Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse

Chapter 3: Boulevard of Broken Dreams

The streets were infested with corpses, both walking and unmoving. The disease, or whatever it was, had spread so fast that many people had little or no time to respond while it was still in the early stages. Some people had evidently tried to escape, because there were cars packed full of whatever people could take with them, and zombies inside the cars. Everyone in the bus averted their eyes, and Sasaki started sobbing.

"Oh my god," she moaned, "Mom and Dad, and Satoshi-nii-san, they're all gone…"

"You don't know that, 'Saki-chan," said Sayuki soothingly, holding her girlfriend, but from the rearview mirror Naruto could see the same fears in her light purple eyes. He could feel the same fear permeating the air, rolling off of everyone in the bus.

Of course, everyone was handling it differently. Kiba was being very fidgety; Gaara stared out the window, a mildly annoyed and worried expression on his face; Sasuke was seemingly untroubled by the goings-on around him, except for his eyes, which betrayed a potent mix of fear and exhaustion; Shikamaru was sleeping; and Naruto was focusing on the road and keeping them on it. It helped him not think about his twin sister Naruko, who went to a private school on the other side of Konoha, or his older brother Kyuubi, a college senior at Tokyo University, or his mom, a big-shot lawyer, or his dad, the town's mayor…

"Holy shit!"

His momentary lapse of concentration had almost run them into the car in front of them, and he jammed on the brakes, throwing everyone out of their seats. The seatbelt cut into his shoulder, and he knew that it was going to bruise later.

"I thought you knew how to drive, Uzumaki!" groaned Kiba, picking himself up off the floor, glaring at his friend.

"If you don't like it then get out and walk, 'ttebayo," countered Naruto, and that shut Kiba up, at least temporarily. "Besides, we're stuck. There's no way we can get through the traffic in this, so we have to get out and walk anyway."

"You shitting me?" muttered Shikamaru, rubbing his head where he'd bounced it off the back of the seat in front of him.

"I know where we are," said Naruto. Eight pairs of eyes sized him up.

"Yeah?" snapped Kiba. "So do I… We're as good as zombies now."

"Shut up, Inuzuka," said Sasuke in a quiet, deadly voice that indicated that he was about to beat the crap out of Kiba. Kiba bristled.

"Who's gonna make me, pretty boy?" he growled at the young raven, walking up to him and poking him in the chest. "You? You're at least three inches shorter than me. Besides, you know it's true, what I just said."

"I said shut it, you asshole," rejoined the smaller teenager, whipping out his kusanagi and backing Kiba up against the back wall, the blade pressed to his throat.

"Okay, I'm sorry I poked you in the chest, Princess!" squeaked the brunet. "Goddammit, Naruto, your boyfriend's fucking lost it!"

The comment threw Sasuke off a little bit, and he looked at Naruto, a little bit of shock and confusion apparent through the fear and anger. Naruto felt himself coloring as they held each other's gazes. Then his attention snapped to Kiba.

"Kiba, just 'cause I'm gay does not mean I'm attracted to every guy that I set my eyes on, first of all," said Naruto calmly, despite the fact that he was turning as red as a tomato. "Apparently you haven't read my GLBT column in the school newspaper at all in the three years I've been writing it, 'ttebayo. Second of all, Sasuke is not my boyfriend. And finally, fighting and getting each other pissed off isn't gonna help the situation any, so stop calling each other names, and for fuck's sake Sasuke, put your blade down. Everyone sit down and we'll talk calmly about this."

That diffused the situation a little. Kiba flopped into his seat, holding his neck where Sasuke's blade had nicked him, and Sasuke sheathed the kusanagi and sank back into his own seat, a look of irritation and exhaustion on his face. Naruto tried to get his intense embarrassment under control before he turned and faced the group again, and he heard Kiba say, "But y'know, it's true, Uchiha. Uzumaki does have a huge crush on you."

"One more word about that stupid shit, Kiba," snarled Naruto, rubbing his temples with his thumbs, "and the next time you piss Sasuke off I'm gonna stand back and watch him dismember you. No, fuck that; I'll help him."

In the rearview mirror the blond watched Kiba's face go pale and smirked. It served him right for outing his huge crush on Sasuke. He didn't care about the other stuff… It was no secret that he was gay; everyone who read the school paper knew this, because he'd had a column in it ever since tenth grade in which he started answering peoples' (appropriate) general questions about the GLBTQ community. He had even had a fanclub that rivaled Sasuke's.

When he was positive that he wasn't blushing or feeling the strong urge to kill Kiba anymore, he turned around again, fully composed.

"OK, so as I was going to say earlier, this is the road that leads straight to my house, which is only about five minutes away. Unless someone else's house is closer, that's the best place to go, because it's getting dark. I'm gonna scope out the least zombie-infested route. Everyone else stay here. If I don't come back, take the bus and get out of here. Go back to the school and hole up in either the nurse's office or the cafeteria. Those seem like the two best places to be."

"We're not going back to the school!" snapped Sasaki, who seemed to have gotten over her crying fit. "Did you see how many zombies were there? We'll get eaten!"

"You got a better idea, 'ttebayo?" snapped Naruto.

"I do," said Sasuke. "How about I go with you so that you have someone watching your back in case of an attack?"

"You're just saying that so you can get quality time with Naru-chan," said Kiba, making kissy faces.

"No," said the raven-haired teen calmly, "I'm saying it because if I stay on here with you for another minute I am going to commit murder in the first degree."

"Well then," said Naruto, trying to hold back a grin, "that's settled. Kiba, piss off anyone else and I give them permission to twist your balls till you can enter the opera as a soprano. Sasuke'll be with me, that way Kiba has two less people to worry about."

Everyone else giggled, except for Sasuke and Naruto, who were already out of the bus, weapons at the ready, Gaara and Shikamaru, who were generally stoic individuals, and Kiba, who was eyeing everyone cautiously.

"So," he said, smiling nervously, "anyone up for Truth or Dare?"

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"So did you really volunteer because Kiba was getting on your nerves, or just 'cause you couldn't bear to see me go, 'ttebayo?" Naruto teased Sasuke, grinning that obnoxious grin that nevertheless made him so sexy and lovable.

The raven raised an eyebrow in amusement, trying to ignore the stirrings in his groin. Now was not the time for that sort of stuff.

"Please, sweetie," he smirked. "I came because you might get your sorry ass in trouble otherwise, and because if Inuzuka said one more word I was going to kill him. How you became friends is beyond me."

"We've been friends pretty much since birth because our dads have been friends since college and we've been around each other since birth," said Naruto wryly, "although sometimes I can't see why I tolerate him myself… He's a bit of a douche, isn't he?"

"Indubitably," intoned the raven, a slight smile tugging up the corners of his lips.

They walked in silence for a bit, looking around for any potential threats that might come their way, but so far there were no zombies walking around. They did however see plenty of the undead inside the cars. Sasuke supposed that they'd been bitten by someone nearby who was already infected, or dead, or whatever. They'd tried to get themselves to the hospital, and while they were in the cars they'd died and reanimated.

Some cars had whole families inside. Naruto cringed as a zombie baby opened and closed its mouth, as if without its teeth it could somehow chew through the glass and get to the two living people surrounded by the trapped undead.

"I wonder if it's just Japan," he commented quietly, "or if it's the whole world that's like this."

"Let's just focus on finding a good route to your house," said Sasuke, suppressing a shudder as a very rotund zombie banged its head on the window of one of the cars, smearing it with blood.

Then, when they were almost to Naruto's house, which was on the very top of the hill, just off the road, something broke with a resounding crash.

"Holy shit," squeaked Naruto, looking around wildly for the source of the noise, "what was that?"

"I don't know, but if it was a zombie we are royally screwed," murmured Sasuke, taking his kusanagi out and looking warily around. At that moment something grazed his shoulder, and he nearly dropped his weapon, grunting in pain as he gripped his right arm.

"Oh my god, are you all right, Sasuke?" squeaked Naruto.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied the young raven with a grimace. "At least we know that it's not a zombie…"

Just then a head of red hair popped over a barricade made from a seven car pile-up, aiming a pistol at them.

"State your names!" the person called in a shaky voice. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Kyuubi?" he called. "It's me, Naruto! Is that you, Kyuu-nii?"

After a moment, the man jumped over the barricade, ran toward them, and crushed Naruto in a hug.

"Holy shit, Naruto!" he cried. "I was so worried, 'ttedana! Where're Mom and Dad and Naruko?"

"You mean they're not here with you, 'ttebayo?" asked Naruto. "I dunno. Hey, listen, I've got a busload of people about three minutes down the hill, can we go get them?" He indicated himself and Sasuke.

Kyuubi squinted suspiciously at the raven.

"Who're you?" he asked. "Are you bitten?"

"Watashi wa Uchiha Sasuke desu," replied Sasuke, showing his arms to prove that he wasn't infected.

"Oho!" said Kyuubi, his eyes brightening mischievously. "You're that boy Naru-chan has the biggest crush in the history of crushes on! Are you two finally- ow!" he yelled as the blond teenager punched him in the head.

"Shut up, Nii-san," he growled, his face as red as the sunset, "you talk too much. Ignore him," he added to Sasuke, who was also blushing, albeit unconsciously, "he doesn't know half of what he says; he's psychotic."

"Am not, 'ttedana!" whined Kyuubi, clutching his head.

"Are too, 'ttebayo," muttered Naruto, walking back down the hill. Sasuke snapped out of it and followed the blond, confused.

He'd heard, now from two different sources, both close to Naruto, that the sexy blond had a crush on him. He highly doubted that they were lying or trying to play a joke on him. However, Naruto was pretty good at confusing Sasuke enough that he couldn't figure out Naruto's true feelings. The raven-haired teenager didn't know what to think. He wanted Naruto to like him, to love him, to claim him for his own, but he didn't want to get hurt if Naruto didn't actually love him, if he were reading the blond the wrong way…

"Earth to Sasuke!" shouted Naruto, waving his hands in front of the raven, snapping him out of his reverie. "We're here!"

And indeed they were in front of the bus, and everyone was watching them approach. The two of them walked in and everyone immediately besieged them with questions. It was like feeding time at the zoo.

"Is it safe?"

"Did you kill any zeds?"

"Did you meet any survivors?"

"Are you guys okay?"

"All right, quiet down!" called Naruto, clapping his hands together. "Yes, in a manner of speaking it is safe. No, we did not kill any zombies, and where the hell did you come up with 'zeds'? Yes, we found my older brother Kyuubi, and yes we're okay. We're getting out of this bus and walking up to the seven car pile-up at the top of the hill, behind which we'll find my house. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I got one," piped up Kiba. "Since when are you in command?"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You're my best friend, but you're really starting to irritate me at this moment. Let's just go. And don't look around," he added. "Some of the scenes along the way aren't pretty, to say the least."

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"What happened, Naruto?" Kyuubi asked as he, Sasuke, Naruto and Kiba sat around a fire in the Uzumaki-Namikaze family's living room, all dressed in pajamas or sweats. Kyuubi had apologized profusely to Sasuke for shooting him and had bandaged the shallow but painful wound well, but then given him a pair of Naruto's mom's PJs, which rankled a bit, even though Sasuke would admit that he was small and effeminate for a sixteen-year-old boy, and that Naruto's mom had good taste in nightclothes. "How the hell did you escape?"

"Well, Kiba and I were trapped up on the school roof, and Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Gaara kinda helped us get untrapped," said his younger brother. "How in the hell did you get here from Tokyo?"

"I took a plane, 'ttedana," deadpanned Kyuubi, his eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth. "We had a half day because of college exams, remember?"

"Wiseass," countered Naruto, "how d'you expect me to know your college schedule?"

"Pay attention to the emails I send you guys?" said his brother. "I know that's a novel idea to you, but…"

Sasuke watched this casual banter with a mild amusement and longing. He wished that he and his brother were more like Naruto and Kyuubi… He could tell Itachi things, sure, but there wasn't a lot of casual banter; it was mostly just straight-forward serious brother-to-brother talks.

"Oh hey!" said Kyuubi to him, interrupting his thoughts. "Do you happen to be related to an Uchiha Itachi?"

"Yeah," said the raven-haired teenager, nonplussed. "That's my older brother. How do you know him?"

"He's in all of my college classes," said the red-haired man, grinning. "We have the same art major, 'ttedana. Does he have a stick up his ass all the time, or just some of the time?"

Sasuke sweatdropped.

"Uhm?"

"I think having sticks up their asses is an Uchiha thing," Kiba cut in, "because this little princess is growing a tree up there." He put his arm around Sasuke's shoulders, and the raven shrugged him off irritably.

"How would you like me to take said tree and shove it up your ass?" he asked softly and dangerously, relishing the fear in the brunet's eyes. Kyuubi and Naruto burst out laughing, not stopping even when Sasuke turned his murderous gaze on the two of them.

"I can see why you like him, Naruto," said Kyuubi, wiping tears from his eyes. "He's hot, especially in women's clothing, and he's got a good sense of humor. Neji had a major chip on his shoulder all the time."

His little brother blushed furiously.

"Shut up, Nii-san, you're embarrassing me," he muttered, also wiping mirthful tears from his eyes.

"Oi, will you guys shut up in there?" hissed Sayuki, poking her head out of the downstairs bedroom. "We're trying to sleep!"

"Sorry, 'ttedana," giggled Kyuubi before getting hit in the face with one of Naruto's shoes. "Ow!"

"Shut up, 'ttebayo."

Just then something thumped against the front door. Sasuke jumped involuntarily, and Naruto walked out of the room and came back with a rifle.

"Do you know how to shoot that?" Kiba asked the blond nervously.

"Believe it," he said quietly, creeping toward the front door. Taking up a position in front of it, he lowered the rifle into firing position.

"Who's there?" he called out.

"Open up!" called a female voice. "It's me!"

"Holy shit!" said Naruto excitedly, throwing open the door and dragging the person on the other side in and hugging her. "We were worried out of our fucking skulls, Naruko!"

Sasuke looked Naruko up and down. She looked exactly how he imagined Naruto would look as a girl, minus the sinfully short private school skirt and the huge breasts… He imagined that if Naruto were a girl his chest wouldn't be quite as big.

"Ne, temee, what're you staring at?" said Naruto, catching the raven-haired teenager watching him and Naruko.

"I didn't know you had a twin," commented Sasuke.

"Yep, double trouble, 'ttedana," Kyuubi chortled. "Naruto's older, by three minutes."

"Hn," commented the raven. "You need to check if she's bitten, dobe…"

"Oh, right!" said Naruto, smacking his head with the palm of his hand. "Show me your arms, Naruko."

"No zombie bites here," said his twin, holding up her arms for inspection, "although I had a few close shaves. I came here by myself, so there was no one to watch my back."

"None of your friends came with?" asked Naruto incredulously.

"They did, originally," said Naruko, and now she looked like she was trying not to cry, "but Megumi, and Akane, they got bitten… Akane first; we had to… We had t-t-to…" She broke down in tears, and Naruto looked at Kyuubi, Sasuke, and Kiba for help. Kyuubi offered it.

"Hey, sis," he said soothingly, "let's get you upstairs… Take a warm shower…"

The two brothers led their sister up the stairs, trying to comfort her.

"Holy shit," said Kiba, looking like he was trying not to throw up.

"It will only get worse," Sasuke assured him grimly. "This is just the beginning."

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Chapter three is done! And it's exactly midnight! And I'm tired as shit! Please review! So that I can go to bed happy! And why am I using all these exclamation points!

Sasuke: -_- Because you're an idiot?

Me: Maybe! Review! 8D

Sayuki, Saya, Sasaki, and Sayuri are mine, as are the briefly mentioned Akane and Megumi. Everyone else is Masashi Kishimoto's. And yes I do have a special affinity for names that begin with the Japanese character "Sa", or just with the English letter "S".

I was going to wait for my friend to tell me if I needed to fix anything, but he hasn't sent me any feedback yet, and I thought "To hell with it, chapters three and four need to go up now." (Sometimes I like making people wait, but now is not one of those times; it's been two weeks since my last update!) So hopefully you'll enjoy chapters three and four! 'Ttebayo!