Work is insane again. Uploads will likely slow down.
As for that one who was mentioning the chapters not loading in the comments and telling me to fix it... If I answer you like you deserve, people will say I am a bad person.
To the other normal people, enjoy. As usual, please point out any issues in the comments. I'm just one bloke. I can't catch them all, unfortunately.
Made an edit: Kohta has a crossbow, not a nail gun. My bad...
Saeko's heart still beat hard against her chest. Her breathing was only just coming back under her control. Despite her training, nothing could prepare her for the horror of the thing Naruto killed.
The frantic rush back to the bus was a blur of flatout racing interspersed with Naruto's voice over the radio as he gave terse instructions, somehow directing Hiroshi even from where they were.
And that's something to bring up with him later…
He'd naturally pulled ahead of her soon enough.
He got to the last street a few seconds before she did, disappearing around the corner. But she turned the corner and found him already neck deep in the most brutal display of combat she had ever seen.
She could not even get satisfaction from the violence—her terror had wrapped its hands around her brain, squeezing it tight. It was only her training that gave her the presence of mind to remember the objective—the bus—and go for it.
She'd positioned herself in front of the bus, just in case.
In case of what, she could not say.
Would not say.
Because the simple truth is that if Naruto couldn't beat that thing, all I'd be able to do is die tired.
For the first time since the outbreak started, she could finally relate with the other women—with Shizuka and Kyoko and Miku.
Terror sucked.
As she stood there, feeling like a fool even as Naruto and the thing threw themselves around, her blade remained steady, her posture straight and firm.
That she was terrified was no reason to completely embarrass herself now, was it?
The whole fight lasted less than five minutes, but that much time was an eternity in any fight. As Naruto was hurled down the street they were on, naked, time seemed to slow down, dragging out the last seconds of the fight.
Her heartbeat pounded, sending terror screaming through her body.
And yet—she couldn't take her eyes off him.
Even as he was tossed through the air, he was controlled. Powerful. Muscles rippled deliciously under his skin, glowing in the afternoon light.
I'm such a useless girl… A naughty, naughty, useless girl.
The thing blurred as it chased him down. And Naruto kept up with it.
His final blow was an otherworldly technique that obliterated the monster from the waist down.
Oh it looked like a punch. It was the kind of thing that less martially inclined people would eventually convince themselves that they were remembering wrongly.
But she knew better.
She knew what she saw.
She'd looked into the bus then, concerned. She need not have worried. Everyone was hyper focused on the fight, eyes glued on the rear window with pale faces. They were frozen in place, unable to move even for a better angle to watch from.
They had just seen something they should not have survived.
It was no surprise to her that the rear camera was forgotten by everyone at that moment.
Thankfully…
Why was she thankful for that?
Because she needed time.
She needed to process what she saw—to understand.
Without the others' questions, without the weight of their stares, without the burden of their interest.
She had watched something impossible today. Something beyond her.
Whatever that thing was, whatever Naruto is… I have to know.
Because the truth was that the abomination should have killed them.
Should have killed me.
The blow ended it all abruptly. For the first time in what felt like forever, the street was still. Her breathing, ragged and uneven, finally slowed. The weight in her chest began to ease—but the horror did not.
Only then did she turn toward the bus and speak. She was proud her voice was steady.
"Could I get a sheet, please?"
No one needed to ask why. Naruto's butt cheeks were out on glorious display.
Still, Kohta was the only one with the presence of mind to respond, wordlessly offering her a rumpled sheet from somewhere within the mess that was the cabin after their chase earlier.
She took it, rolling it into a bundle as she set off to meet him.
No one I know would survive fighting that thing at melee range.
As she approached, her hesitation grew, the weight of a naked Naruto in front of her was suddenly too much.
I… I didn't think this through properly.
He turned to meet her gaze. "It's dead—you can come closer."
This man… she sputtered mentally.
Utterly shameless…
Tearing her gaze away from him, she fixed it on the corpse—or what was left of it—as she offered him the sheet.
Even in death, it still looked menacing, like a horror abomination juiced on aggression. Reduced to mangled flesh and bone, the thing still felt wrong. Its ruined form should have looked lifeless, but somehow, it felt like it was waiting—as if whatever death energy that animated it had not yet fully left.
She had a horror image of trying to face the thing. Of dying like an animal as it tore her apart.
Even Papa… If this thing got into any survivors' enclave, no one is coming out alive.
She eyed the man from the corner of her eye as he tried to wind the sheet around himself.
Except this man.
Tried, and failed.
He flapped his hand around, his stump flailing uselessly as he tried and failed to get the sheet into any sort of organised wrap. Eventually, he simply draped it over himself.
While that worked wonders for her view, it wouldn't do to share it with all the others in the bus.
She stepped closer to help him, placing her hand on his chest to keep him in place.
The chance to get her hands on his body did not factor into her decision in any way, shape, or form.
That was her story, and she would stick to it.
He took a moment to calm down, getting his breathing back under control. He had not been forced to escalate in this manner since he arrived in this world. Fighting humans was tricky, but there was a hard limit on their physical ability.
That abomination though…
It seemed like it had no such thing, and was only limited by its experience. The longer they fought, the more it learned, adapted. If his chakra shield was not in place… If he was still relying on the seals in his clothes, the thing would have stabbed him with his own damned blade.
That would have been awkward.
He turned to meet Saeko, who was approaching hesitantly. "It's dead—you can come closer."
The rest of the group remained in the bus, thankfully.
She wordlessly handed him a sheet, her eyes still on the corpse. Even in death, she remained reluctant to approach it.
Understandable—even he found it discomforting.
He wondered how much she'd seen. At least some of that hesitation had to be for him, as far as he could tease out.
He struggled to wrap himself for a bit, before simply settling for draping it around his body.
That would have to do.
Saeko must have noticed his struggles. She stepped up, putting her hand on his chest to keep him still, before grabbing the edges of the sheet, wrapping him in it like a toga, and tying it off on his shoulder.
The wind teased, bringing a hint of her scent to his nostrils—sharp with sweat and steel and edged with the rawness of adrenaline. Beneath it all, there was something softer, something uniquely hers, like the scent of the memory of fading jasmine and wood. In any romcom worth its name, this would have been a picture-perfect moment.
All it did was bring something else to his notice. There was no scent from the corpse at his feet.
He frowned minutely as he considered the possible implications of that. While they'd fought, it reeked—a pungent smell that was a mixture of a background of the stale coppery tang of old blood and the sharp acrid tones of urine-soaked concrete, shot through with highlights of a sweet, cloying smell, like a swamp of overripe fruit.
But now, it might as well not be there with its lack of scent.
It was like it had never been there in the first place, even if the remains of its corpse decorated the asphalt.
Even after all these years, you're still a complete fool with women. I don't understand it.
Kurama's words distracted him, interrupting his thoughts. Saeko was done with the sheet, and was turning to return to the bus.
He moved to follow. They had a lot to discuss.
Not all of us can be perfect like you, Kurama, he replied as he walked. Mind telling me what I missed?
He could practically feel Kurama's sigh. You're not a kid anymore, Naruto. The girl is in love with you. Address it soon, and do not let it linger.
He kept his face under control, but stole a glance at her as she walked ahead. Even now, her steps were deliberate, trained into her by the legacy her father must have upheld. Her hair was held up in a severe bun, leaving her slender neck exposed. It curved into shoulders that flowed with the unconscious ease of someone comfortable in her own strength, framing the lean power in her arms. Her shirt clung to her back, held there by sweat, and subtly hinting at the support she wore underneath.
Kurama was right—he was not a kid. He knew his feelings on the matter.
But are they appropriate? Even if she might return them?
Kurama was old—older than even the village by orders of magnitude. His sense about the propriety of things like that were… unique. As a shinobi, he had more in common with Kurama's perspective than he did with the perspective of this world. That was the major reason behind his hesitation.
All that was also moot in the world they found themselves in.
But more importantly… Did he care?
The rest of the group was galvanised by them coming towards the bus, piling out of the vehicle in a hurry as though suddenly too cramped inside.
He turned that thought around in his mind, considering it.
Even in Konoha, he'd been encouraged to 'sow his oats', so to speak, as the village made every effort to secure his bloodline for itself. That he'd stayed with Hinata was his personal choice, and not a matter of opportunity.
In the final analysis, it all boiled down to one crucial question—did he really care enough about what others in this world would say if he decided to develop a relationship with Saeko?
No… No I don't.
There was only one person whose opinion he truly cared about—and she was dead.
He exhaled slowly, as if finally letting go of something he hadn't realized he was holding on to. The question had always been there, lingering in the background, waiting for an answer.
Now, there was no more doubt.
So that's that, Kurama said, giving the impression of stretching out. I can't believe how long you vacillated on this matter… Silly boy.
He huffed silently.
There was nothing to say, of course. Kurama was right…
As I usually am.
He sighed to himself again.
So much to do and no clones with which to do them.
Shizuka didn't realize how tightly she was gripping her own arm. Seeing Naruto and Saeko make their way back to the bus, it was as though a spell had been broken.
The thing squeezing her heart finally let up, allowing her to take her first full breath since that thing crashed into the bus. She loosened her hold almost mechanically, sharp stinging pain coming from where her fingernails had dug into her arm, pulling her into the present.
What the hell?...
It was as though the group suddenly exhaled, having been frozen from one breath to the next. They were all moving at once, desperate to get out of the bus and let off the frantic energy built up. She'd barely made it out of the bus before Naruto was at the door.
"Why are all coming out?" he asked, marshalling them back into the bus with his arm. "We don't know if there is any more of that thing in the area. Get in and let's get the hell out of here!"
She paled at his words and immediately reversed direction. Her utter powerlessness, her panicked reaction requiring someone else to 'save her', even if that person was Naruto… It galled.
How could I forget that these are zombies? Swarming is their basic character!
Instead, she'd reacted like she was six and fleeing the thunder at night again.
That she was not the only one was meagre compensation.
Hiroshi chuckled nervously, almost piling into the bus on her heels. He scrambled back into the driver's seat as he cleared his dashboard, waiting for the others to board. Takashi, Kyoko and Saya were next after him, throwing themselves into their seats in exhaustion.
She could understand. She felt like she'd run ten miles while being beaten with sticks.
She could admit easily that she was utterly terrified. But worse than that, she was utterly, completely helpless.
Powerlessness—Shizuka hated that feeling.
It wasn't unfamiliar. As a beautiful woman growing up underestimated, it meant she'd learned to navigate it well.
But this? This wasn't the powerlessness of being ignored, of being dismissed as a ditz.
This was real. Worse, it might happen again.
No. Would happen again.
If that thing had made it inside, I'd be dead right now—at best.
It was debatable if she'd have had the time to scream.
She was alive now. But when they encountered it again… then what?
She moved to the window closest to the door. Naruto stood there, wrapped in a sheet like a roman parody actor.
I have to talk to him… What was that?!
Meanwhile, Miku stumbled some way off from the bus, her face blotchy as tears streamed down her face. She fell to her knees, throwing up on the asphalt. Rei followed her immediately, with open concern on her face. Kohta trailed after them, his head on a nervous swivel even as he gripped his crossbow with white knuckled hands. Naruto frowned, and glanced at Saeko. Their eyes met and they held a silent conversation before she moved to join them—Kohta who was on his haunches beside Miku holding her hair away from her face, and Rei who was on Miku's other side, whispering to her.
"What was that?" she asked him. Her voice was shaky. Breathless. She hated how weak her voice sounded.
She didn't need to say more—everyone knew what she meant by 'that'.
Naruto glanced at her before replying. "I'm not sure—pass me my bag." He shrugged as he continued speaking, his eyes scanning their surroundings. "Remember our speculation on if these things could mutate?" He pointed towards the corpse with his chin. "I think we have our answer."
"Mutations don't just happen, Naruto."
She turned to look at the speaker. Saya was by the door, with worry on her face. Her pink hair was dishevelled, and her face was flushed. Kyoko was still sprawled in her seat, but she was paying attention to their conversation
The girl wrung her fingers as she continued speaking. "Mutations—at least ones that are so complete—require sustained environmental pressures. What would produce such a monster?"
"Saya is right," she said. "Mutations don't even begin to cover whatever the fuck that was."
"I wouldn't know," replied Naruto. "But consider this—what is normal about dead people running around and eating the living?"
He had a point.
Still…
"How did you beat it?" she asked, her voice a whisper.
That was the real question. Superhuman feats by monsters was nothing new in this crazy horror world. But a human that could go toe to toe with those monsters? That could hit something so hard that it blew apart?
Even as a whisper, everyone on the bus somehow heard her question. A breathless silence followed.
Saya leaned forward unconsciously, betraying her interest in the answer. Kyoko seemed nearly to perk up to listen even more blatantly. Takashi and Hiroshi were, from opposite ends of the bus, trying to pretend not to be interested in the answer, and failing woefully.
There were vast opportunities for social investment in this situation, but she could not muster the interest to care about anything that was not Naruto's response.
Not right now.
Even she could see that there was suddenly so much more at stake.
The redhead sighed, before shaking his head, turning away even as he responded. "This is not a time to get distracted. We're out in the open."
He walked away from the door, and her question, and towards the rear of the bus. A sliver of annoyance wormed its way past the cloud of exhaustion, nestling in her chest and giving her warmth.
Shizuka stuck her head out of the window to call him in annoyance, but she noticed that he was already unwrapping the sheet around him.
Hurriedly, she pulled her head back in, a small blush on her face at what she could have seen. Her eyes flickered unconsciously towards the screen showing the view of the rear camera.
Something just happened to obscure the camera—not completely, but enough to show only part of the view.
The disappointment she felt surprised her.
The shame did not.
A minute later, he walked back, dressed in a casual set of joggers. He slipped her his bag and the sheet as he continued speaking, resuming his position by the door. "Keep your questions. When we are safe, I will answer those that I can."
She could only nod silently.
But, he hadn't dismissed them. She glanced around at the rest in the bus even as Rei, Kohta, and Miku began to make their way back to the bus.
The curiosity in their eyes would not be going away until they were satisfied.
Miku's hands trembled, and her eyes felt grainy.
She clenched them shut, allowing herself to be led by Kohta and Rei back towards the bus. Her steps were unsteady, her knees wobbling, even as the sour tang of vomit remained on her lips.
She could feel her heart thundering in her chest. Rei's hand on her back was a comfort, and the physical sensation helped her to focus.
She met Naruto's eyes as she passed him, climbing into the bus. Shizuka was at the door, and was already turning to her with a bottle of water. She took a gulp, moving across the cabin to the opposite window and yanked it open, spitting out the water.
Her eyes fell on the indent in the wall of the bus where the abomination had slammed into them.
It was a miracle that the chassis was not compromised. It bent inwards, but remained unbroken as far as she could see. The entire thing was smeared with a disgusting mix of reds and greens, with bits of bone sticking out.
She took another gulp of the water, washing out her mouth to get rid of the vomit.
Taking a deep breath, she composed herself as best she could as she sank into a chair, sitting as far away from the dent as she could. The bus came to life again, its deep, subtle vibration a comfort to her. She looked at Naruto where he stood.
He had climbed onto the bus, and was with Saya, their heads together. Saeko remained just to his side, and Kyoko and Shizuka were around them, with Shizuka throwing her glances now and then. They were close to the driver's seat, and Hiroshi had turned to face them as they discussed.
"Are you better now?"
She turned to the speaker. Rei stood over her, a bundle in her hands. She looked past her to see Kohta and Takashi picking up, trying to put the bus in some semblance of order again before they set out.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice subdued. "I'll be fine."
Rei stretched her hand out, transferring the bundle so she could hold it against her chin. "Come join us. Having something to do will help take your mind off it."
She considered it, but she already knew she would agree. Even before everything she was feeling antsy. Now?
Now I just might go mad if I stay doing nothing.
She stood, helping to pick up things that were thrown about in their frantic race to escape. To stay ahead of the monster. As she calmed down, a different sort of fear began to wrap around her heart.
It was a cold thing—gently suffocating, clouding all she could see of the future. She glanced at Rei, and she shot her a smile. A pang of jealousy flashed through her.
How can she be so… so calm?
The group at the front dispersed, and she glimpsed Naruto and Saeko as they slipped out of the bus and back on the road. Meanwhile, Kyoko remained standing even as the others returned to their seats, and Hiroshi began to move.
The former pingpong adviser clapped twice, drawing attention to her. "Alright," she began. "I can't believe we didn't consider it, but we need some drones. There should be a hardware store a few streets away from here, and Naruto and Saeko will lead us to it."
The rest of them stopped what they were doing, paying attention to her. The bus rumbled on, keeping them swaying gently to maintain their balance.
Miku looked around at all of them.
How can any of them be so calm?
"Kohta," Kyoko said, turning to face the person in question. "You and Takashi will be in charge of getting it running. Try and figure out everything you'll need, and the rest of what else we might take from the store."
Kohta nodded, his face serious. "Ideally, we'd take everything that was not nailed down," he said.
"We don't have that luxury of time," Kyoko replied. "We don't want to spend more than half an hour there at most."
"That's plenty of time," said Kohta. He continued before Kyoko could respond, raising both hands disarmingly. "Look—all I'm saying is that with more of us, we could take more of what we might not need now but find useful in the future."
"We only have a limited number of fighters though," Shizuka interjected. "We have to be careful. It is already a miracle all the noise hasn't attracted other zombies."
Watching the conversation, she could not help herself. The jealousy became bitter, a twisting taste at the back of her throat. They were already moving on, already planning, already surviving. And her? She was still trying to remember how to keep breathing.
Trying to remember why to keep breathing.
How can they…
When Miku spoke, it was like a dam starting to break. "Miracles don't happen to us," she said, the bitterness in her voice surprising even her. "It would be just our luck for all the zombies to be amalgamating into an even worse abomination to eat us."
Now that she started, she found that she could not stop.
"And what was the point of that monster?" she asked, throwing her hands in the air as she gathered steam. "I could understand the zombies. Sure they're dead, but they are reanimated. Like the occasional zombie flick. Scary, but manageable. Simple."
Her chest heaved as she sucked in air, her rant well and truly on the way now. "But that monster… Just—why? Why would it need to be such a horror show? It doesn't need to eat or anything. So why?"
Tears gathered in her eyes. "Why?"
Sniffling, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "Why are all of you so strong? Are you people freaks? Look at us—planning another mission right now. Look at what we're doing simply to get across the city."
She raised her eyes. They were already blurring again. "All of you are so great. Somehow, you can pull yourselves together."
A sniffle.
"Hiroshi and Kohta somehow manage to cobble together bus mods that have just literally kept us alive. Rei faced a horde and kept them at bay with a mere stick. Saya is literally the big brains, getting shit planned and done. Kyoko is the implementer and Shizuka is an actual doctor. What am I? I led guys on for social status. How am I supposed to survive?"
She drew into herself, unable to face anyone, eyes flooding again. "I just want it to end—one way or the other." The bitterness was drowned out by despair, filling her mouth with sand. "Is that too much to ask?"
She buried her face in her hands, shaking, stammering. She had to get the words out. "I don't want to die. But with life like this, who needs death? I… I can't continue like this…"
Her voice broke towards the end, the tears swelling in her throat and muffling her voice shut.
She felt hands wrap around her, crushing her into a pair of magnificent tits. Her tears came hot and fast now
"Poor baby," cooed Shizuka.
She cried even harder.
"There there…" the doctor said, patting her on the back as she crushed her in one of the warmest hugs of her life. "Let it all out, girl. It has been hell."
She felt the bus come to a stop, and could sort of sense others moving around her, but she did not care.
Shizuka's arms were the safest she had felt since the world went mad. She didn't have to be strong.
She could just be held and break down in peace.