I'm late by quite a number of days lol. Work has been very hectic. I've barely had time to write, and I've had to make do by snatching some time here and there.
So, thanks for the patience, and see you when next I see you. Hopefully, it's not as long as this last time.
Takashi's pulse pounded in his ears, his fingertips tingling even as the bus began to pull away. He was still in shock.
He only caught the tail end of Naruto's stand against the horde. By then, the flow had petered out with no screamer to draw more zombies to their position. Still, the makeshift barricade of zombie corpses piled across the road was a testament to the sheer number of zombies that must have come at them with only one man standing between them and the horde.
Said man was sprawled in his seat, looking like he'd just had a light workout.
His clothes were still pristine.
Ridiculous.
He could not really remember particulars in their effort to clear the ramp on time. The whole ordeal bled into one heart pounding moment that seemed to stretch on forever.
However, suddenly, there were no more vehicles to move when he looked up.
That was when he looked behind them.
That was when he saw.
His breath hitched. His stomach twisted. His brain refused to process it.
"Come on!" Hiroshi's voice had spurred him forward, freeing him from the hypnotic hold of the spectacle being produced by Naruto behind them.
They piled into the bus, and Naruto began a slow 'retreat' towards their position.
He called it a retreat only because Naruto was moving backwards.
Left alone, the man could probably do this all day.
Somehow, by the time the man was within a dozen metres of the bus, there were no more zombies to kill.
All those corpses…
He'd never seen so many corpses together in the same place before. Even in the school campus, there was nothing like the charnel house that was Naruto's handiwork.
There must have been more than a hundred…
A scene kept replaying in his mind, as though stuck on repeat.
Naruto, blade in hand, flowing between what must have been a dozen zombies, their heads exploding in a macabre parody of fireworks. Blood and gore spraying in a constant splatter away from the man.
Always away from the man.
He could not wrap his mind around it.
The bus pulled away, Shizuka accelerating dangerously as she made haste to put distance between them and what could have been their grave.
What would have been their grave.
If not for him.
There was no way they did not deserve an explanation.
Just who exactly are we following?
He looked around covertly. Everyone was still catching their breath after the breakneck pace of the last hour. Miku was handing out water bottles, to the gratitude of everyone. He took his, nodding in thanks as he went back to brooding on what just happened.
I can't be the only one who wants an explanation.
Saya sat beside Kohta. She had her face in a sort of cutely constipated look. If he knew anything about her, she was probably trying to make sense of, or rationalise away what she must have also seen.
Rei and Kohta mirrored each other unknowingly, intense curiosity in every inch of their postures.
They're probably also trying to work up the courage to ask.
He didn't blame them in the slightest—how did one even ask such a thing?
Shizuka was just leaving the driver's seat, having swapped places with Hiroshi. Maybe somewhat surprisingly, she looked… energized. As she walked past, her eyes flicked to Naruto for the briefest of moments. She adjusted her glasses, her lips set in sort of almost-smirk.
Takashi wasn't sure why, but the look sent a chill down his spine.
Only God knew what she was thinking about.
Kyoko had her face turned to the window, face thrust into an air conditioner vent. In hindsight, that was not too surprising. She still trembled slightly, and Takashi guessed that she had her hands full dealing with the adrenaline rush of what they accomplished.
It would take a moment or three before she took interest in other things.
Miku, on the other hand, reacted exactly as he expected.
She probably started handing out bottles to have an excuse to get close to Naruto.
The girl looked like she was ready to dive right into Naruto's laps. If her shirt was buttoned down any further, she'd likely spill out of it.
To be fair, those are nice tits.
What? He was still a man!
However, Naruto, God bless his violent heart, didn't seem to even notice. The woman sitting beside him though, did.
Saeko gave the impression of a wolf considering a rabbit for lunch. As Miku approached, Saeko took Naruto's arm rather firmly, trapping it between her arm and her body.
Between her arm and her breasts, if the way she twisted meant anything.
Naruto actually looked down at her, as if only now realizing his arm was trapped. At first, he seemed… what? Surprised? Confused? Takashi wasn't sure.
But then—
The man settled into it. No resistance. No effort to pull away. Just acceptance.
His posture eased up, so subtle it was barely there. But Takashi was looking. Takashi saw it.
It made the man look oddly young, like a kid who had just been handed a toy he thought was lost.
That was weird.
Saeko, for her part, didn't even seem to acknowledge Naruto's reaction. She only tightened her grip slightly, pressing his arm into her chest even more.
With the man's hand occupied, Saeko collected the bottle Miku offered Naruto on his behalf, a sweet smile on her face as she stared Miku down.
'Watch your step,' she almost seemed to say.
Takashi glanced at Miku's face.
Her smile seemed frozen even as she tried to recover herself and play it off as nothing.
He looked away in second hand embarrassment.
Wait… I've been distracting myself.
He looked around again. No one was asking.
Don't we deserve to know?
His fingers clenched around the water bottle. If no one else would ask, maybe he should.
Could he?
He took a breath to speak, trying to gather his courage. His lips parted, the words feeling as though they were stuck in his throat.
Talk, dammit!
His eyes darted around, seeking support. They fell on Rei.
Suddenly, he was not solely on the bus again, memory superimposed on reality in tortured few moments.
He was in his seat, his hands painfully gripping his water bottle.
He was on the campus, flanked by Rei and Momo, trying to force open that door that was locked.
The bus rumbled as it went down the highway, the wide roads allowing Hiroshi to put on a bit of speed.
The doors burst outwards as slavering monsters boiled out of the building.
His eyes darted to Miku. She was walking back to her seat, head held high as she gathered the shreds of her dignity around her like a cloak.
The monsters fell on Momo, leading with their fingers curled into claws. Blood and gore splattered as they tore her to shreds.
His eyes flicked to Saeko. Her face was set in contentment, her head on Naruto's shoulders, and her point made.
Saeko grabbed him by the shoulder, wrenching him behind her with such force that she effectively threw him.
He wrenched his eyes away from the others, fixing it on his hands clenched around his water bottle.
He swallowed.
In the end, it boiled down to that night.
It always boiled down to that horrible night.
He swallowed again, forcing his words down his throat.
Maybe I should wait a bit… See what others will say.
He didn't trust his thoughts.
Couldn't trust his thoughts.
If he'd known that early enough, Momo would still be alive.
There was a tingle on the tips of Shizuka's fingers, an aftereffect of the pure adrenaline rush of the last hour or so.
She still felt wired, as if her blood had turned electric, her nerves humming with the aftershock of what she'd seen.
The bus rumbled beneath her feet, and she exhaled slowly.
Hiroshi had taken the wheel, and she made her way back to the cabin. Takashi's eyes fell on her as she passed, and she could not help a small smirk at seeing the curiosity in his eyes.
It was a sight better than what was there for the last few days.
But then again, who could remain indifferent after seeing that?
She felt energized—like those cute foreign advertisements of that energy drink.
Bull? Something bull… The one with wings.
Her eyes fell on Kyoko sitting beside her customary seat, head down and hands clasped tightly and between her knees as though she was cold.
She frowned internally.
It seemed like the woman was not taking her first exposure to something like high stakes too well.
I'll get to that soon.
Her eyes flickered to where Naruto was sprawled.
For now, I have my mind on something else.
Naruto had promised them information, and she could barely stand the wait any longer. She spied Kohta and Saya sitting with their heads together, occasionally glancing Naruto's way.
It was easy to see that they were also burning with curiosity.
Miku was on her feet, swaying with the bus as she walked down the central aisle, passing bottles of water around. Shizuka managed to get a glimpse of her face as she passed her, and couldn't help but turn to look in the direction Miku was headed.
Naruto was still there, but Saeko was sitting beside him now.
Or had she always been there?
Shizuka's ears perked up, her thoughts whirling as she observed the scene unfolding.
Miku's swaying clicked into focus now that she'd confirmed where she was headed. She hadn't noted the arrangement of her shirt because honestly? Miku could be way more brazen.
But if she was trying to approach Naruto?
Saeko's eyes were hard, her gaze focused on the incoming girl.
There were only so many other places Miku could have been going.
She must be targeting the seat on Naruto's other side.
It would be natural to simply slide into the seat after handing out water to Saeko and Naruto, using the bus' motion to make it look even more authentic.
Saeko however, was not having any of that.
She took Naruto's arm, trapping it between hers and her body.
Shizuka's eyes flicked to Naruto's face.
The man's eyes were on where his arm and Saeko's met.
For a fraction of a second, his brow furrowed—as if he wasn't sure what had just happened.
His face cycled through a myriad of emotions.
Surprise. Confusion. Pleasure. Acceptance.
They followed each other so fast that they might as well have been a dream.
Then, the tension in his shoulders eased.
The shift was subtle, the whole thing happening in a flash. To someone else, all they might have seen would have been the man looking a bit surprised before settling down.
But she knew just how much of a big deal it was.
Saeko had made her play, and had just pulled ahead.
It was only to be expected. If I was so affected by watching him fight, how must it be for Saeko?
The man looked—
Dare I say, happy?
It drove home how much Naruto held himself apart from them for this to be a big deal.
Miku thought so as well. Her gait stuttered, and she nearly stumbled as the bus dipped, managing to recover herself barely.
Saeko collected both bottles from Miku, a smile so sugary it should cause diabetes on her face.
There was really nothing she could do besides make a hasty exit.
The seat on the other side of Naruto remained open.
It drove home a point to Shizuka—Saeko had thrown her hat in the ring, and marked her territory.
There would be no getting Naruto without reckoning with that.
But is that even what I want?
She did not know. She needed more information.
She was never the type who could coast on the strength of her emotions.
It started as a crush, but with these stakes…
She did not want to delude herself—in this sort of place the world had become, someone could very easily be killed by someone like Saeko for poaching. She needed to decide exactly the kind of relationship she wanted with Naruto, and if she was able to provide anything towards that.
The image of Naruto, with Saeko at his side, and the other side open, stuck in her mind.
She stared at the space.
It was an empty void filled with an unspoken invitation—if she could grasp it.
But it wouldn't stay open forever.
She had to bring something unique to the table. And before she decided if she even wanted to, she needed to know exactly who Naruto was and what he intended to build.
It all led back to her curiosity.
She cleared her throat to speak, drawing all eyes to herself.
Shizuka clearing her throat drew Kyoko's attention.
Kyoko looked around, as though waking up. Shizuka was seated beside her, startling her a bit. A half-full bottle of water was sloshing around in the blonde doctor's hand as the bus trudged on.
When did she get here?
She pulled her attention back inwards, glancing out of the window. The road sped by even as the bus rumbled down the highway. It was completely deserted. There was an exit on the other lane that should have led into the city. It was congested with vehicles that had long been abandoned, drawing her back to the scene they just left.
Her first face-to-face with the zombies that did not involve hiding.
Shizuka's voice drew her back out of her mind for a moment. The woman was making small talk, trying to get the bus going it seemed.
Kyoko could not be bothered with that.
Something that had been at the back of her mind since the beginning of the madness that was now their normal life was how utterly 'normal' she was.
She was not suited for survival. If this were an anime, she'd have been unlucky enough to be at the gate when the zombies entered the school.
But this was not an anime.
Somehow, she survived. She fell in with a crowd that was going places, and was led by Naruto.
Naruto…
The name alone sent something twisting through her chest—too fast, too fleeting to hold onto.
Her thoughts on him were complicated.
Better to leave them that way.
So she focused on herself. She was slowly learning to contribute to the group. Learning to work with different people, most of them students, without the protection of her position as their teacher.
A few minutes ago, she was placed in the position to learn how to face her death.
Because that is exactly what that was. Any error, and we'd all have been drowning in zombies as we were torn apart.
Her fingers still felt tingly. Her hands were clammy, cold, clasped together and tucked between her thighs. She squeezed them, as if grounding herself.
But the image wouldn't leave her.
A face was stuck in her mind.
A zombie, half its head caved in by Rei's staff, and slumped against one of the abandoned cars, moving no longer. The decomposition had not gone too far, or this particular specimen was a freak because it had a face that you might see on the streets when the world was normal.
It was unbelievably surreal.
"What do you think, Kyoko?"
Kyoko's eyes jerked up to look at Shizuka, startled once again. "What do I think about what?" she asked, mildly confused.
Shizuka tsked. "About Naruto!" she exclaimed. "He promised to give us some answers! Surely now is the perfect time for that, no?"
Kyoko worried her lips as the person she'd been avoiding thinking about was brought up again.
He was sprawled in his chair, leaning into Saeko. He filled the space, like always. Effortlessly.
He looked content to stay that way, paying attention to their discussion about him, but not looking the least bit likely to comment either way.
Kyoko's eyes narrowed before she could stop them.
His one complete arm was between Saeko's arm and her body, just almost between her breasts even.
She threw herself from those thoughts before they could even form.
"I guess so," Kyoko replied to Shizuka. "If he isn't comfortable telling us, I think we should trust him."
And didn't that sit bitter in her mouth as she said it…
For all his faults, he is a dependable man. Maybe the most dependable man I ever met.
"You could see it like that," said Miku, interjecting. "Or you could also flip it. Shouldn't Naruto trust us as well? We're risking our lives too, you know?"
Kyoko glanced at Miku as she spoke.
There was something in Miku's voice—an edge, maybe. Not quite fear, not quite hope. But something like ambition wrapped in silk. Kyoko could not place her finger on it, but as Miku spoke, it stood out more in Kyoko's mind.
Then, the most unlikely person spoke up.
"I agree with Miku," Takashi said, his voice a quiet thing. Kyoko couldn't help the nearly reflexive annoyance that flared up hearing his voice.
She looked away, forcing it down and stuffing it in the chest of things about herself she did not want to think about. Her gaze drifted back to Naruto—more precisely, to where Saeko still clung to his arm.
Openly. Boldly.
Like he'd wanted with me.
There was the faintest hint of a smile on his face as he considered Takashi. If Kyoko had been expecting him to shut Takashi up, she would have been utterly disappointed.
She couldn't help but look away from them.
From him.
Her shoulders had tightened without her noticing. She eased them down, breathing slowly through her nose.
Takashi was still speaking, and she made herself pay attention. "Naruto might not be comfortable sharing everything with us, but we may not be comfortable living with and relying on a total stranger too." His voice began to thin out, as though losing steam. "I think that maybe he should be considerate of our feelings as well."
The boy ended his sentence like a question, sinking back into his chair as though he used up all his courage for the day to contribute even that much.
"Takashi is right," said Saya, her voice pinched, as though it pained her to admit that. "I admit that there's an element of curiosity," she conceded. "However, who wouldn't be curious? If any other thing could be brushed aside, the fact that you took down that abomination can not be ignored."
Kyoko had nearly forgotten all about that.
Naruto looked a bit abashed. If his hand was not being stuffed into Saeko's breasts, he might have even scratched his head in that endearing manner of his.
Saya continued, turning to Saeko. "Back me up on this, Saeko. I know you're also curious about who he really is. I mean… surely no one here still thinks you're just a martial arts instructor, right?"
Saeko shrugged noncommittally.
Saya shook her head slightly and plunged on. She took a deep breath as if contemplating whether to say what she had in mind.
Kyoko could see when the girl decided 'fuck it'.
Saya took another deep breath, as though preparing herself. "I already know you aren't just a teacher," she admitted. "I know that you are a contractor for my father. He has you grouped under 'sanitation', and I know that's how he designates his wetworks assets."
Kohta looked like a bulb went off in his head. "Oh!" he exclaimed.
"That explains a lot," muttered Rei.
"Are you supposed to be telling us this?" asked Miku, concern and some form of mild panic colouring her voice. "The best way to keep a secret between three people is if two of them are dead, and I don't want to factor into that brutal calculation simply because you had to go and spill some beans."
Saya threw her hands up as she muttered under her breath. "Oh for the love of… No one is killing anyone here! This isn't some kind of classified news." She gestured at Shizuka. "Even the blonde doctor that cosplays a ditz was already aware!"
"Now Saya," said Shizuka, her voice holding a hint of disapproval. "No need to get testy with others. Miku's just concerned for herself."
Before Shizuka could continue though, Kyoko raised her hand to get everyone's attention. There was something that caught her attention in this whole thing. "This might sound a bit dumb," she began. "But, what is 'wetworks'? How does that explain anything? And why did Miku think we might be in danger knowing that Naruto was a wetworker?"
Kyoko was a bit uncertain that the last word was even a word, but she was sure everyone would understand what she was saying.
"Before that, I believe we must make something clear," interjected Saeko, her voice firm.
She sat up as much as she could while still holding on to Naruto's arm.
"Naruto isn't just a cleaner. That is just a small part of his work," Saeko continued.
"Figures that's the part you'd correct," sighed Rei in exasperation.
Saya huffed at the same time. "For the government, maybe," she said. "But my father uses Naruto almost exclusively for sanitation purposes."
Turning to Kyoko to head off her question, Saya continued. "As for what wetworks mean, well, consider that 'cleaner' is an euphemism for assassin."
Kyoko's eyes widened and her eyes flew to Naruto. He was looking directly at her, holding her gaze with a small, sad smile on his face. She ignored the mutters of the others at Saya's announcement and asked Naruto directly.
"Is it true, Naruto?"
The man shrugged.
Shrugged!
"Pretty much," he said. "I'm something like the premier black ops contractor in this city."
"More like in the nation," corrected Saya.
"Busujima Snr would take exception to that," Naruto remarked in reply.
Kyoko's eyes flew to Saeko's face.
She looked completely at ease. Nothing that was being said here was a surprise to her.
"Papa would not," corrected Saeko, quietly but firmly. "Papa would have struggled to kill that abomination—even if he had prep time."
She snuggled into the man more. "I'm afraid that I am stuck with you for the time being, per papa's instructions." She looked up at him. From that position, it would have been through her lashes. "You had better take responsibility," she said softly.
Not soft enough that the whole bus did not hear it.
The two of them seemed completely engrossed in each other until Shizuka clapped. Loudly.
"That's all fine and dandy," Shizuka said, a soft smile on her face. "But we've gone off track. Being black ops would do nothing to help you face that abomination. Even Saeko admits that."
Rei snorted. "That's not the really scary thing though," she said. "The really scary thing is that Naruto has just one arm."
Hiroshi snorted quietly to himself at Rei's declaration.
No. The really scary thing is that Naruto can bend reality over his knee and smack its bottom with nothing but paper and some symbols.
He paid passing attention to the discussion going on behind him, lost in his own thoughts. His fingers tapped out a melody on the steering wheel even as he ate up ground. Miku's unknowing echo of his sentiment on secrets might have been a deja vu moment if the scenario was lighter.
As it was, all it did was restate what he already knew—Naruto was the most dangerous person in the world right now. There was no real long term survival that did not require coming to reckon with that fact.
He snuck a glance at Naruto from his mirror.
He was snuggled up with Saeko, looking all content.
He could certainly have done worse than her. In the end, we all need someone to come home to.
He knew Naruto would give them something. What? He could not say.
He seriously doubted that he would tell them about the seals though.
Maybe just Saeko, if he hasn't already.
As far as Hiroshi was concerned, they were already a couple. Saeko just needed to get tired enough and grab Naruto by the scruff of his neck.
He glanced back in the mirror.
Or arm, in this case.
Maybe it was because he already knew about the seals, but Naruto being black ops didn't really surprise him. The man was simply too controlled and simultaneously efficient at killing to be anything besides that at the very least.
But to be fair, could anything else I learn about him really compare with that?
Could it compare to the fact that right at this moment there were slips of paper on the inside of the bus' chassis that had kept it from buckling under the assault of that abomination that had attacked them?
Hiroshi didn't think so.
That thing had torn up asphalt from the force it was running with. It should've folded their bus like a soda can. But it didn't—because of Naruto's paper and ink.
"So," Shizuka's voice filled the cabin. She was not shouting—not really. Yet she had a way about her—a presence, if you will—when she put her mind to it.
That presence was turned on to its fullest as she asked directly. "Who are you, Naruto?"