Chapter Nine

-Matsuri's POV-

Temari scooted closer to me in her sleep, and my body naturally moved an inch or two away. The young woman's behavior today disgusted me to no end, and if it wasn't for the fact that I'd likely freeze to death without the body warmth, I'd refuse to be this close to her.

My eyes crept open, and a frown came to my lips when they landed on Gaara's back. The boy hadn't spoken since we rescued him from his room. He'd gingerly followed me out after I spent a few minutes reassuring him that no one would touch or try to lock him up again, but that was the extent of what happened. The redhead had plastered his angry facade back on, and it hasn't come down since.

In true Gaara fashion, he was sleeping at the edge of the group and refused to come closer than almost an arm's length away. I was wordlessly elected to sleep closest to him, but it's not like I mind. Sure, I'd be colder through the night than everyone else because he refuses to partake, but that's something I could accept if it meant he wouldn't spend the night with his back turned to someone who might react incorrectly if they got scared of him.

My only real worry was that he was going to freeze to death. I was somewhat curious if he'd be able to realize if he was because the sensation would undoubtedly be painful, but he can't feel physical pain. He could be minutes from death and not even realize it.

My eyelids were heavy with sleep, but I couldn't keep them closed for long because I'd get all panicked if I wasn't watching his breathing. It'd be easier if I could lay a hand on his back or something, but that was obviously a terrible idea. I drifted in and out of sleep for hours, jolting awake every few minutes after realizing my eyes had shut.

At some point in the night, when my eyes shot back open, they locked onto his teal ones, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from making any sounds of surprise. His skin was paler than usual, and I could tell he was cold because his fingers were slightly blue. Hesitantly, I slowly moved my hands closer to him in an offer to hold his and warm them up, but he just moved his further away, so I froze.

Gaara was like a terrified animal, and his instincts told him to keep everyone away to ensure his safety. After a few moments of wracking my brain, I decided to try and work with that mindset and rolled over so my back was facing him. In the wild, animals only show one another their backs if they trust and do not intend to harm them.

I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed he'd realize what I was trying to do and take advantage of it for his own health. Several long minutes passed with no changes. Just as I was about to admit defeat and roll back over so I could return to making sure he kept breathing through the night, I felt hesitant arms wrap around my waist and carefully pull me back against him.

My eyes shot open in surprise, but I didn't move, fearing it'd scare him away. It actually worked! That meant my theory was correct; he read body language before anything else. It also meant that he trusted I wouldn't hurt him because up until a few minutes ago, he himself had been lying with his back turned.

He was freezing even though we were under the blankets. His heart was beating quickly in his chest, and I could feel it against my back as he begrudgingly rested his forehead between my shoulders and squeezed tighter. I waited a long time for him to warm up a bit and get used to it before carefully moving my arms down so I could lightly rest my hands atop his.

Pride soared through my chest when he didn't move away. A warm feeling rose in my chest, and I couldn't stop the smile on my lips. After months of chipping away at his wall, I felt like I was finally progressing. Before long, we were both much warmer, and I was asleep before I realized it.

"She's alive! Guys, Hinata's alive!"

My eyes shot open in shock at Naruto's sudden yells, but I couldn't move. My arms were crossed over my body, and strong arms were locked around me to hold them in place. A small heat warmed my face when I realized it was Gaara. Even if he only did it to keep himself alive through the night, it made me happy that I was the one he could accept.

Everyone was in a different state of waking up, some sitting up rubbing their eyes, some groaning as they rolled over, and some not bothering to move at all. I let my eyes fall closed again to claim a few more moments of rest before we'd undoubtedly have to get up and face whatever chaos was happening in the building below.

After a minute, though, Naruto's words registered, and I shot up, tearing out of Gaara's strong hold, "W-What! Hinata's alive?"

The blonde boy seemed close to tears, and he nodded as he rubbed one of his eyes, "I talked to her last night."

Neji spoke, ignoring a half-asleep Tenten acting as a human backpack with her arms and legs wrapped around him with her chin resting on his shoulder, "Where is she?"

The blonde boy's elation faded instantly, and he shot up from his spot between Kiba and Hidan, "Otogakure. We need to leave asap."

Ino rose, her lengthy hair messy around her shoulders and down her back, "Otogakure? That's like almost a thousand miles away. It'll take over two weeks to get there on foot."

Naruto ignored her as he stretched his arms with a frown on his lips, "She's stuck somewhere without food. I don't care if none of you join me, but I'm going."

Sakura got up, rubbing her arms to keep them warm against the cold morning air, "I'm coming."

I nodded, "Me too."

After verifying everyone was awake and ready to go, the soldier unbarred the roof's door and led the way inside with his gun raised in anticipation.

To my surprise, the building was almost completely abandoned. A few patients were still locked in their rooms, but Shikamaru told us there was a release on the first floor that we could push as we left so they could escape. After making a game plan, we split into small groups and ransacked the place for non-perishable foods, clothing, and weapons we could bring.

After a couple hours, we met on the first floor to divvy up our findings. Ultimately, we came out lucky to have been in a government facility. There was an abundance of incredibly nutrient-filled foods that didn't have to be refrigerated, not to mention bottled water. The food looked like sludge and tasted awful, but it would keep us alive and wasn't big and heavy to carry around.

Since the security officers that worked at the asylum didn't bunk in the facility, there wasn't a gun stache to be raided. The only weapons we could find were tasers and a couple handguns from officers that'd been killed amidst the awful riot yesterday.

The only clothes we could find were nurse's scrubs and patient garments, both of which were too thin to stand against winter weather, so our next goal was to find a store in town to get some thicker clothing before hitting the release button for the still-trapped patients and then heading out.

Last night, the roads had been filled with people trying to escape town. I didn't know where they were headed, but they left nonetheless. This morning though, we stood in stunned silence as we looked out at the abandoned town. There wasn't a moving car or living person in sight. The only sound was the wind whistling.

We had to move past our surprise because of the cold and quickly found a clothing outlet a few blocks away. We didn't have to break in because the door had already been busted open. Avoiding the shattered glass on the ground, we headed inside and wordlessly began the hunt for proper clothing.

Luckily, the place was geared toward hikers and mountain climbers, so the clothing, shoes, and backpacks were very high quality. We were fortunate.

A sad frown sat on my lips as I searched through the cabinets behind the counter to check for any weapons the owners might've kept for self-protection. My brow furrowed when I saw a framed picture of a father and son atop the safe below the cash register. Where were these people now? Did they leave town in hopes of finding shelter?

I felt incredibly guilty for raiding their store like we were, but ultimately had to get over it. We were only trying to survive the elements. Wordlessly, I promised myself that if whatever this is blows over and things return to normal, I'll come back to pay for the stolen items and adequately apologize.

We were dressed and ready to go an hour later, but Hidan stopped us before anyone could step back outside, saying, "Wait a sec, guys."

Everyone turned to look at him.

The silver-haired man had a softer expression than I've ever seen on him as he smiled, "Thanks for saving us, but we're gonna split up, okay? Sasori has family in Suna that has an underground bunker, so we're headed that way." When he said 'we,' he referred to the other boys from Group A: Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame.

Kiba frowned, "Are you sure? Wouldn't it be safer for us to stick together?"

Kisame spoke in a tone that negated any other arguments, "I'm not going all the way to Oto to save one girl, even if it is Hinata."

Deidara offered us a sad smile, "Good luck, you guys. I hope we get to meet again someday." A few of us murmured quiet goodbyes to the four young men before they left the store and were out of sight.

Shikamaru, who'd wordlessly become one of the pack's leaders, sighed, "Does anyone else want to split up before we head out?"

Temari and Kankuro looked over at their brother, and for a split second, I was deathly afraid he would speak up, but he didn't. Instead, he met my eye with his usual glare and held it until I looked away.

"Alright then. Let's go."

There was a stack of world maps near the hiking gear, and there was enough for everyone to have one. We were each able to get a compass, a change of clothes, a sleeping bag, and one of those water filter straws in case we could not find a clean water source. A handful of us also grabbed deconstructable tents. We were lucky to have stumbled upon a place like this before it was thoroughly picked clean. There wasn't much else we'd need for this trip.

The initial goal was to find a bus or something to travel at least part of the way, but since the other four split from us, we could possibly make due in two vehicles. It'd be a tight fit, but we must make it work. The issue was that everyone who left town took their cars with them.

A couple hours passed before we gave up looking for random cars on the street and decided to try our luck with a car dealership. All this time had passed since we left the asylum, but we'd still not seen other living people. We'd happened upon any number of dead bodies, though.

"Alright, you guys, look for something with at least five seats and good mileage. Holler if you find something," Shikamaru instructed, but then Neji spoke up before anyone could leave, "I work in a repair shop, so I can show everyone how to hotwire most cars. It's probably something we'll all need to know."

Kankuro spoke up then, surprising us all because he hasn't been much of a talker since The Program ended, "I can help, too."

I smiled, intrigued that he'd spoken up, "Oh, did you work at a car shop too?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly, "Not exactly…." My smile faded as I realized what he meant. The Subaku siblings sure are a dangerous bunch.

Everyone separated to search the well-stocked lot for the perfect vehicle. I wandered about, kind of lost. I'd never even learned how to drive, much less taken an interest in cars, so I had no idea what models would have good mileage. The most I knew about cars was that I liked the girly-looking ones because they're cute.

I rubbed my gloved hands together as I knelt down slightly to peer through the window of a black SUV to count how many seats it had, only to hear something move behind me.

Instead of swirling around to see what it was, I straightened my posture slightly and looked in the reflection of the vehicle's window to see an unfamiliar man with bright orange hair and lots of facial piercings. The look on his face made me uneasy because it was a blank slate. If his eyes were closed, he'd look like he was asleep.

When he came within arm's reach, I swiftly turned and lifted my hands into fists with a warning expression on my face, "Who are you?" I didn't want to immediately start attacking because it could be that he meant me no harm and was simply coming to ask me for help or directions.

"You are a human woman, correct?"

My face contorted in confusion, and I bristled when he slightly cocked his head as though my reaction was something he didn't understand.

"What do you mean "human woman"? Of course, I am."

Without warning, his arm suddenly shot out and tried to grab me, but I hit it away and threw a few punches into his chest to try and force him back. He didn't flinch; it took me off guard just long enough for him to gain the upper hand. I was turned to face the car and shoved against it.

A cry of shock left my lips, and I tried to kick him since my arms were forced behind my back with one of his hands. The strength he had was unbelievable.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get off me!"

His other hand wrapped in my hair and lifted it upright, making the back of my neck visible. He paused momentarily before speaking, "Why do you have a scar here?"

I continued to struggle despite my confusion, only for someone to tackle the odd man away from me. My hair was pulled as he didn't immediately let go, and I was pulled back onto the ground. Somehow, I caught myself before my head hit the pavement and saw Gaara and Kankuro holding the man down.

My eyes shot over to see Temari offering me a hand. I gingerly accepted it, letting her help me up to my feet. A chill came over me when I turned to see the man still staring at me despite the two angry young men in front of him. One of my hands shakily touched the thin scar on the back of my neck from M.A.T.

Everyone else finally caught up after noticing the commotion. "What's going on? Who's this guy?"

I shook my head, "I don't know. He just came up and asked me if I was human and then attacked me."

Kiba looked as confused as I felt, "The fuck? What a weirdo."

The man in question suddenly spoke, his voice as dead-tone as before, "Tell me about the scar on your neck, human woman." He struggled against the boys' hold on him, and they were forced to roll him over onto his stomach, only for us all to gasp.

There was a slight bulge on the back of his neck, surrounded by little veins spreading around it. In the node's center was a thin scar, like the one we all had. Sakura slowly approached, being the most medically trained of us all, "...What is that?"

She glanced at the two young men holding him down to verify they had a good grip before hesitantly kneeling down and poking the area with her index finger, only to pull it away with a hiss.

Ino stepped forward, ready to help however she could, "What is it? What happened?"

Sakura shook her hand like she was trying to rid it of an uncomfortable sensation, "It's so cold it shocked me…." She turned her attention back to the man and spoke firmly, "What's this thing on your neck? Are you in pain? Tell me so I can help you."

The man turned his head to the side to look at her, "Do not touch me."

Confusion, once again, came over me. They'd been holding him down for a couple minutes now, and he was just telling her that? Naruto suddenly gasped, a hand on his forehead like he'd remembered something important. Without explaining, he shrugged his backpack off before pulling out a pocket knife and kneeling on the opposite side of the man as Sakura.

He unfolded it and pointed it at the center of the bulge as though he was about to stab the man before the pink-haired girl grabbed his wrists with a sound of bewilderment, matching the few others who objected from our group.

The blonde tried to pull his hands away from her, "Stop! I know what I'm doing…I think."

Our friend didn't listen to him and shook her head, "You can't stab someone if you're not completely sure, you idiot!"

Naruto glared at her, "Well, you won't believe me if I tell you what I think this is, so I have to show you instead."

Kiba spoke suddenly, "I think you should let him do it, Sakura. Something smells off about this guy."

The girl's brow furrowed in anger, but she reluctantly let the boy go. Without further hesitation, he gently stabbed the man's neck, only for everyone to shoot away from him in shock when the veins around it started wiggling wildly under his skin.

Ino cried out, "What the fuck is that!"

With no one to hold him down, the man got to his feet but didn't immediately run away like I thought he would. Instead, he looked at me again, "Were you once one of us?"

I shook my head in disbelief, "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

He stared for a long time before suddenly turning on his heel and walking away as if nothing had happened. We were all too stunned to chase after him and simply let him leave.