They were no longer alone
Iruka prayed there weren't any of those damn zombies in the library he found. After all the debacle for the cure of the mysterious virus and the failed vaccines, people infected by the virus and vaccinated strangely mutated, sending the world to hell.
People became violent and began attacking others, biting and even killing innocents. Parents attacking children, teachers attacking students, doctors attacking patients, etc.
Iruka was one of the few survivors of the virus and was with Naruto, an orphan of his class and Sakura, a girl she found alone on the street and that her parents had succumbed to the virus.
But, despite everything, Iruka was proud of what he had achieved. He was not alone in this post-apocalyptic life and had managed to survive and teach the two children that he had in his care, Iruka himself being a man who had practiced martial arts before the pandemic and the zombies.
But now, after walking for hours, the three of them felt tired and exhausted. They needed to sleep indoors and protect them from zombies at night (and honestly, Iruka wanted to be in one place for a few days. Rest and feel safe).
"Iruka-sensei, is the library free? I'm tired."
"We'll see, Naruto. Sakura, do you have the backpack with the bandages?"
"Yes, Iruka sensei. I also have alcohol, cotton, and amoxicillin."
"Alright then. Guys, stay close to me, okay? You know what to do if there's a zombie around, right?"
"Yes, Iruka-sensei! We run, but if they surround us, hit each zombie's butt, like you have taught us!"
"Alright! Let's go then!"
The three walked in silence trying to hear any sound or growl in the corridors of that library. Some shelves were overturned and some books were rotting on the floor. Some rats were in the dark corners and the dust had settled a long time ago, but something was wrong.
The stairs leading to the 2nd floor were strangely clean, as if someone used them regularly. Were there other humans nearby? Hope filled her heart.
A barking and approaching footsteps were heard and echoed in the empty library. Scared but also hopeful, Iruka made a decision hoping not to endanger those whom he already considers younger siblings.
"Kids, listen to me. I suspect something and I need you to trust me. Go hide, okay? I'll be here, but if something goes wrong, I don't want you to look back, just run. I love you."
Looking at each other, Sakura and Naruto ran to hide behind some shelves, just hoping that Iruka-sensei was okay.
The footsteps were heard closer and closer and she was not accompanied by growls or similar sounds, but Iruka was not confident.
But they weren't zombies! The first thing the former schoolmaster saw were dogs led by an adorable little pug followed by a silver-haired adult man and a boy with black hair. They were human! However, he did not know if they were reliable or no he was still tense.
"Who are you what do you want?"
"Please, I'm not aggressive. My name is Iruka and with some children we found this library in this town, we thought it was empty."
"You and how many more? You said children."
"We are three, a boy and a girl, both 12 years old. I was a school teacher. I survived because I practiced martial arts. Both children who come with me are orphans."
The silver-haired adult still hadn't shown up but he felt protective of the boy behind his back and the dogs around him.
"Please, we are tired, exhausted and hungry. We have medicine and instant ramen, we were just looking for a safe place to rest and find other humans."
The man approached Iruka and could see the red eye and scar on his face. He had a surgical mask and lean muscles.
Ok. If you tell the truth, you have to show me these children that you say you bring with you. If you really have children in your care, I will not kill you, I will even let you stay with us, but if you are lying, I have a gun loaded that I won't mind unloading on your head. "
"Very well." he said swallowing deeply. "Naruto, Sakura, come out. We are safe."
A girl with pink hair and a blond boy came out from behind some furniture. They both had a backpack just as big as the man with long brown hair tied in a ponytail.
"Iruka, rigth I'm Kakashi, and a former military man and also a survivor of the pandemic and the supposed cure. I am accompanied by Sasuke, my nephew and these dogs."
Iruka could see a smile in the stranger's eyes and, like him, hope and joy. They were no longer alone! He had found another adult! He was ecstatic.
"Nice to meet you Kakashi. I'm really glad to meet you."
Both men found a lot in common over time until they finally fell in love, but they did not consider themselves as mere boyfriends, but also companions, friends and confidants.
In the end, they found a family and happiness in times where that was very difficult to find, all of them feeling very lucky. Finally no one was alone.
End.