. He'll let future him deal with that and the next struggles to come.

"Are you okay, pumpkin?" Larry said to his daughter, concerned for her well-being. Lily just hugged him.

"I thought I would lose you," Lily said, crying on his shoulder. This was the first time Mark at least ever saw Lily cry, actually ball her eyes out, which he didn't blame her for. He would be balling his eyes out if his mother almost died, which sadly for him, wasn't the case. That made Mark sad for a moment, but he focused on the daughter and father reunion moment.

"Pumpkin, you almost did lose me. But you know I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. They didn't call me Larry stubborn for nothing," Larry said, chuckling to himself. Mark then felt a tug on his pant leg. He looked over towards the little girl, Clementine. She looked worried and was looking towards Lee and Andy.

"Don't worry, Clementine. Lee will make it out of this, and he has nothing on him," Mark reassured Clementine, which worked for now. She smiled.

"And I hope Naruto makes it back too. They'll both make it back. Do you want to know why?" Clementine asked. This made Mark curious.

"Why do you think they'll come back safe and sound, Mark?" the little girl asked. He had faith that they would return, but he decided to humor the little girl.

"Come closer, Mark," she said, and he kneeled to her level, holding out his ear. She whispered, "Because they're both lucky." This made Mark smile.

"You're right, Clem. They are lucky. They'll make it through this. We all will," he said with confidence. He lifted his rifle in the air and ordered, "Nobody assist Lee. I think he has this in the bag, and he needs to show how to not mess with us because I see him as our leader. Do you all think Lee is our leader? Say hi!" Mark yelled, and nobody hesitated to say hi. Larry said the loudest. It was interesting for Mark.

Mark Daniels saw Ben running towards Andy and Lee. Mark didn't know what Ben would do, but he decided to let him do it.

Doug's POV

Doug kept running, no matter how tired he got; he just kept running because if he slowed down for even a second, he knew a friend would be lost. He didn't know how long he had been running, but the only thing he did know was to keep running until he found some medicine or someone to help. This was all that was going through his mind at the moment. Doug noticed some headlights, and since it looked like they were stationary like they were parked in the forest, he put all of his efforts and will into this last dash. He saw it was a station wagon, and luckily, there were some people inside.

He collapsed to the ground, making sure that he fell first before Travis did. To him, he was just barely breathing; he was barely alive at this point.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" a man said, aiming a gun at the two of them. Doug didn't even care if he would die here; he just wanted his friend to be safe.

"Don't care about me. This dude is the real person who needs help. I'll be fine. Just please help him. I'll give you anything, and I mean anything," Doug pleaded.

The man playing with the gun was shocked. He lowered the gun, and a woman, probably his wife, went over to see how bad Travis's wounds were.

"Sam, go with Elizabeth. I don't want her to see what I have to do," the woman said, telling her husband to quickly lead their daughter somewhere else.

Sam went towards the compartment, and Doug couldn't really hear what they were saying, but they quickly went towards the forest. When that happened, Doug was able to catch his breath, and he helped the woman get Travis to the back of the station wagon.

Doug saw a lot of food and supplies, but he didn't care about any of that. He quickly dropped them to the ground, leaving some space so the woman could place Travis in it.

"Tell me, what's the status? He was bleeding pretty bad. Luckily, I think we got here in time, so he's not dead. Not yet, at least. I was able to control the bleeding a little bit," Doug explained. The woman nodded.

"You guys are damn lucky. If you guys were any earlier, he would be dead. He may still be, as we speak. I need you. In one of the boxes, there's a rope. I want you to tie it around his leg tight enough to not let any blood escape but not too tight to constrict his leg and have his blood vessels explode," the woman instructed.

Doug explained, and Doug immediately started looking through the boxes. He quickly found a rope and tied it, making sure that it was tight enough to constrict the blood. He did that carefully, and then asked, "What else should I do?"

Jill replied, "Take that iron to the fire and let it heat up for a minute so I can cauterize his wound." Doug swiftly went towards the fire with the iron, and he dipped it into the fire. He didn't care if his hands were burning. A few minutes passed, and the iron was blazing hot. He quickly went towards Travis and Jill, who already had a first aid kit, bandages, and some antibiotics. She just needed the iron, which he gave her.

"Hold onto him. We're not sure how he'll react, so it will be good if you can restrain him in case he struggles," Jill instructed. Doug didn't want to do this, but he knew it was necessary. "I'm sorry, my friend. You're going to feel a little bit of pain, but it will be quick," Doug reassured the unconscious Travis. Jill quickly cauterized his wound, and as feared, he struggled and yelled. Doug was able to hold him down, and Jill was able to cauterize his wound. After that, she put some antibiotics on it and bandaged it up.

That's when Sam came with his daughter. "Thank you. I thought we would lose him," Doug said, grateful to Jill for helping.

She smiled, but her eyes had a tint of grief in them, which concerned Doug a little bit. However, he didn't press for more information, respecting her privacy. "So, what's your name? I never got your name because, you know, the situation didn't call for it," Doug said, curious.

"My name is Jill, and that man over there that almost killed you, his name is Sam. And that's my little girl he's holding, her name is Elizabeth," she replied. She was about to say another name but stopped herself.

"Why are you guys out here? You have plenty of food to make it on the road for months. It seems like I'm seeing all the boxes of food. Water, his group was really loving this stuff. But Doug wasn't going to steal from these people, not after they helped them. He's hungry, but he's not going to be that evil," Doug questioned.

Jill frowned, saying, "I don't really want to talk about it." She dismissed Doug, who decided not to pry more. It was her business, and she should keep it that way.

"So, when do you think he'll be up?" Doug asked, trying to return to his group and change the subject.

She sighed, "Well, he's not going to get up anytime soon. He'll probably wake up tomorrow."

"And that's the most likely scenario," Doug said. "Sorry, Charlie, I'll have to stay here for a while. You might think I'm dead, but I'm not. I will come back, just one day. So, can I stay here? I'll sleep outside if you guys want me to," Doug offered, understanding how awkward the situation might be for them.

"No, I feel really bad for pulling a gun at you. We still have room for you and your friend, and it's raining too. We don't want you to catch a cold," the man said, smiling. That warmed Doug's heart, which had been very lacking these days.

They heard a boom without warning, and it wasn't close to them. It was like a distant boom, akin to a sonic boom but even louder. It made everyone jump. Doug didn't know what that was, but he had a feeling that Naruto had something to do with it. That was the only logical explanation. He just hoped everything would be all right.

Emily's POV

Emily was trying to find Naruto to help him, but she couldn't seem to find him. She saw the craters, but she didn't see Jackson or Naruto. She looked up and saw Jackson sucking Naruto's blood. To Emily's credit, she kept her cool. She knew she had to do something quickly. She grabbed her screwdriver and threw it toward Jackson, hoping to create a distraction so that Jackson would release Naruto. It worked; the screwdriver went through Jackson's neck, making him drop Naruto. Unfortunately, Naruto crashed hard towards the ground.

Emily tried to catch him, but she fell short and went into the crater that he fell in. Naruto now looked very exhausted. To Emily, she didn't know why he was still standing. If she took a hit like that or a fall, she would be knocked out.

"How are you even still standing?" Emily said, amazed.

Naruto just smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. "Because I never give up," Naruto said. His smile was infectious, and it made her smile too.

That's when Jackson landed just a few feet from them. He pulled out the screwdriver and threw it straight at Naruto, who quickly got out of the way. Emily decided to move towards a safe distance; she didn't want to get in Naruto's way.

Naruto POV

Naruto was frustrated because he couldn't figure out a way to get by Jackson's newfound speed. Every time he transformed into his bat form, he was ten times faster than he was originally. He might have to use Doxie's chakra to level the playing field. That's when Gamakichi jumped onto Naruto's head.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Gamakichi asked, concerned.

"I'm alright for now. We shouldn't worry about my well-being until we finally take down this dude, which I need you to make an extraction so I can channel my chakra one last time. I think I can defeat him with one last shot, and I'll be using everything for this, so I need to catch him off guard," Naruto explained.

Gamakichi was happy to help. He immediately spewed smoke everywhere, and Jackson and Emily were blinded. They couldn't see through the thick smoke.

"Damn this smoke! Where are you, kid? Are you going to run with your girl? You know I'll find you, and then I'll make sure every single member of that little group you have there will all perish by my hand. I'll make sure it will be the most painful and suffering you guys ever will feel!" Jackson yelled sadistically.

When the smoke cleared, Jackson couldn't see Naruto anywhere. He tried to use his senses to locate him, but Naruto was undetectable. Then, he heard a swishing sound, turned around, and saw Naruto cloaked in a reddish hue of power.

Naruto knew he had to channel everything he had into this one Rasengan. He didn't care if he had to use up all the chakra in his body; he was willing to sacrifice everything to defeat Jackson. With all his chakra and as much chakra as Doxie could give him without exploding his entire body, his Rasengan was as big as a motorbike. Despite feeling like all his energy was gone and being chakra-exhausted, he forced himself to move.

When Naruto and Jackson collided in the middle, nothing happened for a moment. Then, a huge sonic boom echoed to the people at the farm. It was a deafening sound, followed by a powerful shockwave.

pushed everything back, but the two people engaged in the power struggle tried to push Jackson back. However, Jackson's fist and power were too great, and Naruto was quickly losing ground against him. Despite his odds, Naruto smiled, thinking that at least he had tried everything.

"Lee, Clementine, Carly, Doug, Kenny, Lily, Mr. Larry, Mark, Emily, even Ben and Travis...," Naruto thought, unsure if Sasuke was alive. Unexpectedly, Emily jumped behind Jackson, punching him in the head and disrupting his concentration. This gave Naruto the perfect opportunity for one final push with a primal roar. A surge of energy, fueled by his unknown left eye glowing with a fiery yellow-orange hue, amplified the Rasengan, covering Jackson and launching him away.

The explosion could be seen in the distance. Naruto fell to the ground, everything went dark, and he saw a bright light. Reaching for it, he found Emily's face when he opened his eyes. She was ecstatic that Naruto was alive, calling him a stupid idiot. Naruto managed a weak smile, severely chakra-exhausted but alive. Trying to get up, he stood on shaky legs, and Emily hoisted him on her shoulder.

As they made their way back to the dairy, Carly, looking banged up and concerned, emerged from the bushes. Naruto and Emily were relieved to find it was Carly. Naruto reassured her that he would be fine, and Carly, without hesitation, carried Naruto's bridal style to make it easier on Emily.

Meeting up with Mark and the others, they found Lee, Lily, Kenny, Katjaa, Clementine, Duck, and Ben, but Travis and Doug were missing. Naruto, worried about Travis, hoped that if Ben was here, Travis might be too. Naruto didn't want to entertain the thought of Travis being gone.

Being dead, it looked like Naruto arrived at the right time because Lee was finishing up his conflict with Andy.

Lee POV

Andy and Lee stared at each other. Lee was wondering if Andy was going to make the first move, or if he should take the initiative. Lee wouldn't lie; he was exhausted. His face hurt, his back flared in pain, and his jaw felt as if he had cracked some teeth, though he wasn't quite sure. Andy, from what Lee could tell, was in a similar state. They both needed something to tilt the fight in their favor—anything.

That's when they heard a voice. "Lee, take this!" Ben yelled, throwing a large object in Lee's direction. It took a moment for Lee to realize it was his axe, the one they had taken from the motel when he tried to help a woman. Bad memories were irrelevant now. Lee grabbed the axe with one hand, prompting Andy to rush him. It seemed like a foolish move, but Lee decisively swung the axe into Andy's knee, causing him to buckle to his knees. Lee then brought the axe down on Andy's left and right shoulders, rendering his arms useless. A kick to the middle of the chest made Andy gasp in pain.

Lee pulled the axe back, ready to strike again. All the anger he felt surged through him. He didn't care if he would survive; he just wanted Andy to die. However, at that moment, Lee realized that endless slaughter would only lead to more slaughter. The axe was inches away from splitting Andy's head open, but Lee stopped himself. He pulled back, observing Andy's sorry state. Surprisingly, Andy managed to get up.

"Is that all you got, Lee? You ain't s***," Andy said, looking like the most miserable man on the planet. Lee felt an unexpected surge of sympathy for him. It was over for Lee, he yelled, wanting this day to end not just for himself but for his group.

"F*** you. As soon as Dan and Mama get here, you're all f*****," Andy chuckled, getting up on his feet. Lee wanted to say they were both dead, what he wanted, but he just turned his head to the side. "They're not coming," he said, sadness in his voice. He hated Andy, but even he didn't want the man to lose everything. In a way, Andy was like himself, but in a far more messed up situation.

"What do you mean?" Andy shakily asked. Lee said nothing, allowing Andy to figure it out for himself. Lee looked towards Emily, who must have given him the hint that saved them all. When Emily looked at Andy, she gave him a glare of absolute disgust, a moment of disownment. Andy probably realized that both his brother and his mother were dead, and dropped down to his knees, absolutely broken.

Lee felt bad for the man, but he knew what Andy had gotten himself into. At least, that's what Lee assumed. When Lee was about to walk away, he heard Andy say, "Don't you walk away from me, Lee. I'm not done with you!"

This shocked him. It was pitiful; this man had lost everything but still would not give up. It would be a good quality if it didn't come from such an awful person, Lee thought to himself. After a pause, Lee kept walking, not wanting to give Andy the satisfaction.

"Come back here and finish this, Lee!" Andy shouted. This made Lee stop for a moment, deciding if he should end Andy, not out of hatred but pity. With a sigh, he decided to let Andy suffer, let him keep living because he deserved worse than death. He deserved to live with his regrets. Maybe, and this was the smarter part of Lee's mind, he could be redeemed someday. Lee believed in redemption, and if there's anything he learned from Naruto, it's that everyone can be redeemed, even the most heinous people. This was his journey—a journey of redemption from killing the senator. That's what Lee thought to himself as he walked away.

Walking towards the group, he simply said, "Let's go, guys," and walked through the gates of the dairy, where everyone left with their newfound leader.

Naruto's POV

Naruto felt surprisingly well after the fight with Jackson. He thought he would have been much more sore, but no, he felt pretty good. He had some fractured ribs, but other than that, he was completely fine. He had mostly regained all of his strength back; it would take a few more hours, but he would recover fully eventually. His main concern, however, was Emily. Since they left the dairy, she had been very sad, and Naruto didn't like seeing any of his friends upset. However, he felt like this wasn't the time to cheer her up. He knew better than anyone that she needed some alone time. So, he decided to check up on the other people in the group.

The group, in his opinion, was not as well-off as they were originally, but it could have been worse. Some of them could have died, but it looked like most were injured, and that was the worst of it. Naruto then heard Carly talking to Lee.

"Hey, Lee, I should say I'm sorry for leaving the Motor Inn unattended. But you know," Carly said, worried about her boyfriend, "what exactly happened back at the Motor Inn?"

"It's a long story, but the short version is we got attacked by bandits. We were able to defend it pretty well. After the battle, I just had a feeling that you guys would need our help, so I, Doug, Travis, and Ben went to the farm, and then the events of the dairy happened," she trailed off at the end.

Lee gave her a simple nod. Naruto didn't know how to feel about the Motor Inn being attacked. If the Motor Inn could be attacked so easily, then who knows, maybe it has already been taken by now. Naruto thought, worried about the worst-case scenario.

"I'm glad you guys showed up when you did. If you guys didn't, I don't know if we would ever have gotten out of that meat locker, not in one piece, that is," Lee said, grateful. Naruto looked over towards Emily, who was still glum and didn't talk to anyone, which was fine for now.

"Were they killing people for food?

Carly emphasized, "She made sure," with a disgusted expression on her face. Lee simply said, "That's sick, God," focusing on Clementine. Carly asked, concerned, "She doesn't know, right?" Lee just gave her a sad expression.

"She's not with us, Carly," Lee said, making Naruto feel sick to his stomach. During the battle with Jackson, Naruto was focused on defeating him. Now, he processed everything that happened, and he was disgusted by the idea of people resorting to cannibalism. Was that the answer so soon? Naruto didn't know. He thought about the question he said to Lee—what will any of them do if Lee, Kenny, and Lily are all gone? Who will take the torch? Would it be himself, or the other kids? Naruto believed it had to be one of them. He smiled to himself, thinking that whatever challenges came next, they would be okay.

"Katjaa managed to grab this when she was in the house. She said it was with your stuff," Carly said, going to her pockets and handing Lee a tape recorder. Lee found it in Jolene's camp area, and surprisingly, he didn't think he would see this thing again. He took it, curious about what was on it. Naruto thought maybe Carly could do more with it than he would ever do, or maybe Doug could turn it into a little gizmo or something.

"How about you keep it? It's good for a person to document findings or their thoughts," Carly suggested. Lee took the recorder and put it in his pocket, then looked over towards Kenny, who seemed to have a lot on his mind. A few minutes ago, Kenny was talking with Larry. Naruto watched the entire thing play out, following Lee as he walked towards Kenny.

"Are you all right, Ken?" Katjaa asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine. I'm not as young as I used to be," Kenny replied, looking at Duck. As he said that, Lee and Kenny locked eyes, engaging in a silent conversation with just their eyes, a total understanding.

"Hun, go on ahead. Me and Lee need a second," Kenny said, and Katjaa nodded. She and Duck went up ahead, leaving Lee and Kenny alone.

"I talked to Larry and told him what I tried to do," Kenny said, with shock and disbelief evident on his face, but it seemed like Lee didn't know why he was so shocked.

shock and disbelief, neither was Naruto. Naruto then noticed Larry was paying attention to this conversation. It looked like he couldn't hear most of it, but he heard enough. He didn't seem mad; he seemed content with himself as if he had a huge revelation.

"I bet he got angry with you," Lee guessed, but Kenny shook his head, denying Lee's claim.

"No, man. He actually gave me a pat on the back and said that was what he would have done in that specific situation. He doesn't blame me at all," Kenny said, surprising Lee. "That's what shocked me the most, and it made me feel even more guilty for trying to kill him," Kenny added, regretting his actions. Lee, who had shot Larry as well, seemed to feel the weight of Larry's words when they were in the meat locker. Maybe they could make some headway here, Lee thought optimistically.

"I'm sorry, man," that was the only thing Lee could say. Kenny walked away without saying a word, but then he stopped for a moment.

"You know, I wanted to leave with my family. That's why I've been getting that RV working. I do believe we need to leave. But now, whatever happened today, I think it would be better if we all went together. We should stick together, you know? We may have our own disagreements, but it's better if we have numbers," Kenny said before rejoining his family. Naruto understood that Kenny mainly started thinking about something.

Lee went over toward Mark to talk with him. Mark was lost in thought. Lee decided to touch his shoulder to get his attention, and Mark jolted in surprise.

"What's up, Lee?" Mark said.

Lee smiled as a friend. "How are you holding up, man? You know, about your friend. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just want to know how you're holding up," Lee said sympathetically.

"I just didn't think Jackson would be like that. We had so many good times. He was like a role model for me, everything I wanted to be. But now, after today, he's everything that I don't want to be. Now, I just feel like a fool, you know? Not just about Jackson, but believing that St. John's was a good place to stay. You are right, man. The St. John's were hiding something, hiding something dark. I just couldn't see it. And I just wondered, could I have died during that Dairy situation? They could have been where my story ended, couldn't it?" Mark shared.

Lee thought through a moment and said, "I don't know what could have happened or what the alternative possibilities were, but I do know this happened for a reason. Us being alive has happened for a reason. Maybe it's for redemption, maybe it's for revenge, maybe it's for protection. We all don't know, but the thing is, we'll have to live with what we have done. Trust me, I know," Lee said.

Mark smiled just a little bit. "Thanks, Lee. That helped a lot," he said, and with that, Lee left. He went over towards Lily and Larry; he wanted to deal with the relationship now. He probably wouldn't have a better time than now.

"Hey, Larry," Larry was talking with his daughter, but then he got Larry's attention. From what Naruto could tell, Larry was

glaring at me, he was analyzing the manor, in a more awkward sense, since I wanted to talk about you and me. I feel like our relationship was a little strained, and I feel like you know who I am. I don't care if you know who I am, but I need you to see that it isn't all I am. You have seen that firsthand multiple times, so please, can we work with our differences, and maybe we can become not enemies but maybe friends someday?" Lee explained his point of view on the relationship.

Larry sighed. "Lee, you weren't really the source of my anger. I was just angry at the world and at myself. I just needed something to blame, you know, for all the messed-up things that happened in my life. More things than you could ever know. It changes a man. But I can see after you married that senator, I thought this dude must be a killer, only going for himself, and he'll leave everyone when things get tough. But now I can see you are not that person, and I am sorry for whatever discretions I have done to you. When I punched you at the drugstore, I thought that was a good way to get rid of you. But when you came back, I felt even more angry. And I want to say I'm sorry for that punch. You're in a drugstore. You didn't deserve it. I see that now," Larry said. Naruto and Lee were shocked.

That's when Larry held up his hand. "Let's start over. I would like to try this friendship thing with you. If it goes badly, then it goes badly. But if it goes well, then I guess both of us will benefit," Larry said.

Lee smiled, shaking Larry's hand. "I would love nothing more, Larry. I'm glad we can work out our differences, but it will be tough."

"I don't think this one conversation will undo all of the bad things both of us have done to each other, but this is a right step in the right direction," Lee said confidently. Naruto smiled, knowing everyone was starting to understand each other. Going through such a hard experience made people start understanding each other because they shared the same pain. Naruto realized that causing pain intentionally was not the right way to make people understand each other. However, this was a good step in the right direction for the group working together because if they didn't work together, what was the point of even living at that point, Naruto thought to himself.

Naruto noticed Ben and walked towards the teenager, looking worried. In his eyes, both Ben and Travis were just scared kids, but he was proud of what they had done today. Carly mentioned that Travis and Ben helped them escape, which earned even more respect from Naruto for the two teenagers.

"What are you thinking about, Ben?" Naruto asked. Ben looked at him, thinking about Travis, and said, "I'm so worried about him. He got his leg chopped off because of me."

Naruto didn't know what to say, but he had to say something to cheer up his friend. "Well, Ben, don't worry. We'll find Travis and Doug. They're alive, I know it. I just have a feeling," Naruto said, staying optimistic as always. Ben smiled a little bit, feeling a bit happier.

Naruto then heard Clementine asking Lee, "Did those people have to die?" Clementine asked instantly. Lee didn't know how to answer Clementine's question. Sure, the St. Johns made them eat human meat, but they thought that was the only way to survive. It was pretty messed up, but Lee had to keep everyone's humanity intact. That was his job, or at least what he thought his job was.

"They did have to die. I'm not sure about Andy; he may still be alive, but he's probably dead," Lee said. He looked over towards Emily, who was a part of the family but didn't agree with what they did. They were bad people, but not in the traditional sense. They had their reasons for what they did, just like we do, Lee explained. Clementine seemed like she didn't understand what he was talking about.

"When you're older, you'll understand what I mean by that," Lee said. Naruto then heard Duck saying, "Hey, Dad, what's that noise?" Duck asked curiously. "Of a car, I think that's what they're called," Naruto answered, trying to understand what a vehicle was.

"You think it was that thing that the bandits carried me and Emily in, so they must be no good, at least from his perspective," Kenny said. Cupping his ear so he could hear the sound of the car better, Kenny added, "It sounds like a car."

"Do you guys think it could be Travis and Doug?" Ben asked with some hope in his voice. Naruto didn't know what this could mean for the group, but one thing he knew for sure: the group, after today, after everything with the St. Johns, could handle anything. That's a fact that Naruto had learned over his time with them.

Lee POV

Lee, Mark, and Kenny were in the front, and Lee instructed everyone to keep themselves hidden but maintain a good view of the vehicle. The entire group surrounded the station wagon, though they were pretty stretched thin. Lee, Kenny, and Mark exchanged hand gestures to position Kenny and Mark at the left and right doors, respectively. Lee went to check what was in the back and saw Travis, but then a gun was pointed at his head.

"Don't move," Lee heard a familiar voice. "I know I don't want any trouble. I'm just wondering if this car was abandoned. It can play as hell it doesn't. Sorry for disturbing you folks," Lee answered. When he turned to see who his opponent was, it was Doug.

Sally smiled and gave Lee a big hug. "Holy crap, is that you Doug?" Mark asked, happy to see Doug.

"Doug, who are these people?" Jill asked, concerned. In a situation where people came out of the woods unexpectedly, concern was a natural response, especially after the incident with the St. Johns.

"We don't mean any harm, which I know might not count for a lot because recently, we met some people who said they didn't mean any harm, and then it turned out they did mean us harm. So, we entirely understand your point of view here. We just wanted to find our people," Lee explained to reassure them.

As the tension eased, Doug and Lee heard Carly come out of the bushes and embrace Doug. "I thought you would be eaten by Walkers or killed, or even worse," Carly exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Carly. I'm okay. See, I'm in one piece. But I can't say the same for Travis, though," Doug answered, his voice carrying a sad tone. Ben came over, looking at Travis with a heartbroken expression. Lee shared in sadness; that this kid did not need any of this.

"He's all right. He'll live. I operated on him myself," Jill reassured, surprising Lee. "I was a well-class surgeon in my day," she added, clearly joking. Nobody in the group was trained to be a surgeon, let alone a world-class one.

"Night, as the world is now," Jill answered. "I know what you mean," Lee replied. The rest of the group came out, not threatening anymore. The new people seemed okay, especially after Doug and the patching up of Travis. As they caught up with Doug and explained the events, Doug was seriously shocked but relieved that they made it out alive.

Lee overheard murmuring from a few feet away. It was Jill and Sam whispering. Lee decided to eavesdrop, as they might need help, and it could go a long way if they had more people to scout out the area.

"Chill, why don't they help? It would really go a long way if we had more people to scope out the entire area. You know I can't do this by myself," Sam said, expressing her concern.

"Sam, we both know we can't trust these people as much as we can throw them," Jill responded, not wanting to entertain the idea.

"Jill, do you ever want to see Adam again?" Sam asked, frustrated.

"Of course, I do. What kind of question is that?" Jill yelled. They decided to intervene at this point, realizing that their son Adam was missing. It wouldn't feel right to leave these people without at least looking around for their son.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation, too, but I'm very concerned about your son. Trust me, I am. I have a girl that I'm protecting, but I truly understand your fears," Lee said, understanding their outlook on the situation. Sam smiled at that response.

"Look here, man. We're not going to lower our guards because you know what we're dealing with here," Jill said, going up to Lee and pointing a finger at his face. "I hear you, but I tell you we're not a threat. Trust us. We have seen messed up people. Just today, we almost got killed by some cannibals and something else way evil," Lee said, remembering Jackson and St. Johns. "Trust me, I truly want to help you guys. Most of my group might not want to help, but I truly do. Luckily for you, I am the leader, so my word is law. If I say we help, then we'll help. But I do need to talk with my group about it," Lee explained to reassure Jill, who didn't get mad this time. There was a ray of hope in her eyes.

"Give us a minute to come to an agreement," Lee said, going back to his group. Meanwhile, Wichita was checking on Travis, surprised at how well taken care of he was. She also met young Elizabeth, who smiled at having someone her age around. Lee noticed Emily and Naruto talking to each other.

"Everybody, I have an announcement to make," Lee said, grabbing everyone's attention. "I've talked to these people, and they're going through a struggle right now. I know we went through our own struggles, but I can't stand by and see these people suffering. The reason is they lost their son, and it wouldn't be right to just leave these people."

"And not even try to look for their son. We have the numbers, so you guys can leave for all of us. Believe me, I'm not forcing anyone. I'm just telling you guys my opinion on this matter. I would do it by myself if I wanted to, but if you guys disagree, then we'll head to the Motor Inn," Lee explained. There were many mixed opinions among the group. Lily and Larry wanted to go back to the Motor Inn because Larry needed to rest, but Lily wouldn't be against trying to find the missing boy. Mark agreed 100%, as did Carly, Clementine, Doug, and Ben. Kenny and his entire family, technically, were on Kenny's side. His decision would weigh heavily in this matter, and Lee always wanted to hear everyone's opinions.

It was a pretty mixed bag, and Lee didn't know if he should help these people or not. Eventually, Lee came to a decision. Whatever decision he makes, will come with its consequences down the road. Maybe the consequences will be less destructive for them, but they know they will get through the challenges that lie ahead.

A: Help the family

B: go back to the motor inn

author notes

Thank you to all the readers who made it this far. I give you a good pat on the back! There's one more chapter before I move on to episode 3, and I think we all know who that person is. Just to make sure we're all on the same page, I'm going to do Wyatt's story. However, I will take a break after Wyatt's chapter to improve as a writer and gather new ideas for this story and many others to come.

But don't worry, I won't leave you hanging. It's becoming November, and I'm thinking about writing a Valentine's Walking Shinobi-themed one-shot. Of course, you don't need to know this to understand the entire grand story I'm creating. If you like the characters and the relationships they've made, as well as the fun I'm planning, it won't be too serious—more of a slice-of-life kind of thing.

Thank you to all 20 people who favorited this fanfiction. Your support has been a great motivator, as well as the 17 followers. I appreciate all your support, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for this story. I've rambled long enough. Hopefully, I'll have your continued support as I create for you all. See you in the next fanfiction!