The Lineage

DELETED SCENES

Note: The below chapter is a deleted story arc compression. This story arc would have occurred at some point between the arc “Blood Thirst” and “Lair of Beasts”, or between “Lair of Beasts” and “Wolves” – whichever would make more sense chronologically for this story section.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


The Lineage
By 11

Chapter XX [Zack Chapter 1]
Zack: [Ghoul Army, ???, Tayuya, ???]

[Beginning portion … {If b/w “Blood Thirst” and “Lair of Beasts”} - OUTLINE FORMAT visible below with excerpts.]

Naruto is training with Sasuke, Haku and Shino are there – Sakura and Jiraiya come to interrupt, which is fine since Haku was being a jerkwad and Shino was just plain annoying.

They have received word from the Order, as well as additional squadrons under Zabuza and Kakashi. News is that there’s a manor(?)location a couple towns over that is suspected of having a ghoul infestation.

(Ghouls – mentioned briefly chapter 12)

Ghouls = zombies, yay. Just crush the brain right? Yes, but in numbers it can be difficult – do vampires ever use guns? Ever heard of them? They’re very useful.

Vampires do have ‘guns’ in some forms, but they have never been fond of that weapon, too impersonal. Vampires enjoy killing their prey – closer range weapons are much more comfortable and fun.

It is quickly decided that Sakura and Zabuza will go. Naruto also wants to go – Jiraiya agrees that it will be good battle experience, but Sasuke vehemently opposes Naruto’s tagging along.

Is this really even necessary? Naruto is new to this anyway, shouldn’t Sasuke take his place if a third person is needed? Naruto argues he’s already dealt with a regen swarm and it’s true he needs battle preparation at some point with ghouls.

Sasuke is the only one who objects so he has to stand down – but he goes with them along with a fourth squadron – no way for them to be outnumbered now.

When they arrive - they clear out the lower floors and Sasuke maintains a tight leash over where Naruto is at all times - it's beginning to bug Naruto too.

Chapter XX [Zack Chapter 2]
Zack: [Ghoul Army, ???, Tayuya, ???]

But when they arrive… - Naruto and Sakura currently separated from the rest of the group:

~

…

My feet connected with a series of ribs – each shattering in turn as the gray and staring bodies flattened back toward the far wall.

Whipping around to those crushing in on the other side – my nails and fingers caught on tendon and vein ripping heads from bodies. Black blood spurting slightly from new wounds only to puddle and squelch slowly from dead and decaying veins and flesh.

“Get down!”

I dropped my body to the floor, and a flash of steel and blades whirred over my head. Sakura’s heavy swords cleaved straight through the whole room of them – a clouding spurting gush of black blood flew back onto the walls.

Bits of crumbling flesh and bodies all around were falling apart, limbs till twitching as if they could pull themselves back together – heads eyes rolling slightly as if they can see something still going on.

With a stomp of my foot their skulls were crushed and their moaning drone slowly silenced – one by one, skull by skull. Old black blood stains into the wood – marks that will never leave even after we clear out all these lifeless buggers.

“I think that’s the last of them, at least here,” Sakura glanced around, sword hacking into bits of arm and leg still attempting to crawl around the floor. Persistent little turds. “Let’s try to find Kakashi and Zabuza to meet up with the others.”

I nod to agree, but as we enter the hallways, there’s two more – I’m about to lurch forward but Sakura’s arm chokes around me hauling me back toward the room just as the two creatures scream toward us – too fast.

Sakura acted too quickly – but if she’d acted just a bit later – door slamming shut behind us – those things might have cut into us instead…

Releasing my throat, her hand still knots into my shirt dragging me back quickly through the room and an alternate corridor – “Shit.” She curses, footsteps fast and agitated, “Zack…”

But we don’t go far before she curses loudly again and shoves me back toward the way we came, door slamming shut behind us – another one – gray skinned and dead empty-eyed – came flying toward us.

Claws scraping hard against the door as if gnawing through and Sakura’s steps just hurry on down the corridors winding through – stomping her way through the floorboards to get back downstairs.

“What are those?!” I find myself questioning – my whole system in shock – weren’t they supposed to be slower? I was just fighting a bunch! They’re only drawpoint is their numbers!

“Zack!” Sakura spits the word like a poisoned tart, “When there’s enough ghouls all together in one spot, sometimes they evolve into Zack – mute, blind, deaf, but fucking dangerous!”

“They’re fast.”

“No shit!” she almost laughs dropping us down to in-between the floors, a few stray rats scurrying from the banisters as our boots start stomping through.

“They’re fast, they’re remotely intelligent unlike ghouls! They see by ‘scent’, more like a gas that their bodies excrete – it flows out around them so they know where their prey is.”

“They travel in groups when they find others of the same – they’re the most dangerous in numbers.” Sakura’s jaw worked furiously over the words, motions stiff and anxious.

“We have to tell the others about this as soon as possible! We’ll need more of us if there’s more Zack than just those we saw.” Then whipping around, “What if the regen are trying to change ghouls into zack and using this mansion as the manufacture?!”

“Vampires can control Zack?” I have to ask her, “Why can’t we do that now then? Keep them from attacking us and get them to wipe out the ghoul infestation?!”

“No it should be impossible… since Zack are—not concerned with loyalties or alliance,” Sakura turned back front chewing her lip furiously, “If that’s what they’re doing though they must be really desperate – since they’re wind dogs without a strong enough blood… no there’s no way.”

“Mad dogs?”

“If the regen are willing to introduce zack as a wild-card to our battles?!” Sakura gave a short bark incredulous laughter – “Shit, they really are out for all-out war this time!”

…

~

Naruto and Sakura wind up splitting up - some reason (?) - and when they do…

Chapter XX [Zack Chapter 3]
Zack: [Ghoul Army, ???, Tayuya, ???]

~

…

“Kakashi?! Haku? Zabuza?!” I started off loudly, then trying again – “Sakura?!!” still no sign of them – this stupid house, more like mansion, is way too damn big! – I could scream for an hour and they probably still wouldn’t hear me.

Without Sakura here what the hell am I supposed to do if I run into Zack?

How about run like hell?

Those things are fucking fast!! Are you joking?!

Psh. You’re faster than them.

Maybe.

No, ‘are’. Now shut up and stop being such a pansy!

Fuck you.

No you’re the one who needs that – though I appreciate the sentiment.

The parasite is of no help as is usual – I should have expected it – it’s not like it know anything about ghouls or zack, or at least not anything more than I know, which isn’t much.

The only thing is not to run into one – and with that thought I turn the next corner and shit there’s one right there. I freeze.

This one, a girl type only half-decayed skin turned a grisly gray, sightless eyes staring ahead, I see her standing from the side.

Long red hair loose and tangled, scared claw marks ripped through her skin open in places to black and shriveled organs and muscle still in use.

I start to backtrack, judging calm appearance, I’m not going to take my chances that she’s a zack and leave before she notices me. Almost as soon as I think it her head snaps toward me. A sickening crack somewhere in her spine – shit.

Then she’s right in front of me – black and splintered claws rush towards my eyes – tear them out – with my brain – she’d carve me up.

I react. My arm crashing into hers. Bone cracks and the limb wings to the other side. She’s still plowing forward. I leap back – when she connects it with wood. She’s up in an instant – charging again.

Sightless eyes – vacant expression – no sound is even worse – I feel my own panic building up like a bubble popping and clawing it’s way to the surface.

She comes at me – my arm lashes out - buried into her chest. Her sternum is cracked and gone – but she’s still charging! The bubble grows and all I hear is the pounding of my panic.

Her mouth opens, as she slides over my arm towards me. My arm scrapes her spine. Then mangled yellow and gray teeth sink into my shoulder – black and ragged teeth rip through my skin without finesse or value.

Jaws take a huge chunk - violently wrench it out of me. I don’t bother to hold back the scream as my skin and muscle tear away. It’s like my tendons are being snapped away from the bone!

Blood gushes and soaks down my front, smeared across her dead lips and face – pouring down her decayed throat. Her jaws loosen and I rip away. I cry out again as the chewed piece in her mouth pulls back from her with me.

Bits of skin and sinew still holding tight to bone and fellow flesh. My hand clamps over the spot, pressing it hard back into place – her ragged marks won’t go away even if the skin manages to reattach and heal.

My good arm whips out toward her – claws slutching around her cranium – intent to smash her skull – but she swoops away, pulling clear off my arm, black viscious drips staining the floor as she moves back.

Her eyes seem to clear slightly, clouded irises differentiating from the white swimmy eggshell sclera. Sightless eyes staring back through me – I wait for her to lurch forward again, ready to catch her throat or head or eyes – but she stays completely still, chest cavity still hanging open.

Blind eyes stare into me as if suddenly she can really see me – as if for the first time she’s registering my existence. Her stillness is offsetting, and my finger flex knuckles crackling – as if something like that could scare away another monster.

Then her back straightens and her legs crumble under her. Her body falls forward, but there’s something more to it – she catches herself above the floor. But she didn’t fall… she’s kneeling.

What the hell?!

Her next act shocks me to the core, leaving a cold worm wriggling in my gut. In a voice so cracked and raw, grating and unused, she speaks one word. Snarling past wind piped that just won’t work anymore.

“Master…”

~

This is Tayuya, a zack who Naruto’s blood has made ‘conscious’ and aware. This will allow later for Naruto’s ‘control’ over the zack army in the war as the fourth army to take down the other three: regen+wolves, pures, and hunters.

The arc will end when the hunters also crash into the mansion to destroy the ghouls, realize there are vampires too and it turns into a free for all melee.

Chapter XX [Zack Chapter 4]
Zack: [Ghoul Army, ???, Tayuya, ???]

In the midst of the hunters attack with ghouls and vampires and several zack running rampant Naruto sees Shikamaru. Shikamaru tries to get Naruto to get away with him then, the Order would think he’d died in the commotion, possibly gotten eaten by a zack.

Their tracks would be covered completely. But then Sakura sees the two of them – charges for them. She must think that Shikamaru’s going to kill Naruto. She’ll kill him.

Let her try. Shikamaru’s ready to rip her apart himself. But no, she’ll kill him. So Naruto knocks him out instead.

Naruto winds up tucking Shikamaru away someplace safe to be found later, or wake up. It’s dangerous there so he makes sure it’s a good spot.

~

Sakura and Naruto and Sasuke will escape the building with most of their squadron after the Hunters interference. The nest is likely destroyed, the Order deduces. Although to have been breeding zack… the regen are getting serious!

Naruto spots Tayuya and a pack of zack in the periphery. Eyes locked on his, standing at attention before him…
He motions to her, to leave. An unspoken command from unseeing conscious eyes – if he ever needs them, all he has to do is call. His blood is the key – that is what woke them up.

Naruto muses, sort of grinning/laughing to himself – it’s sort of funny… he has his own army.

~

At chapter end, arc end, should segue into the next arc for those events to follow and take place rationally.

---


Reason for Deletion:

At the time I left this arc out due to general plot-hole concerning the time gap where the zack will become obsolete during the in-between time and inability to tie in effectively.

Politically speaking the known presence of zack would have caused the Order to act sooner and potentially warp the story so another arc would have been left out – thus an unrealistic progression. In retrospect I should have found a way to slip this arc in anyway.

If left in this arc would have paved the way for Naruto/Kyuubi’s storm – the zack army he would lead to sweep the others away. This would have been interesting to write, however that takes away Naruto/Kyuubi’s superhuman ability to sweep away the war single-handedly.

If I ever rewrite this story this is an arc I would like to be able to have included.

`

This is 1 of 3 unused ideas for The Lineage.