62Disclaimer: I don't own NARUTO nor H.O.T.D.! I only own this plot!
AN: English isn't my daily language so be cool with me
Previously: The young Alice is rescued by the clone of Naruto and the shinobi have all suit up. The airport receive new reinforcements of the Don. The shinobi break the group in two-part.
Chapter 10: Journey through the land of the Dead
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Tuesday, April 13th 2010, Takagi Estate, approximately twenty-seven hours after the outbreak (12:00 A.M.):
Takagi Yuriko is at the side of her husband who has asks everybody in the safe zone to come listen to him. She hasn't thought there was these many refugees in their safe zone and she knows understand better why the shinobi had want for them to talk to them. The more people, the more rotten one there will be. They need to consolidate their leadership before some power-hungry fools try a coup against them. More, if they can enroll the help of those with firearms training and even the help of technician or even engineer, without forgetting the doctor, nurse, cooks or even fire-fighter. They need people ready to help and organize the resistance against the uprising of the dead. Her husband talks with all the charisma he is able to give hope to the people and to give them an objective they can visualize.
Turning her eyes on the horizon, she can see the red, yellow and green smokes that are visible high in the sky. Another idea of the shinobi, the red smoke symbolize the limit of the safe zone and the blocked street. The green smokes are the "doors" of said zone and the yellow are for the checkpoint in the controlled zone. The moment one of them will turn black, this will mean that the point is overwhelmed or lost. This system is so simple and instinctive than everybody can understand it without even knowing the details. The survivors will go to the green smoke without even thinking about going to the red ones.
The cries of some people in the crowd gets her attention anew. It seems her husband have tell them of the project to send people to the offshore airport in boats or in trucks if they can't find a safe boat in the mainland seaport.
Tuesday, April 14th 2010, Hydroelectric dam, North of Okunako, approximately thirty hours after the outbreak:
The clone has just finished securing and clearing the plant, there was more dead than anticipated but nothing his swords couldn't handle. He even uses his bike noisily to attract all of them here to really secure the zone. After, two hours of extermination and all his ammo spent, he finally couldn't see or heard any walking corpse in his range. As of the moment, he is in the middle of the inventory of the self-defense outpost and uses the trash to reinforce the secure perimeter at the same time that he freed space in the barracks and all the building of the military ground. The heaviest weapons he founded are five RPG Panzerfaust 3, three mortars L16 81mm and two heavy-machinegun M2 canons. They are all ready for transport in carrying case with the ammo in ten other cases. This is less than the original had hoped but more than the expectation of Shikamaru. But the true treasure are the ten cases of explosive C4 and the forty cases of 7.62*51mm NATO cartridge which is the former standard of the country member of the militaristic organization but still vastly common to this day. Sure, the shinobi don't use it but the firearms they will probably found or retrieve will use this type of cartridge. As he was verifying another case, his communicator flared to life:
"
- Deadpool Two Deadpool Two, this is THQ. Do you copy? Over.
- THQ THQ, this is Deadpool Two, present at the OP point. Over.
- Deadpool Two, a column of vehicle is ready to go to OP point. Is there a package to retrieve or do we abort the journey? Over.
- THQ, there is a small one, a small truck will amply suffice. Over.
- Deadpool Two, is the zone cleared enough for civilian? Over.
- Affirmative THQ, the two sub-zones are safe but you will need a small armed force to protect the engineers and their families here. By the way, they are some survivors here, some employees without families. Over.
- Roger Deadpool Two, we will discuss it with the Don. You are expected à OB point in one hour. Over.
- Roger THQ, on my way. Deadpool Two over.
"
With a sigh, he closes the doors and grips his swords before walking silently to his bike. He was supposed to disperse himself after his missions. So why shall he return to Tokonosu? Shikamaru must have a reason. With a last survey of the zone, he starts his Suzuki and charges for the city to be their before his chakra reserves falls too low to survive.
Tuesday, April 14th 2010, on the road between Akimichi "restaurant" and Minami Rika apartment, approximately thirty hours after the outbreak (03:00 P.M.):
Shikamaru thinks about Naruto and his little group who had departed two hours ago. He sure hopes that they will make it without any problem. The others are in the armored carrier with Chôji wheeling it and young Hirano at the periscope and the remotely operated turret. The strategist is in the Mitsubishi Pajero alone with all the resources the vehicle could take except for the ammo which are in the carrier with the rest of the refugees. All he has is the food, the medicine, the clothing, camping gear and water and all his electronic equipment are on the big trailer with the generator set. The V6 and the 4WD system are used to their maximum capacity, it could be considered almost comic if not for the walking dead. Seriously, the roof of the SUV is so loaded than the shinobi can see deformations and at each shock he can hear gnashing sounds. "Troublesome, I can't wait to retrieve the Humvee of this Minami."
The sound of his radio informs him than the Naruto clone of the plant is on his way. But before he can think further on it, the sound of the turret firing takes all his attention. "Fuck! There are still mad survivors? I would have thought they had been overwhelmed yesterday. I'm glad the VAB is in front of me and not behind. That would have been troublesome for sure." The explosion of a vehicle tells him that the young Hirano enjoys his new toy a little too much for his tastes. On second thought, at the sight of the ambush he supposes that wasn't overkill. The Nara didn't think the gang will have the discipline to stay together, a leader with a good enough brain to build checkpoints on their territory.
Inside the carrier, Hayashi Kyoko observes all the passengers in the carrier with her. Lots of events had happened and all of them had savored the safe heaven that was the restaurant yesterday. Now that the adrenaline is again in her system, the mind of the former professor is operating at 120% and analyses all the events since the death of her co-workers. She curses at some of her actions but the more urgent matter is that she can clearly see two groups forming in the remaining refugees still together.
The first are the group who are totally loyal to Naruto and by extension to his friends. This group is composed of Takagi Saya, Busujima Saeko, Iba Hideo,Fujita Natsume, Markiwa Shizuka and herself, they trust completely Naruto and if he himself believe in this two friends of his then so will they in order to survive this new world. The second group is composed of Miyamoto Rei, Komuro Takashi, Ichijou Misuzu, Niki Toshimi and probably Kôta Hirano who aren't in total accordance with the leadership.
The former senseï can understand Misuzu and Toshimi, the girls know nobody here. They don't know if they can trust their actual company.m Hirano is a bullied student so he probably has some issues with the adults but Naruto and his friends have treated him right till now so he will surely follow for the moment even if she can't be sure of that. Rei and Takashi have been repeatedly reprimanded and even threaten by Naruto. Takashi has trust-issues for months now and the blond teacher has physically hurt his childhood friend and crush. About the latter, Kyoko doesn't trust her one bit at this time, the girl is simply put not entirely sane. She heard that Takashi had been forced to kill his best friend, her boyfriend. A sane person would have some kind of rancor, it is natural and understandable. So to see the girl flirts with the boy is a very bad sign or the poor Hisashi wasn't as loved as he should have. "The more I think about her and the worst my conclusions become. I really need to talk to one of them about her."
The only saving grace is that the second group is too weak to confront the first head-on. But that means the adults needs to keep an eye on them to prevent any risk of the dissention in the group to extent to the others. She doubts it but her mother has always says that it is better to prevent than to cure. If they can join the sector protected by the Takagi, this problem will probably disappear without any consequence.
Naruto and his group advances slowly but safely to their destination till a big contingency in the form of a building full of "them". The shinobi decides that close-combat is the better solution so he signs to Sam and Akane to support him on the front-line while Miku and Suseri are to support them in long-range and be protected by Nami in the rear of the group while the brother of the latter is between them.
The blond keeps an eye on his wings to be sure to help if necessary. His swords slash swiftly and precisely his targets without hesitation. Ishii, the only non-combatant of the group looks on with awe at the man who literally terminates "them" with a superhuman facility. It is terrifying to think someone he thought was a civilized man is in reality a killing-machine of the highest caliber. In fact, as he observes the others, evidence comes to his mind. They all have changed, they killed like veteran. This stark realization disturbs him profoundly. He glimpses his sister on the key vive and for the first time since the beginning of the nightmare, Kazu Ishii makes a choice. "I swear to you Nami, I won't let you become a killer like them!" He wasn't too enthusiast to risk walking in this nightmare but now if this is the price to pay to go to a civil zone then so be it.
Miku and Suseri too are in awe of the skill of their mentor but they can still operate efficiently to protect their friends. Miku is torn, on one hand, the undead had killed Inamura but then the latter is probably one of them now. At each kill, a flash of his face appears in her mind. She can't help the guilt that foster on her heart, if only… "Senseï has always says to not brood around but to use our mistakes to better ourselves." And with that, she shoots an arrow through the head of one of "them" that escape the vigilance of Akane. The latter has her naginata trapped in the head of one of "them" but fortunately for her, Naruto is immediately at her side to free her weapon.
A few minutes later, the last of "them" falls without his head that fly in the other way because of the quick slash of the shinobi. Sheathing his mêlée weapons, he takes his two modified FN-P-90 before exiting the building and observing the street. Only five undead in sight and with a speed superior even to the better automate, the five falls with a bullet in the middle of their foreheads.
Another block of building and they will arrive to the drop point. His clock indicates they need to be there in less than ten minutes. With simple gesture, he makes his group understands than they need to speed it a little. The faint sound of the helicopter is only heard by the blond who estimate they will be at the rendezvous point in one or two minutes. "This means we have less than five to make it there safely. After that, the dead too will heard the helicopters and this will become troublesome as Shika would put it."
Tuesday, April 14th 2010, Minami Rika apartment, approximately thirty-two hours after the outbreak:
The clone sees the young child plays with the dog she has found in the garden. The blond can't begin to understand how the animal has succeeded in entering in the secure perimeter he sets up. "One of these mysteries you better not think about if you don't want a big headache." At the sound of two vehicles on the street, the clone jumps to the roof and sigh with relief when he recognize the VAB. With another jump, he is next to Alice:
"
- Remember Alice-chan, you never saw me. Your father is the one who has leaded you here…
- And because he has been bitten, he runaway from me to not kill me.
- Good girl and don't worry we will see each other soon, bye.
- Bye Puffy Chess Master!
"
And then the clone disappears in a cloud of smoke letting the young child amazed and a confused dog. "Thanks daddy. Don't worries about me Oni-chan will protect me and tell mummy I love you both." The young girl thought as she looks in the sky. She has cried a lot but her new brother figure has explained to her why the better way to honor her parents was to have the better life possible as that what they would want for her, to be happy not tortured by their deaths.
Hirano has his doubts when Shizuka had said her friend owns a Humvee. He had thought she means the "show-off" variant for the civilian not a "true" variant of the military vehicle. Seriously, first Uzumaki-senseï and now Marikawa-senseï reveals that one of her friends is some type of élite soldier of the country. "Maybe I am with the best people who I could find to survive this uprising of the dead… For once, I AM lucky." The former bullied thought with glee. Feeling a large hand on his shoulder, he turns to the driver Chôji who has a smile on his joyous face: "Come on, tell the others we arrived and that we will make a short break during the change of car. I am sure they will want to get out some time. I will take guard alone."
The tallest of the shinobi couldn't be more right. The moment the rear gate was open, all the passengers rushed to take a breather of the uncomfortable seat of the carrier. Sure, even with the ammo, they have space for all them but they pity the poor soldiers throughout the world that has passed years in them. Only Saeko hasn't complain during the trip but with her background it isn't really surprising, she probably have known worst. As to Saya, she immediately sees that Shikamaru is utilizing his Ipad and she wants to know what he is doing and what kind of data he had access to. Shizuka has a small smile, her friend is still alive and they have promised each other no matter what to see each other soon. Kyoko taps her shoulder to invite her to the apartment, they are on a timetable after all and the zone isn't cleared of them. Takashi and Rei choose to go in the apartment to rest or help take all they can for their survival. Natsume and Hideo go to the Humvee to inspect it and they agree it will be a better vehicle than the civilian SUV driven by the leader of their mentor. Hirano chooses to go to the residence only to find Alice and the dog.
Shikamaru is searching for "them" because he finds himself surprised to have seen so little of "them". "Maybe they all have been attracted to the bridges by the noise of the panicking people?" Even this hypothesis doesn't satisfy him fully. The town is large, there should still be more of them in the streets. His thoughts are interrupted by the "princess" that wants to know what he is doing. To avoid some questions, he answers he receive data from her father and that they will resume their journey as soon as the Humvee is ready to hit the road and not stay the night here. He is surprised when she informs him that the river isn't too profound nearby and that the Humvee should be able to cross it without any problem. He responds by saying the VAB is an amphibious vehicle. Exiting the SUV, Shikamaru begins to think about the better means of distributing the loads they have and will retrieve here.
Tuesday, April 14th 2010, Tokonosu Offshore International Airport, approximately twenty-eight hours after the arrival of the first reinforcement, thirty-two hours after the outbreak:
The more they fight in this airport, the more Kitsune begins to think this position is fucked. He knows that his chiefs want this airport secured by tomorrow but there is no way in hell they will succeed without new reinforcements but he doubts the Don can spare anymore without a secure point. "Talk about vicious circle" The squad leader thought bitterly. He and his team succeed only in stopping the dead to cross over to the second island. The first progress of Yuuki team have given hope to keep this position but the main island and the terminals are full of these unnatural things.
The only grace in his eyes is the fact all the fighters have easy defendable positions. As the last report communicated by the local HQ, the body-count was 16,893 undead for 1,214 refugees. The last refugees come more than four hours ago so it is reasonable to say there won't be anymore miracle of this front. "I have a report to make to the Don in less than one hour and I doubt he will be pleased by our result" Kitsune needs to clear his head to expose the situation with the facts explained precisely and correctly. They will need the better data he can transmit to appreciate at best the situation and choose the better course of action.
"
- Shadow leader Shadow leader, this is Dahlia, gate 4 asks for reinforcements immediately. Over.
- Dahlia Dahlia, this Shadow leader, I am on the opposite why do you contact me? Over.
- Shadow leader, the others teams on all the gates 1 to 8 are under heavy pressure, we need some of your men to go reinforce theses positions before they fall. Dahlia Over.
- Fuck!... Dahlia, Shadow will go north of four gates but you need to find a solution to guard the positions we gave up, do you roger that Dahlia. Shadow leader. Over.
- … Shadow leader, Dahlia roger that. We let you organize your team. Over.
- Yeah… Shadow leader. Over.
"
"Is a fucking idiot has jinx us or our karma sucks this much?" Kitsune thought darkly while contacting his team to help the others gates. All the women and men of the Don execute the squad leader orders without complaint but he sure as hell knows what they think in their minds.
"Wait a minute... I jinx us when I thought of the easy defendable position... Fuck me!" With this last thought, he runs to another position while hoping Uzumaki-taïcho will arrive soon.
Doctor Konoha has just finished her last operation when the director informs her that the wing where are the best medical gear of the airport is on the verge to be take over by the dead. Now that is a dilemma for her, should she fight the zombies or fall back with the others civilians and by consequence losing a strategical point for the survival in the long-term. After a short reflexion, she frowns when the obviousness comes to her mind. If the small hospital fall, the airport will probably follow after inexorably regardly of the valour of the fighters here. So for her own survival, she needs to step up her game. Taking two crutches and breaking them a little to obtain giant tonfas, she calmly walks to the dead who forgot their place in the world. The guards are too shocked to react before the first dead lunges for the doctor only to have his dead explodes. The doctor swings the crutch responsible to clean it of the human fluid and still walks calmly to the undead without fear or hesitation.
AN: Hey. I'm on a roll here, three chapters in three weeks.
So the doctor reveals her martial aptitude to the other. The situation at the airport seems to know a new dynamic in the fight. Will the airport be rescued or will it need to be evacuated?
And we still don't know if the first team at the airport have survived or more precisely who die in the explosion?
And Yes, I still didn't reveal who is the mysterious doctor and nobody has the answer!
See Ya!