Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse

Chapter 6: Mother

The sun was too bright. That was all Sasuke could think as he woke up. He groaned.

"Too bright…" he mumbled, shielding his eyes from the glare the sun made reflecting off of the small puddles on the roof and trying to reorient himself. He remembered last night's thunderstorm, and he remembered falling asleep with Naruto's arms around his waist…

Except that Naruto wasn't there anymore. Sasuke didn't worry about it; Naruto had probably just gone downstairs to make tea or get food or something.

There was a knock on the door and the raven went to get it. He opened it to be met by Naruko, who looked kind of panicked and was holding a note in her hands.

"Sasuke, did you see Naruto leave?" she asked frantically.

"Erm, no; why do you ask?" 'Great, so much for caffeine before today goes to shit…'

Naruko's eyes bulged, and Sasuke feared that they would fall out of her head.

"You were asleep when my brother got up, took a rifle and a katana and ammo, and left the fucking house!" she screamed.

"So I was tired!" he protested. "Wait," he said, Naruko's words finally sinking in. "He did what?"

"He left!" she yelled. "You were in there with him; why didn't you stop him!"

"I was asleep, dammit!" Sasuke snapped at her. "Let me see that!" He snatched the note from her.

To whoever finds this first,

I'm worried about Mom and Dad. I'm going to look for them at the town hall. Don't bother following me. I don't want anyone else possibly getting hurt.

Naruto

Sasuke read it over a few times, his heart beating so fast and hard that it felt like it might burst out of his chest at any given moment. That idiot…!

"Did he take some kind of vehicle?" he asked Naruko.

"His motor bike's gone," responded the blonde-haired girl.

Sasuke facepalmed.

"That dumbass is going to get himself killed…" he muttered. "Does anyone else know about it?"

"Yeah, Kyuubi and Kiba and I are going out to get him."

"Well, count me in," said the raven-haired teenager. "When we get to the dumbass I am going to beat his face in for being so stupid."

"Take a number and get in line," muttered Naruko, eliciting a grim laugh from Sasuke as he threw on a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, put on a hoodie to guard against the autumn chill, and snatched up his kusanagi. "You might want to carry a gun as well," she added, "so you can fight long-range."

"I honestly don't know how to shoot a gun," said the raven, "and I doubt you would have the time to teach me right now."

Naruko groaned.

"Whatever," she snapped. "Come on. I'll teach you when we get back."

"Hn."

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Naruto sped along the twisting winding roads, trying to avoid the most populated areas and what had been the busiest streets of Konoha as much as possible. Those zombies that he did encounter he beheaded with the katana, not wanting to attract attention to himself by making more noise; the motor bike was already loud enough. It was a miracle Naruto hadn't drawn more zombies than he had so far encountered.

He'd woken up at five in the morning with his arms around Sasuke. Honestly, the guy slept like the dead, no pun intended, and still managed to look unbearably gorgeous. He hadn't even stirred when Naruto removed his arms from his waist. Naruto wished he would've at least woken up temporarily when Naruto kissed him on the forehead and told him he loved him, but you couldn't always get what you wanted… Besides, the blond had no idea how Sasuke would react to a show of affection like that.

His thought process took him right to the door of the town hall. He turned off his motor bike, put the helmet down on the seat, grabbed his katana and the rifle from the back of the bike and proceeded cautiously into the large building.

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"So I have one question," said Sasuke, looking at the Hummer in the five-car garage. "How the hell are we going to get past that traffic jam we met on the way up?"

"Simple," said Kyuubi happily. "Dad has a snow plow attachment under that tarp in front of the Hummer. We attach the plow to this baby, and it's easy cruising, 'ttedana!"

Sasuke could see a lot of flaws in that plan, but he chose not to say anything. All he was really interested in was getting to Naruto, beating the shit out of him, and then holding on to him tightly so he couldn't leave him again.

'You really like Naruto, don't you?' Sasuke's inner voice said to him. 'A few days ago you wouldn't even have admitted that to anyone, even yourself.'

'I don't like him, I love him,' the raven told the voice.

'Oh, well excuse me,' said the voice sarcastically.

Sasuke ignored it.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" he said tersely. "Let's put it on and go get the dobe."

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Naruto walked softly through the halls of the municipal building, careful not to let his weapons bang off of anything and alert any zombies that might be in the building.

'Where would they most likely be?' he wondered. 'I know Dad would most likely be in his office, but he could've been called out for a meeting. And I don't know where Mom would be… Probably in the judicial wing… I think I'll go check for Mom first…'

Up three flights of stairs, he encountered his first zombie inside the building. It was a man in an orange jumpsuit who had evidently either been on trial or had been awaiting trial. His hands were chained, but his feet weren't, and the second he heard Naruto he shambled toward him with an eerie moan. Naruto took careful aim with his rifle, and the zombie fell with a thump to the landing of the upper floor.

Free of the zombies for now, the blond made his way carefully to his mom's office. With the butt of the rifle he slowly pushed open the door…

And recoiled as a bullet sped past his face.

"Motherfucker!" he swore, poking the barrel of his own gun into the gap in the door. "Don't shoot!" he called softly. "I'm not bitten!"

"Who is it!" said a familiar voice. Naruto had heard that voice when its owner had tucked him and Naruko in when they were small children, and then for the last time a few days ago, wishing him good luck on his Art exam. Putting his rifle down, he burst into the room.

"Mom!" he cried, running to the speaker and hugging her.

Uzumaki Kushina hugged him back, her turquoise eyes shining.

"Oh, my baby!" she said happily. "I thought you were the orange-suited zombie, 'ttebane!"

"Nope, I rekilled him, 'ttebayo," said Naruto. Then he looked at the people behind his mom.

They were mostly in suits and dress pants and blazers with ties, though a few wore orange jumpsuits like the zombie out in the hall. Naruto was wary of those with the orange jumpsuits, but before he could ask his mom what the hell they were doing there, a petite woman came to stand behind Kushina. Her black hair and very dark blue eyes reminded Naruto a lot of Sasuke.

"You go home, Shi-chan," she said, smiling. "I'm sure your son is anxious to get you to safety. I'll stay here and watch over things."

"No, Miko-chan," interjected Kushina firmly, "I'm not leaving anyone behind. Naruto, I'd like you to meet my best friend since second grade and law partner, Uchiha Mikoto. Miko-chan, my youngest son Naruto."

"Nice to meet you, Naruto-kun," said Mikoto, putting out her hand. Naruto took it and they shook. "Where do you go to school?"

"You mean did, 'ttebayo," said Naruto sardonically, eliciting a wry chuckle from the raven-haired woman. "I was a senior at Konoha High School before the stuff hit the fan."

Mikoto's eyes lit up.

"Konoha High School?" she said eagerly, and Naruto saw a little desperation in her eyes. "Do you know my son Sasuke?"

"Yeah, I do," said Naruto. 'Oh, so that's why she reminds me of the bastard.' "There's no one in Konoha High who doesn't know Sasuke, as far as I'm concerned."

"Do you know if he's okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine," said Naruto. "He and his friend Gaara helped me and my friend Kiba get out of the school. He's at our house at the moment. Oh, and by the way, Mom," he added to Kushina, "Naruko and Kyuubi are at home too, just so you don't worry too much."

Kushina and Mikoto hugged Naruto and then each other, tears of happiness streaming down their faces.

"My baby!" said Mikoto happily.

Naruto had to hold back a snort. He'd never thought of Sasuke as anyone's baby. Sure, he knew the guy had parents, but seriously, hearing Uchiha Sasuke being called "my baby" was so odd. He looked around for his father, the payor of Konoha, but didn't see him in the throng of refugees.

"Hey Mom," he asked worriedly, "do you know where Dad is?"

Kushina's face became apprehensive.

"I don't know," she said. "He was supposed to go to a meeting with the Board of Education at the middle school when the zombie outbreak occurred. For all I know he could still be there…" There was unspoken fear in her voice. Naruto nodded, mentally cursing.

Just then there came a screeching of brakes from outside the window, and everyone jumped up to look.

"Is that… our Hummer?" said Kushina faintly.

"Is that my son!" said Mikoto, shocked.

Naruto ran to the window and looked out. He paled in anger at the sight of his two siblings, Sasuke, and Kiba getting out.

"Ugh, I told those idiots to not come after me, 'ttebayo!" he shouted. "Now every zed in the area is gonna come flocking here! I'll kill them!"

He ran out of the room and down the stairs…

And right into a zombie horde.

"HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SWEET CREAMING SHITBAGS, 'TTEBAYO!" he yelled, turning around and running back up the stairs. "BAD ZOMBIES! BAD!" he yelled as the zombies gave chase, moaning their hunting calls. Where the hell had all these zombies come from?

From three flights down he heard the front doors of the municipal building bang open, and a lot of gunfire and yelling. Slamming an ammo pack into his rifle, he took aim at the nearest zombie and shot him dead center between his eyes.

"NARUTO?" yelled Kiba from down below.

"YOU DUMBASS, YOU HAD US WORRIED AS FUCK!" roared Sasuke, pissed off beyond a doubt. "WHEN WE GET UP THERE I AM GOING TO BEAT YOUR ASS UNTIL YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNRECOGNIZABLE!"

Naruto scowled.

"YOU IDIOTS, THE NOISE OF THE CAR HAS PROBABLY DRAWN EVERY ZOMBIE IN THE AREA, 'TTEBAYO! AND YOU CALL ME STUPID?"

"Naruto, don't talk to your siblings or your friends like that, 'ttebane!" yelled Kushina coming to the doorway and looking out, her crystalline blue eyes angry.

"Sorry, Mom," said Naruto sheepishly, before returning his attention to the zombies. "Screw this," he muttered, setting his weapon for full automatic. Then he fired at head level continuously into the group of zombies on the stairs. The undead went down in heaps, clearing the way for Naruto to move down the stairs. At the same time, he heard shooting moving up the stairs, along with the slashing whoosh of a katana, meaning that the little group at the bottom was making progress. He ran down one flight, then took the next one three stairs at a time, and looked down at the same time Kyuubi leaned over and looked up. They glared at each other.

"Naruto, you're a dead man when I get up there!" Kyuubi snarled.

"We'll see who's dead when we meet, 'ttebayo!" Naruto shot back. "I told you not to follow me for a reason, that reason being that large groups attract more attention, as do loud noises! I got in here fine with very few zombies in sight, and I'm sure I would have gotten out fine, with Mom, except that now you've gone and driven that stupid monster truck through town. Every zombie will converge on this point! Did you even think about how to escape!"

Kyuubi's silence told Naruto that he hadn't thought that far. The blond facepalmed.

"You imbecile," he groaned.

"Don't talk to your brother like that!" yelled Kushina, smacking her younger son on the back of his head.

Now Naruko leaned over the railing.

"Mom?" she said excitedly. "You're okay! You're okay! I'm so happy! But Naruto's dead meat when we get up there!"

Mikoto also leaned over the railing.

"Sasuke?" she called.

The aforementioned raven leaned out, looking up with relieved incredulity on his face.

"Mom!" he called back. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, darling, just fine!" she said cheerily, running down the stairs.

And then a zombie came out of nowhere, headed right for Mikoto. Naruto saw what was about to happen, and Kushina did too, but they were too far away to do anything, and all they could do was watch in horror as the zombie grabbed Mikoto's hair and started to lean its head toward her neck. She screamed.

"Miko-chan!" yelled Kushina, running down the stairs toward her partner and friend.

"Uchiha-san!" cried Naruto, trying to get a bead on the zombie's head without hurting Sasuke's mom.

"Mom?" yelled Sasuke, his voice laced with fear. "Naruto, what the hell is going on!"

Blood splattered everywhere as the zombie sank its teeth into Mikoto's throat. It splattered all over Kushina, and she in turn began to scream. Naruko's and Kyuubi's cries of concern and fear were added to Sasuke's, along with the new chorus of pounding feet as the group below started running, trying to get quickly past the zombies on the floor below. Naruto stood rooted to the spot in horror, but only for a second, and then he took aim at the zombie.

"Mom, get down!" he screamed.

Blood and zombie brain tissue splattered everywhere, and the thing that had sunk its teeth into Mikoto was blown backwards. Naruto wasted no time in getting over to where Kushina was leaning over Mikoto, her hands futilely trying to keep the blood from spurting out. The raven-haired woman made gurgling sounds in her throat, trying to speak as Naruto's mother shushed her.

"It'll be okay, Miko-chan," she was saying quietly into her friend's ear. "It'll be all right…"

At that moment the four-person group reached the top of the third floor landing. There was a strangled cry and Naruto was pushed out of the way as Sasuke went barreling past him to fall to his knees beside his mother.

"Mom?" he whimpered, cradling her in his arms, not caring about the blood he was getting all over himself. "Please, Mom, hold on… We'll get help…"

Mikoto looked up at her son and smiled, wiping tears he didn't even know were there from his cheeks.

"M-my baby…" she whispered, brushing hair out of Sasuke's face. "You're so brave… You've made me so… p-p-proud… Sasuke… when I die… I'll t-turn into... one of them… I need you... to kill me."

The raven-haired teenager's eyes widened.

"Mom, no!" he whispered, aghast. "What are you saying?"

"P-please, Sasuke," she whispered, grasping her son's hand in her own.

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded, and Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief.

"I l-l-love you… my p-precious baby boy…"

Her grip on Sasuke's hand slackened, and her eyes became blank. And still he clutched her, like a little kid clutching a security blanket. He was in shock and didn't protest when Naruto gently pulled him away from his mother's body.

"She's going to reanimate soon," said Kushina quietly, also backing away from Mikoto's corpse. She also seemed to be in shock, but was still capable of speech.

"There'll be time for mourning later," said Kyuubi gruffly, sounding like he was trying not to cry. "You have to stab her in the head to kill her."

Sasuke unsheathed his kusanagi and tried to hold it steady, even though his hands were shaking badly. He could see the body of his mother starting to move again, and knew he should move now, while she was still down, but he wanted to look her in the eyes, in case there was anything left of her pre-zombie self.

The thing that had only maybe thirty seconds before been Uchiha Mikoto got unsteadily to its feet. Sasuke aimed the point of the blade at her left eye.

"I love you t-too... Mom," he said almost inaudibly, his voice breaking horribly as she stumbled closer to him, raising her arms and moaning predatorily. Then, putting all of his weight behind it, he thrust the blade through her eye socket. It exited through the back of her head. There was a sickening squelching sound as he pulled the blade free.

She stayed upright for a moment, and Sasuke couldn't tell if he was imagining it because his sight was becoming blurred by unshed tears, but he thought he saw a flicker of relief in those cold dead eyes. Then she pitched forward with a final groan, her head coming to rest at his feet, and a splatter of blood radiated outward, covering the floor and the Converses he was wearing and splattering over his face. He didn't care; only one thought reverberated through his mind…

He had just killed his mother.

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Yeah, I know it started out kind of slow, and then turned really tragic pretty quickly, but if I'd let Mikoto get saved then it would have been such a cliché, and as a general rule I hate most clichés. Except for sympathy sex and Romeo and Juliet-esque story endings… Sympathy sex is fine because it's still sex (though I personally would never participate in it) and Romeo and Juliet is one of the best Shakespeare plays out there, bested only by Hamlet and Henry V.

Uh, yeah, I'm rambling again, so please review. Please no flame reviews. And next chapter is when we get to some mattress dancing and confessing! The freaky matress dancing doesn't come until later, but rest assured that there's quite a bit of it coming. (No pun intended XD)