Special thanks to my friend, Beta Reader, and Soundboard, Midnight Lost.
A/N: My apologies for my long absence. For those who aren't aware, I had a very bad fall which resulted in my crushing my finger and breaking a part of my hand which required two surgeries and a lot of physical therapy. It took a long time, but I'm finally back in business! For any who are interested, please check out my Pa tre on page. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.
Chapter one: Pilot.
Somewhere on the streets, a young teenager could be seen walking along, whistling a jaunty tune to himself as he marched along the streets that were devoid of human life. He smirked as he swung his weapon, a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire, into the head of one of the undead, crushing the skull with ease as it fell limply to the ground.
It had been less than a day, and already society was on the brink of collapse if it hadn't already done so. Law and order were but empty and pretty words now. Government officials and leadership were undoubtedly fleeing the country to save their own skins if they hadn't already been eaten by the dead. The chain of command was collapsing, any police or military units that remained would be blind and deaf and unable to coordinate as communications also failed.
Civilians were already losing their minds due to fear and outrage in the panic. Just recently, the young man had already crossed through several hot spots where people were mindlessly rioting, unable to make sense of this new world.
The teenager in question was of possibly fifteen or sixteen years of age, but his eyes held a sense of maturity far beyond his years. He had spiky blonde hair and distinctive whisker markings… his name being Naruto Uzumaki. He was currently wearing a black leather jacket, jeans, and a set of military boots. The boots he had confiscated from a soldier who was too dead to care.
He had also looted some weapons as well as he carried a pair of duffle bags that were slung over his back that were loaded with an assortment of firearms, ammunition, and grenades. They were heavy as hell, but they were too valuable to leave behind. After all… the dead didn't concern the whiskered teen in the slightest. They were predictable. All the Biters wanted was to take a chunk out of a person to eat, and whatever was left would become a new Walker.
Humans? They are far more devious, cruel, and unpredictable. To be honest, the teen felt far safer around the dead than most humans. His ears perked up as he heard the sounds of a survivor, screaming bloody murder and firing a gun at some of the undead. Idiot. Might as well ring the dinner bell since the dead were attracted by sound.
There was but one rule left that still held true in this new age… Adapt or die. The smart people would adapt, overcome and survive. The not-so-smart ones would die off. Survival of the fittest. On another note, the Uzumaki knew that he would need to find other people, those that could be trusted and relied upon in order to survive. Not only was there safety in numbers, there was the more important fact that being around others and having a sense of camaraderie would be beneficial to one's mental health. After all… isolation and being cut off from others can do things to a person; he knew from personal experience.
He resumed his whistling as he continued on, the noise drawing more Walkers out of whatever corners that were hiding, which was actually a good thing. If he could see them, then he could avoid them. After all, it would be bad to round a corner only to bump directly into a lurker. Every so often, he would also drop a firecracker, the loud popping attracting the attention of the dead so that they would leave him alone, or he would allow the wild shooting of an idiotic survivor to distract them instead.
He hummed in thought as his stomach rumbled loudly, prompting him to reach into one of the duffle bags he was carrying and fish out a bag of jerky that he had on his person and then rip it open. "World's gone to hell in a handbasket, that's for sure." The whiskered teen mused as he popped a piece of jerky into his mouth as a female walker lumbered just a few steps behind him, moaning as it tried to reach for him with its outstretched arms.
He paid the walker no mind as he spoke casually "Yeah, you're right. Food is more important than weaponry. An army cannot march on an empty stomach. Would also be prudent to establish a base or something of the like to hunker down, maybe build a community." He spoke to the female Walker, as if it were a living person. Perhaps he did it because he felt lonely, or perhaps because he could think better when voicing his thoughts aloud?
"Hmmm. The countryside would probably be a safer bet. It wouldn't be as densely packed as a city, plus there's the matter of potentially growing food and raising cattle and poultry for meat. Gonna have to be in it for the long haul since it seems this whole thing isn't going to end any time soon." He murmured thoughtfully towards the female Walker as it continued to moan and follow behind him. If it were capable of speech, he imagined that it would have agreed with him. Any sensible being would have.
"I wonder how this whole thing started. Bio-weapon gone wrong? The wrath of the heavens? Or maybe this is just some random extinction event that cropped up without a legit rhyme or reason? Though I guess the 'how' it started doesn't really matter as much as the fact that it is happening." He mused as he popped another piece of jerky into his mouth with a sigh as he glanced at the Walker behind him.
"I wonder who you were when you were alive. Were you a good person? Did you have any family? Any kids? I bet you were beautiful." He spoke thoughtfully, as expected, the only response he received was the continued moans that the undead made. Shrugging to himself he then added "Nice talking to you." As he removed his bat from the crook of his arm and gave a lazy swing, crushing the female Walker's head to end its pitiable existence.
His ears then perked up as he heard the sounds of an engine approaching, making him turn and see a bus approaching. It looked like it belonged to a school, he couldn't see all of the passengers inside, but it looked like most of them were students. Sitting behind the steering wheel was a VERY buxom blonde as she steered the bus to come to a stop right next to the whiskered teen as he continued to casually snack on his jerky.
The bus doors opened as the blonde woman then spoke to him "Hey you! Don't you know how dangerous it is out there? You should ride with us!" Her voice was filled with concern, which made the Uzumaki smile a bit. It seemed like this lady was a kind hearted soul looking to give a helping hand with no ulterior motive.
Well, he wasn't about to turn down a free ride, especially if it gave him some respite from lugging around his equipment. "Much obliged for the lift. Naruto Uzumaki, at your service." He politely introduced himself as he stepped aboard the bus with his fellow blonde giving him a warm and welcoming smile in return.
"Shizuka Marikawa. Best take a seat. There could be more of them out there and it could be a bumpy ride." She advised him as she pulled a lever to shut the bus doors and then put her foot on the gas pedal to make the vehicle move forward. The whiskered teen unceremoniously dumped his twin duffle bags on an empty seat and casually leaned near one of the windows as he continued to snack on his jerky.
He glanced around, taking in the sight of the bus' occupants. As he had previously guessed, most everyone aboard were students. The only adults on board was their current driver, and a man wearing a pinstripe suit who was probably a teacher.
"Naruto, huh? Looks like you've had a few run-ins with them." Spoke a boy with spiky black hair, who was pointing towards the whiskered teen's bat, which was still wet with fresh blood.
"More than a few. Not sure how and when this whole thing started, but it hit fast. Really fast. I doubt that most folks have even had the chance to process what is happening." The Uzumaki responded casually as he continued his snacking.
The spiky haired teen nodded in agreement since he himself was still having difficulty wrapping his head around recent events, just this morning, everything seemed to be fine… and then all of a sudden the world, no, perhaps all of reality was flipped on its head when 'they' came into the picture. "Right… I'm Takashi Komuro." The dark haired teenager introduced himself, though he felt a bit put off by the whiskered teen for some reason.
The whiskered blonde seemed… perhaps too casual about this whole situation, almost completely unbothered even. "You're thinking something along the lines of 'There is something off about this guy, he seems way too relaxed'." The Uzumaki stated bluntly, reading Takashi like a book.
The whiskered teen tossed aside his now empty bag of jerky and then continued to speak "Granted, maybe I am a bit too relaxed. Though unlike most people, I have already accepted reality for what it is. As they say, seeing is believing. Either we adapt to this new world, or we're eaten by it. Simple as that. To deny this new reality or to hesitate will mean death."
At this, a purple haired girl who carried a wooden sword stepped forward and added in her two cents "He is right Takashi-san. If we do not adhere to the new rules of this new world, we will die." The purplette then turned towards the Uzumaki and gave a polite bow as she spoke directly to him and introduced herself "A pleasure to meet you Naruto-san. I am Saeko Busujima. You seem like a capable ally to have. Pray tell, what is in those bags you were carrying?"
"Supplies." Was all the Uzumaki said without any further elaboration, to which the kendo champion simply nodded in understanding, accepting his brief answer as she took her seat once again.
The whiskered teen took a moment to get a read on the other occupants of the bus. There was a pink haired girl wearing glasses, there was a haughty air about her, but from the way she spoke, it seemed as though she was intelligent and/or had a good education. The pinkette seemed to be speaking with a chubby guy who was holding a modified nail gun, suggesting that he may have knowledge and training with firearms.
There was a girl with orange-brown hair who seemed to be using a broken mop as a makeshift spear. She had a look of obvious disgust on her face as she kept glancing at the teacher in the pinstripe suit. There was definitely some sort of history there, but the blonde refrained from asking questions to avoid stirring the pot at this time. Humans, after all, had a nasty habit of acting irrationally and without thought.
Speaking of the teacher, there was a sly and opportunistic look in his eyes, and a vibe came off of him that suggested that everything he said and touched would likely be coated in filth and slime. Hiding away further in the back of the bus was a delinquent looking kid, a pair of unimportant looking guys, and a few other girls, one of which was a girl with light orange hair with a hairband that kept sneaking looks at the whiskered teen when she thought he was unaware of them.
No doubt she was scared and was either looking for protection or was wary of the newcomer, not that he could blame her. When people are scared, they often try to seek out security or comfort to make themselves feel safer or more at ease. The Uzumaki's musing was suddenly broken as the delinquent looking guy started to suddenly kick up a fuss.
"Why the hell did we have to pick up this guy?! We don't know him! Why couldn't we go to the dorms or find someplace to hide at the school?" The delinquent bellowed angrily, making the blonde Uzumaki roll his eyes a bit. He'd seen this guy's type plenty of times. Loud, obnoxious, spiteful, a typical bully.
"I don't know any of you either, I didn't have to accept a lift, but it is hell out there and it is only going to get worse. Also, real smart, hiding away in a corner with no access to an exit or food supplies." The Uzumaki stated in a blunt tone, his grip tightening around his bat in case the bully decided to take a swing at him.
"The fuck is your problem? You want to fight or something?" The still unnamed bully shouted aggressively… not that the Uzumaki cared to know his name to begin with.
"You're the only one here that wants to fight." Saeko pointed out with a frown, which seemed to further irritate the delinquent as he glanced between the forms of both Takashi and Naruto.
The bully then grit his teeth and pointed between the two other boys as he shouted "I can't fucking stand these guys!" At this, both the high schooler and Uzumaki exchanged confused looks with the latter stating to the loudmouthed asshole "Dude. I legit don't even know who you are."
"Bastard!" The delinquent yelled as he threw a punch at the whiskered blonde, only for the Uzumaki to give a lazy swing with his bat, sending the weapon into the bully's groin, the barbs digging into his flesh and tender bits as the bully let out a silent scream of agony. Naruto then punched the guy in the throat, closing off his windpipe, grabbed him by the collar and smashed the bully's head clean through a window before tossing him to the floor. Whether the guy was dead or unconscious, the whiskered teen didn't care. The loud and stupid wouldn't be long for this world anyway.
"Anyone else want to do something stupid? The next person that tries to start a fight, I will personally feed to the Walkers." Naruto stated in a harsh tone… the only response he received was a collective silence as everyone got the message plain and clear… that wasn't an idle threat. It was a promise, and he would definitely follow through on it.
"Walkers?" Takashi asked, giving the whiskered teen a questioning look. Was that the name he used to refer to 'Them'?
"The Undead. Zombies didn't seem to quite fit. Too generic. I usually call them 'Walkers' or 'Biters'. Why? What do you call them? You got a better name for them?" The Uzumaki asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Umm… We just call them… 'Them' or 'They'." Takashi stated which earned a look that said 'are you serious' from the Whiskered Uzumaki.
"Seriously? No creativity. Just 'Them' or 'They'? That's it? You might as well be calling them 'Things' or 'Those Freaks' or something." Naruto asked incredulously. Whoever came up with that one definitely had a certain lack of imagination.
"Walkers or Biters sounds more… what's the word? Succinct?" Asked the chubby boy as he added in his two cents with pinkette and kendo user both nodding in agreement, and after a few moments of hesitation, the orangette also nodded reluctantly.
"As amusing as that spectacle was, it is clear and apparent that we needed a leader to maintain order." The spectacled teacher piped up as he slowly clapped his hands in mock amusement. His voice alone being enough to quickly grate on the whiskered teen's nerves.
"Oh yeah? Who's gonna take on the job? You?" Naruto asked as he tilted his head, already not liking where this was going.
"Who else could take on the role but me? With the exception of Shizuka-san, everyone else here are naught but students… or at the very least are still teenagers. If you would have me, Shido Koichi, as your leader then please clap your hands." The spectacled man asked, and after a few moments, the students huddled in the back of the bus began to clap their hands, their eyes shining with adoration and reverence. This guy was obviously feeding them a line and they were gobbling it up a little too eagerly.
The clapping was interrupted by a bellowing laugh that came from Naruto, his laughter echoing throughout the bus as he used his bat to prop himself up to maintain balance while slapping his free hand on his knee in amusement. His laughter stretched on and on for an uncomfortably long time which made everyone aboard the bus squirm in discomfort, most especially Shido and his new followers.
The laughter seemed to last almost a full minute until the Uzumaki finally collected himself… his amused expression instantly changing into a stone cold mask of indifference and apathy as he swiftly struck Shido on the head with his bat, sending the teacher to his knees while clutching at his head and yelling out in pain.
Before the teacher could look up and yell at the blonde for the unprovoked attack, Naruto had slammed his foot on the back of the spectacled man's head, keeping him pinned to the floor as he struggled fruitlessly and failed to push back against the Uzumaki's foot.
Naruto then cleared his throat and began to speak in a detached voice that lacked even the slightest bits of emotion or even humanity "Lemme teach you a little lesson then 'Shido-Sensei'. To the Walkers, meat is meat. It doesn't matter if you're a hobo, a teacher, or even the President of the United States of America. All humans are food to the Walkers. 'Teacher' is just an empty title now. There's only two kinds of people in this world now: The capable and incapable. Those who survive and those who die. Like so."
The blonde then lifted his foot up and repeatedly stomped on the teacher's head, pounding his face into the floor until he fell unconscious. Many on board the bus stared in astonishment and horror at the casual display of violence and brutality. Though in the case of a certain orangette, the display seemed to arouse her in a way.
Naruto knew that in this new world, violence was the only language that would be acknowledged. That many would either shut their eyes and refuse to accept things to be real, or would devolve into their baser instincts without care or consequence. While he had no intention of dispensing with morality, he knew that there would be a number of people that could not be reasoned with, and that any and all threats must be put down with extreme prejudice.
"I agree with you. I think we should leave right now! Let the Walkers have them!" A certain orangette announced as she made her way towards the bus doors and commanded the buxom blonde to stop the vehicle. It seemed that this girl was eager to jump ship and Naruto had just provided the perfect excuse and opportunity to do so.
"I wouldn't jump out just yet. You do NOT want to wander around without a plan, or at the very least supplies. You try and go out on your own, you'll either be eaten by the Walkers or you'll get jumped by some psycho where he'll rob you and rape you till your dead or wish that you were." Naruto spoke in a warning tone, his words making the girl pale and freeze up in terror as she had just made it a few steps off the bus before hearing this.
"Hey now! That's kind of harsh!" Takashi protested at the blonde's tone who gave the highschooler a stern expression.
"It's a fact." Was all the whiskered teen stated, not bothering to sugarcoat the truth of the situation. His ears perked up as he heard the sounds of tires screeching, prompting him to look outside and see a bus that was swerving out of control. If that girl didn't get out of the way, she would be flattened. His protective instincts kicked in as he leapt out of the bus and tackled the orangette out of the way just in the nick of time.
The runaway bus crashed and then landed on its side, a mix of oil and gas leaking out which ignited and resulted in an explosion. Now a wall of flames was blocking their path back to their own bus, and the dead were coming due to the noise. There was no way to pass the flames unscathed and no time to go around either without getting swarmed by Biters.
"Naruto-san! Miyamoto-san! Are you both okay?!" The voice of Saeko called out over the crackling flames.
"Scuffed up but fine. I was on my way towards the East Police Station before you guys scooped me up. Meet us there at six. If you can't make it today, then make it tomorrow! Also, look after my stuff for me, and don't use anything unless it's an emergency! Especially the stuff that goes boom!" Naruto shouted back, his words earning a nod from the Kendo Champion.
"I promise you, I'll look after your things! Just stay safe and stay alive!" Saeko yelled back before returning to the bus as it drove off so that they may avoid being swarmed by the undead. The blonde then grabbed the orangette called 'Miyamoto' by the hand as they ran up the hill where a Walker wearing a motorcycle helmet was stumbling towards them.
The Uzumaki swung his bat, breaking the kneecaps of the Walker, causing it to fall to the ground and harmlessly roll down the hill towards the still roaring flames. "I blame you for this." Naruto stated casually, causing his newfound companion to blush with a somewhat ashamed and embarrassed expression.
"Yeah. I blame myself for this too. I kinda jumped the gun. I was too eager to get away from that bastard Shido." She freely admitted since this was indeed her fault. If she hadn't left the bus, then they wouldn't have been separated from the others. She sighed and shook her head as she spoke and introduced herself "I'm Rei Miyamoto by the way."
"Naruto Uzumaki, in case you didn't hear me introduce myself to Shizuka-san. I picked up on the fact that there was some obvious enmity between you and that Shido guy. What's the story?" He asked out of curiosity, still wondering if that creepy-ass teacher forced himself on her. If that was the case, then Shido would be a dead man. People who force themselves on others or harm innocent children are, in Naruto's book, automatically unworthy of the gift that is life and should be killed on the spot.
"He held me back a year at school. My dad was investigating a Diet member. Shido's dad. I guess it was to send a message to my father to warn him to back off. At any rate, I'm sure you already know this, but in case it needs to be said… that asshole is nothing but scum." She replied, giving a basic summary to which the whiskered blonde nodded in understanding.
"I see. Never did trust politicians by default anyway, or their relatives." Naruto replied since he had no faith in people that made a career out of lying and swindling. Not that it mattered now since all forms of government were collapsing as they knew it.
He then hummed as he glanced around and smirked as he found an abandoned motorcycle lying on the ground, most likely belonging to the helmet wearing Walker from a few moments ago. The keys were still in the ignition too. Perfect. At least now they wouldn't have to go on foot. He set the bike upright and turned the keys as he started it up.
He took his seat on the bike and smirked at Rei as he spoke to her "Hop on and hang tight, unless you want to hoof it." The orangette puffed her cheeks a bit but silently obeyed as she sat behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist… and getting a feel of his strong abs… unintentionally of course.
They then drove off towards their destination. Assuming the police station they were heading to hadn't yet been looted, there should be a number of supplies and weapons they could take advantage of. Though at the same time, food was going to be an absolute must-have. What good would weapons be if they went hungry?
"So… what's your story exactly?" She asked in order to get to know the newcomer a bit more since he was a total stranger to her, though from the way he leapt from the bus to save her… he couldn't be a bad person.
"Mmm. Not much to tell, really. My parents died when I was barely out of the womb and I'm a military school dropout. I was about to be booted out of the Konoha Academy after I beat my instructor within an inch of his worthless life, and then shit hit the fan with all of the Walkers. Everyone else got eaten but me, so it was pretty easy for me to get away, especially once I figured out that the Biters are attracted by sound. Been wandering around and picking up gear and equipment as I went along. My main goal was to find a nice spot in the countryside somewhere." The whiskered teen explained.
The Konoha Academy, eh? She had heard of that place. It was a pretty prestigious military school with many of its alumni often joining Special Tactics or Black Ops. Additionally, the school had been investigated many times due to accusations of the teachers abusing the students and their positions of authority, but no charges were officially filed and there was never any evidence to support a case. If those rumors were true, then perhaps Naruto had been pushed to his breaking point and snapped under the pressure of an abusive teacher.
She didn't question him further at this time and decided to keep an eye out for any signs of 'Them'... er… she meant Walkers. Yes. She had to watch out for Walkers. The Uzumaki glanced down at the gas gauge, noting that it was almost empty. It would seem that they would need to stop for gas soon. Fortunately, there was a station nearby where they could refuel, so he didn't have to worry about running out.
He slowed the bike down and came to a stop in front of a police car that had been wrecked by a large truck. The bodies inside looked fresh, and the blood still appeared a bit wet and sticky. This was recent… which meant it was possible that the deceased officers still had their equipment on them.
He dismounted from the motorcycle, keeping a tight grip on his bat with Rei keeping her makeshift spear at the ready as well in case the officers inside weren't 'all-the-way' dead. The blonde briefly whistled a tune to stir the potential Biters from their slumber… but they made no noise or movement whatsoever. They were definitely dead.
"Doesn't really ever feel right, taking from the dead. Though I like to think that they would want to help out the living and give us a fair chance." Naruto explained as he looted the dead bodies, his words earning a thoughtful nod of agreement from his new companion. The whiskered teen rummaged around and managed to collect a Smith and Wesson revolver, a telescopic baton, a set of handcuffs, and some extra bullets from another revolver that had its handle broken in the crash.
"Allow me to impart some advice to you, Rei-san: Don't waste ammunition on the dead except as a last resort. Noise draws them in, and unnecessary gunfire would be like ringing a dinner bell. Save the bullets for the living." He spoke as he pocketed the extra bullets and tucked the revolver into the waistband of his pants.
"Why the living?" She asked with a raised eyebrow since she believed that the Walkers were the more prevalent threat at this time.
"Humans can be dangerous and unpredictable. Hell, they already were that even before the dead started to walk again, now people will be even worse. Walkers? They can be easily defeated, manipulated even. All they want is to sink their teeth into whatever humans they can get their hands on. The living? That's a whole other animal… some of them might have even become animals." Naruto stated matter of factly, his words making the orangette swallow dryly as she absorbed his words. A part of her wanted to refuse this, a very small part of her, but for the most part she agreed. People can indeed be dangerous.
Especially in a world where actions don't have any real consequences. They mounted their motorcycle once again and drove off in a comfortable silence towards the nearby gas station. Upon their arrival, they stopped at one of the pumps with the Uzumaki switching off the bike.
"Ah, I forgot. Going to need cash to get these things pumping." He muttered bitterly, making a mental note to get a hold of some tubing and a gas can later on to siphon fuel out of abandoned cars.
"Crud. I don't have any money either. I left my wallet and bag at school." Rei muttered bitterly, briefly dreading the possibility of walking the rest of the way to their destination.
"Welp, nothing for it. I'm gonna head inside and bust the register open. Not like anyone's gonna stop me. Keep an eye out and holler if you see anything." He spoke as he made his way inside the station to loot the register for gas money. As expected, he found his target on the counter and with a few quick swings of his bat, easily popping the register open.
He scooped up some of the cash in his hand and then heard a shriek come from outside, prompting him to rush out and find a large man was holding Rei hostage at knifepoint while also groping her. The thug had a large grin on his face as he spoke in a condescending tone "Nice girlfriend you got here dude."
"Let go of me!" Rei cried out as she struggled against her captor, her struggling only ceased as he felt the blade tip being jabbed against her neck, making her freeze up knowing what would happen if her throat were pierced.
"Let go? What are you? Stupid? Are you stupid you fucking bimbo slut? There's not many girls left now that the monsters have probably eaten most of them!" The apparent rapist shouted out with a laugh as he lustfully licked his lips.
"Are you crazy? You don't have to do this!" The orangette pleaded, only for her captor to press his blade harder against her neck to silence her.
""Crazy? Me?! You're goddamned right that I'm crazy! My mom, my dad, my grandma, my kid brother and sister, they all turned into those things and I smashed their damned heads open! Of course I'm crazy! HAHAHA!" The thug shouted out and proceeded to grope Rei's large breasts even harder.
"Damn, your crying is making me get fucking hard. Your tits are fucking huge too! Hey! Whiskers! You've fucked her, right? I bet you get some delicious pussy from this slut every day! Well she's mine now, got it? Now fill up the tank! I know you got the cash! I heard you smash the register in there! Fill it up and drop the bat too!" The thug demanded at the end, knowing that the teens had stopped for fuel, otherwise they would have already driven off.
The whiskered teen stared at the thug impassively, his eyes lacking any sort of emotion whatsoever. After a few moment, the rapist frowned and shouted angrily "Didn't you hear me fuckwit? Are you retarded or something?"
"That's not a nice word to use, and it is often misused. The definition of 'retarded' is 'delay' or 'hold back'." Naruto stated, his eyebrow twitching a little bit.
"Who the fuck cares shit-for-brains?! I said FUCKING FILL UP THE TANK!" The thug roared, his patience quickly running out as he pressed his weapon harder into Rei's neck, drawing a bit of blood.
"Naruto! Do something!" Rei pleaded desperately, knowing that the blonde was her only hope… and that he had a gun on him. So why hadn't he used it yet? Was it because he was afraid to use it with the knife being pressed to her neck? That the recoil might cause her captor to cut her throat open if he were shot?
After a few more brief moments… the whiskered teen did something. He began to whistle a hauntingly merry tune that sent shivers down the spines of both captor and captive… what was perhaps even more chilling was the fact that the blonde boy had no emotion in his eyes whatsoever. They were empty and cold, almost as if there were nothing in them but a void that threatened to swallow the souls of those reflected in those stormy blue eyes.
"Hey… the fuck are you doing? Stop that shit! You're giving me the creeps with that. Are you fucked in the head or something?" The thug shouted as he found his hand shaking, feeling drawn in by those soulless blue eyes. There was no fear in them, no anger, nothing… there was nothing in them at all.
"Stop it! It's creepy! Stop with the whistling!" Rei's captor demanded as the tune quickly got on his nerves, but still the blonde continued to whistle, ignoring the thug's demands. The man grit his teeth, the whistling further aggravating him.
"I SAID TO STOP IT!" The thug screamed out as he pointed his knife towards the Uzumaki… which proved to be a fatal mistake as the blonde drew his hidden revolver and fired a bullet which pierced clean through the man's skull. Right between the eyes.
Rei quickly tore herself away from her now deceased captor as his body fell limply to the ground with the orangette breathing a sigh of relief that she had just been saved from her would-be rapist. "Naruto-kun… thank you." She breathed out, happy that she had been saved.
"Of course. I wouldn't even dream of letting whatever that asshole had planned to you or anyone for that matter." The blonde responded with a small smile… then slapped a large wad of bills into Rei's hand, confusing her for a brief moment as she temporarily forgot why they needed money in the first place.
"Do me a solid and fill the tank up, would you kindly? I'll keep my eyes open for Walkers… or other people." The whiskered teen instructed, snapping his companion out of her stupor as she began to hastily cram the cash into the designated slot to pay for their gas. She then pushed the appropriate button and began refueling their motorcycle as she glanced around towards the darkening streets.
"How long do we have?" She asked, wondering how much time they had before they needed to make a break for it.
"Hard to say, could be anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Kind of depends on a number of factors. On the plus side, I don't hear any moaning yet. Usually, with the more vocal Biters, you'll hear them long before you see them." He responded, keeping his ears open for the distinctive moans that many Walkers made.
The Sojutsu expert accepted his answer as she pointed out "You seem to have adapted pretty quickly since they…. The Walkers first showed up. They've only been around for… what? Less than a day?"
"Give or take. The way these things spread so fast, doesn't seem natural. There was no warning or anything, then suddenly they have practically taken over in such a short time. Question is, was this just a freak accident? If so, then it may be possible that Walkers aren't just created from bites alone. If it was orchestrated by someone, who did it and why?" The blonde mused aloud as he tapped his bat against his shoulder thoughtfully.
Rei shivered at his words, because whether this was all a random occurrence or an organized event had massive and disturbing implications that she didn't want to ponder over. The Uzumaki cleared his throat and then stated "You're right though, I did adapt pretty fast. I've been on my own for most of my life, so I had to learn and mature faster than most kids, then when shit went sideways, I knew that it was literally 'Do or Die' time. No two ways about it."
After a few more moments, the pump stopped automatically, signaling that the tank was now full as she replaced it along with the gas cap in their appropriate places, and just in time too as the moans of the dead could be heard now, undoubtedly drawn in by the earlier gunshot that saved her life.
They mounted the motorcycle and drove off to continue their journey with the Sojutsu user clinging tightly to her rescuer. "I was wondering… just then… what was with the whistling? And your eyes? I don't think I've ever seen someone's eyes go completely dead and lifeless like yours did." She asked him out of curiosity.
"Oh, the whistling? That was a thing I started when I learned that it got on people's nerves, especially my instructor. A special trick of mine that irritates people, unbalances them psychologically, makes them more pliable and prone to making mistakes. As for my eyes, that's kind of a special training I underwent at the Academy.
It's a sort of trance or something to shut off any and all emotions, that way I can act without any hesitation. Not to brag, but I was the fastest in the academy's history to master it." He responded with a chuckle, earning a quick nod from the orangette as they continued on their way to meet up with the others as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile. Saeko's group.
Saeko's eyes fluttered open, the day having been long and restless as she had only shut her eyes for small intervals at a time. It was not an ideal method of rest, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down, especially when others depended on her. She glanced at the driver's seat where the school Nurse Shizuka was absently tapping away at the steering wheel as it seemed that they were now stuck in a traffic jam with many civilians turned refugees trying to flee for their lives from the threat of the undead.
Saya and Hirano seemed to be having a conversation of some sort, and Takashi was looking out the window, no doubt keeping an eye out for their lost friend Rei and the newcomer Naruto. Speaking of the blonde, after she promised to safeguard his stuff, she took a quick look inside his bags to see what it was that she was guarding, not that she intended to steal anything but should an emergency arise, it would be safer to know what she was handling.
Inside, she found various weapons that she recognized as assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, a variety of different knives, boxes of ammunition, fully loaded magazines, some food, snacks, and bottles of water, a whole bunch of fireworks, mostly firecrackers and other stuff that made noise, and even some grenades. He practically had an arsenal with him.
The main reason she refrained from completely falling asleep was because of that delinquent, Tsunoda, had been eyeing Naruto's bags, undoubtedly wanting to take the contents for himself as revenge… she had to admit and give credit that Tsunoda must have a really hard head to so quickly recover from his earlier beating with no lasting damage.
Perhaps more disturbingly, was the fact that the teacher Shido was preaching some sort of bizarre rhetoric to the students who accepted him as their leader, who seemed enamored with him for some reason. From the way the spectacled teacher spoke, it was as if he were some sort of cult leader, preaching to his own congregation. She doubted that he would be the first, or even the last one amongst humankind to develop a messiah or god complex in the face of this age of the undead.
The one exception to Shdio's group was a very attractive female specimen that seemed to be carefully inching away from them. What was her name again? Yuuuki or something like that? No doubt she was frightened of Shido and his cronies and wanted to break away from them, but was too scared to outright defy them for fear of a potential reprisal. A most uncomfortable position.
Fortunately, things were mostly peaceful since Naruto and Rei's forced departure, but of course the Kendo champion expected that this peace would quickly evaporate at the drop of a hat. It might be more prudent for them to cut their losses and leave the bus behind in favor of a more secure shelter… not to mention if someone did manage to steal Naruto's collection of weaponry, then things could quickly spin out of control and turn violent. VERY violent.
She nodded to herself as she seemed to come to what was perhaps the only logical course of action. She leaned over and whispered to Takashi "Komuro-san, I strongly suggest that we leave the bus and seek shelter in a… more stable environment." She advised, casting a subtle glance towards the back of the bus with the dark haired boy nodding in agreement as he conveyed Saeko's plan to both Hirano and Saya while the Kendo user whispered their plan towards the school nurse.
They all mutually agreed to abandon the bus and leave behind Shido and his group. That aside, they doubted that they would make further progress in this bus since it seemed like the bridges were being blockaded by the police, which was further evidenced when a group attempted to slip by, only to be blasted away by a water cannon. It would seem that they would need to find another means of crossing the river anyway.
Suffice it to say, it was as good a time as any to bail out while they still could. Takashi agreed to do the heavy lifting and carry Naruto's stuff so that Saeko wouldn't be hindered in case they had to do battle. "Oh? And where do you think you are all going? I thought we agreed to cooperate." Shido spoke out, taking notice of the group leaving the bus.
"Funny, we never actually agreed to cooperate with you at all! We're going our own way!" Saya declared, prompting a nonchalant shrug from the corrupt teacher who didn't seem surprised at all by this turn of events.
"I see. Far be it from me to stop you, Japan is a free country and all that." Shido responded cooly… and then gave a salacious lick of his lips as his eyes settled on the busty nurse as he continued to speak "However… we can't let you take the school nurse with you. Without Marikawa-sensei, I'm not sure how we'd get by. You wouldn't leave behind all these students that need you, would you?" The corrupt teacher asked as he advanced towards them.
Hirano prepared his modified nail gun, ready to fire off a warning shot at Shido… but was interrupted by a feminine shout that said "OUT OF MY WAY!" The male teacher didn't have time to react as he was roughly shoved to the side by the form of Yuuki who approached Saeko's group with pleading eyes.
"Please! Take me with you! Don't leave me with these guys!" She begged them while bowing to them repeatedly and profusely.
"Oi! Didn't you vote to have Shido as your leader to begin with?" Takashi asked with a small glare, finding it a bit suspicious at how this girl was suddenly switching teams.
"I was scared, okay?! I still am! I'm terrified! However… you guys seem way more capable! That Naruto guy also seemed to know what he was doing! Please! Don't leave me here! I'll do anything! All that Shido guy has done is preach pretty words! He doesn't have an actual plan to secure a place to hide or get things like food! I can't stay here! If I stay, I'll likely die or worse! Please don't make me stay!" Yuuki pleaded with tears welling up in her eyes.
"I don't trust this." The dark haired boy muttered since Yuuki was known to have a promiscuous reputation back at school. The others were also a little wary, wondering if the girl would decide to switch teams yet again whenever it was most convenient for her. Even so, could they really leave her behind with Shido in good conscience?
"You may come with us, but if you can't keep up then you're on your own." Saeko spoke in a warning tone, prompting a nod from their newest member who quickly nodded in agreement, feeling happy that she was being given a sporting chance.
"Tch. You traitor! Don't think that I will forget this!" Shido shouted as he reached for the apparent 'traitor' of his group… only to stop as he heard a loud popping noise and felt something cut across his cheek, making him realize that the chubby boy, Hirano, had just fired his nail gun at the teacher.
"I didn't have to miss you know. Naruto-san was right! We either adapt or we die! You only get one warning shot! Back in school, whenever I was getting picked on, I held in my anger because I wanted to live a normal life… but now? Now I don't have to pretend to be 'normal' anymore, especially since 'normality' is now dead." Hirano spoke with a somewhat twisted smile, showing that he was deadly serious and that he would shoot to kill if provoked.
"Okay everyone! Time to bail out! I'll cover the rear!" The gun expert spoke as he gave a thumbs-up, prompting the others to nod as they quickly exited the bus. Most fortunately, neither Shido or any of his followers attempted to pursue them, though this was more likely out of cowardice And self-preservation rather than actual wisdom.
The group quickly rushed away, though they refrained from going in the same direction as all the other survivors and refugees, knowing that if they attempted to cross the bridge where the police barricade was, they would likely get blasted away like the group that tried to force their way through earlier.
They would need to find another way to cross the river. Perhaps if the waters were shallow enough then they could walk or swim across that way to the other side? Nevertheless, they all knew one thing… The Walkers are drawn by sound, and a large crowd of human bodies would inevitably draw the attention of the dead, especially if the police blockade started using their firearms to drive away the Walkers or used lethal force on any refugees.
Once they were, what they at least believed to be, a safe enough distance, they stopped to catch their breath and to formulate any plan. "I have to admit, I don't know this area very well. Does anyone know of a place where we might stay, at least for one night to get our bearings and some sleep?" Saeko asked as she adopted a thinking pose.
Shizuka was about to speak up and offer her suggestion, but was interrupted upon hearing the sound of a motorcycle engine approaching. They all looked towards the source of the noise, and were pleasantly surprised to see the smiling face of Rei cheerfully waving at them with one hand while clinging to the form of Naruto who had a small smirk on his face.
The pair came to a stop in front of the group and dismounted from their vehicle with the Sojutsu expert quickly and happily embracing the nurse in a warm hug, the orangette evidently being very happy to see some friendly faces once again. "Brought her back for you, safe and sound. I see you ditched the bus. Something go wrong?" Naruto asked as he tapped his signature bat against his shoulder.
"We were stuck in traffic. We decided it would be wiser and safer to split from Shido and his group. Unfortunately, it would seem the police have blockaded the bridge and aren't allowing anyone to cross." Saeko announced, using her wooden sword to point towards the aforementioned blockade that was still visible in the distance.
"Yeah. We saw another one down the way too. Pretty textbook. Looks to me like martial law has been declared. Unfortunately, I imagine that very soon, the chain of command will be broken by the epidemic, if it hasn't already.
Any semblance of law and order that remains will collapse in on itself and implode, then the police and military will begin using lethal force with impunity which will spark a massive surge of riots. Then people will begin fighting each other like the idiots and animals they are instead of fighting back against the dead." Naruto announced, giving his predictions as to what may yet come.
He then looked up towards the sky as he then added "From there, it will only get worse." At this, everyone looked at the blonde as if he had grown a second head and wondered what he meant by that.
"Worse? How can it get any worse than that?" Takashi asked with a raised eyebrow. The dead walking around and eating people? The collapse of the government and the threat of mass riots? He failed to see how things could get any worse than it already was.
"Some trigger happy pencil dick and paper pushing yahoo will push the big red button and launch a nuclear strike." The whiskered teen announced, his words making the others cringe in fear at the thought of being flash fried by nuclear fire. They could only hope that no one would be foolish enough to do it… or at the least that there was nobody alive to push the aforementioned 'Big red button'.
"How long do you think we have?" Asked the form of Yuuki as she seemed ready to burst into tears. It would seem that regardless of what they did… they would be screwed if a nuke was indeed launched.
"Dunno, could be anywhere from days to hours. Depends on how bad the Walker plague is. On another note, there are defenses in place to intercept nuclear strikes, but I wouldn't bet all my chips on them.
The most logical target for a nuke would be a large city where a dense population would be. More people, more Walkers. If we make it to the countryside, we would have a significantly better chance at survival. Not only would therpresea much lighter presence of Walkers, we would also more likely survive a nuclear strike if it is put into action." The blonde teen announced as he scratched his nose with a lone finger.
"Be that as it may, we can't leave our families behind. You can go if you want, but I'm not about to abandon my folks." Takashi announced as he dumped the Uzumaki's duffel bags at the whiskered teen's feet.
"I never said anything about leaving y'all. This is mostly my own speculation. While nothing is set in stone, I prefer to be prepared for the worst case scenario." The blonde boy announced as he slipped on his duffel bags with a large grin.
"So you're coming with us?" Rei asked with a hopeful smile as she clapped her hands, glad that her savior would stay with them, her smile widening further when the Uzumaki nodded in confirmation. Her grin being noticed by her childhood friend Takashi.
"Honestly speaking, I don't fancy the idea of being alone again with only the dead for company. Yeah. I'll go with you. You seem like good people, and I'd hate to see good folks like you being taken by the dead. For those who don't know and for the sake of propriety, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. Formerly a student and dropout of the Konoha Military Academy. At your service." the whiskered teen spoke and formally introduced himself in a more proper manner.
"Whoa! The Konoha Academy! That's a famous and prestigious military school!" Hirano spoke out loud with stars in his eyes, having heard of the school before with a large part of him wishing that he could have attended such a famous school so that he may further his own firearms training.
The chubby boy then cleared his throat and decided to introduce himself as well since he hadn't actually spoken to the newcomer till now "Ah. Pardon me! My name is Kohta Hirano! You can just call me Hirano!"
In the background, Saya pushed up her glasses and announced "Saya Takagi. Nice to meet you. Since you safely returned Rei-san to us and have demonstrated some foresight, it is obvious that you're a competent and capable person. You'll make a great asset to the team." The pinkette added at the end with a somewhat conceited voice, though not in a bad way.
Takashi and Saeko both nodded since they had already introduced themselves earlier on the bus with Shizuka doing the same as she gave a friendly wave. Yuuki cleared her throat and then piped in "I'm called Miku Yuuki. I hope we can get along. I'll try not to get in your way or slow you down."
When she introduced herself, her fellow orangette glared at her and pointed an accusatory finger while shouting "Wait just a minute! Aren't you one of the students that accepted Shido as your leader?"
"I was, but I'm not with them!" Yuuki huffed while crossing her arms beneath her bust with the Uzumaki stepping between the two orange haired girls.
"She made her choice. She chose to join us instead of staying with that Shido guy. Now then, do you want to point fingers for mistakes that were made or should we focus on something more productive, like finding a shelter?" The whiskered teen advised while casting a cutting glare at Rei.
She immediately wilted under his gaze since it was her fault they had been separated from the group to begin with earlier. He was right. Survival was more important than petty grudges. At the very least, Yuuki realized her mistake before it was too late.
"I know a place! My friend's house is a short walk away! She's usually away on business so she left me a spare key to let myself in and clean the place. She's also got a really huge car parked outside that is like a tank!" The busty nurse declared while waving her arms to emphasize the size of the vehicle she was attempting to describe.
Her words made the whiskered teen raise an eyebrow at this. This friend of Shizuka's… he wondered who it was. He doubted that a tank could be kept in a residential area but if this friend had access to military resources then her place was probably safer than most areas of the city. Not to mention they could gather some extra weapons, supplies, and maybe catch some much needed sleep.
"Lead the way then Shizuka-san." Naruto spoke with a grin, prompting the nurse to nod as she led the group to their new destination. Rei stuck as close as possible to the whiskered teen without crowding him, a small blush appearing on her face as she wondered how to repay her savior for his earlier kindness and bravery.
The group then glanced at the horizon where the sun was slowly sinking down, signaling that it would be dark soon. One thing they all knew with certainty, was that this would be the first of many long and dangerous days during this new age of the Walking Dead. Right now… all they could do was survive, adapt and endure… or die trying.
End Chapter One.
