In The Walking Dead as Itachi Uchiha ?! (TWD)

After walking for a bit, I finally reached the Greene family's house. I set the buckets down by the porch, and I knocked once and waited.

The door creaked open a moment later. Patricia stood in the frame, apron dusted with flour and hands still damp.

She looked me over, confused for a second."Need something, hon?"

"I was helping Hershel carry some buckets," I said calmly. "He left before telling me where to bring them."

Patricia glanced past me at the buckets, then let out a soft chuckle.

"Those are for Jimmy and Otis. They're cleanin' the deer Otis brought in this morning."

She nodded toward the porch.

"You can leave 'em out here. The boys'll grab 'em when they're done messin' with that deer."

"Alright."

She stepped aside and gave a small wave of her hand.

"Go on and come in, no sense standin' out there."

I stepped inside. The house smelled like bread and something sweet.

She walked ahead, motioning towards the kitchen.

"Kettle's still hot, you want some tea?"

I shook my head politely.

"That's alright, I should be heading back soon."

She turned towards me, raising an eyebrow like I'd just insulted her cooking.

"Now don't be silly, it's just tea, sit for a minute."

I hesitated, but she was already grabbing the cups.

"...Alright."

I sat down at the kitchen table as Patricia started preparing the tea.

A moment later, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Maggie stepped into the room, slowing down when she saw me.

"Didn't know we had company," she said flatly.

"Just the young man helpin' your daddy earlier," Patricia said, not looking up as she poured the water.

Maggie gave a short nod and walked over to the counter, grabbing a clean cup.

She glanced back at me.

"Don't think we've met, I'm Maggie."

I gave a small nod.

"Itachi."

She sat down across from me, resting her arms on the table.

"So… what's it really like out there? We haven't left the farm since all this started, furthest we been is that little town just up the road."

I nodded to Patricia as she placed the tea for me.

"Thank you."

I looked back at Maggie.

"Nothing too different, just everything's in ruins, no more government, and the dead don't stay dead anymore."

Maggie leaned back a little, her expression tightening.

"They're sick… that's all. Just sick people. Daddy says it's somethin' we don't understand yet, and when they find the cure, everything will go back to normal."

I just shook my head.

"There is no cure, and there won't be one for them. They're already dead."

Patricia froze, her hands going still as she shifted uncomfortably.

Maggie didn't say anything, just stared at me.

I heard light footsteps coming down the stairs.

Beth walked in a second later, her eyes moving between us.

"Everything okay?" she asked softly.

Patricia forced a smile as she turned back to the cups.

"Just talkin', sweetheart. Sit down, have some tea."

Beth nodded and eased into the seat beside Maggie. She kept her hands folded in her lap, glancing at me before focusing back on her tea.

After a few breaths, her voice wavered gently:

"Um… who might you be?"

I set the cup down carefully.

"Itachi."

Beth gave a soft nod and reached out a hand, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm Beth… It's nice to meet you."

I shook her hand gently.

"Likewise."

Patricia glanced over.

"You folks settlin' in okay?"

I gave a small nod.

"Yes. Thank you for allowing us to stay here."

Patricia glanced over with a faint smile.

"Well… it's only right. Ain't right to turn folks away when they need help."

I just gave a quiet nod and finished drinking the tea.

"Thank you for the tea, but I should be going."

Patricia gave a small nod as I stood up.

"Alright, hon. Y'all be safe out there."

I gave a small nod.

"You too."

I stepped off the porch and made my way back towards the others.

When I got close, I spotted Jenner sitting near the RV.

I raised a hand and waved him over.

He noticed and stood up, brushing off his coat before walking over.

He came to a stop beside me, keeping his voice low.

"I don't think this is the right time to tell them about the virus."

I looked over at him, studying his face.

"Why?"

Jenner let out a slow breath, his eyes drifting toward the camp, lingering on Lori.

"She's been a little more emotional lately… and just now, while they were cooking, I saw her flinch from the smell of the meat."

A pause.

"I could be wrong... but I think she's showing early signs of pregnancy."

He rubbed the back of his neck, voice even lower now.

"If they find out there's no hope… that we all turn even if we don't get bitten… that could push her over the edge, and she might try to get rid of the child."

Jenner looked down for a moment.

"And I don't even know what's worse anymore. No child should have to grow up in a world like this… but it doesn't feel right to just decide their fate based on what we think is right or wrong. Still… what kind of life would they even have?"

I kept my voice steady.

"That decision's not ours to make, it's Rick and Lori's."

...or Shane's.

I looked back towards the camp.

"We'll tell Rick. Just him."

I kept my voice even.

"We give him a week to tell the others, the sooner they know the truth, the better… and it gives them time to figure out what to do about the pregnancy."

Jenner gave a slow nod.

"Alright."

We started walking towards Rick.

Rick stood next to Hershel, the two of them talking quietly as they were overlooking the farm.

We walked up, and I stopped a few feet away.

I looked at Rick.

"Can we speak with you? Just us."

They both turned.

Rick glanced between us, then gave a slow nod.

"Yeah… alright."

Hershel didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on Jenner.

Hershel's gaze lingered on Jenner, but his tone stayed steady.

"We can pick this up later."

He gave Rick a short nod, then turned toward the house.

"Suppose I should check on dinner anyway."

We waited for Hershel to walk off before Rick turned back to us.

"What'd you wanna talk about?"

Jenner stepped forward.

"I think it's better if I explain."

He met Rick's eyes.

"We're all infected."

Rick blinked, thrown off.

"…What do you mean?"

Jenner shifted slightly, his tone quiet but firm.

"Doesn't matter if you're bitten or not. After we die… we turn. All of us. We're already infected, every last one."

Rick took a step back, his face going pale. His mouth opened, then closed.

"…That— no… that can't—"

He shook his head slowly, trying to ground himself.

"You're sayin'... even if we're not bit… we still—"

I answered for him.

"Yes. At the end of the day… we all turn."

Rick looked at me, like he was still hoping one of us would take it back.

I kept my voice steady.

"I'd like to tell the others."

Rick swallowed hard, jaw tightening.

"…Not yet."

He glanced down, then off towards the fields, like the sky might help him think.

"I need to process this. Just… give me a little time."

Jenner gave a small nod.

"Of course."

I didn't argue.

"Alright."

Without another word, we turned and started walking back, leaving Rick alone with his thoughts.

We walked in silence for a few minutes before I glanced towards Jenner.

"So… what kind of theories did you have about the herd?"

Jenner exhaled softly.

"Those corpses shouldn't be moving, not like that."

"Too decayed?" I asked.

"Far too." His voice dropped slightly. "Some of them were missing entire muscle groups. You could see bone, tendons snapped, ribs exposed… and they kept going."

He shook his head slowly.

"That tells me the virus doesn't rely on functioning tissue. Not entirely. It's overriding muscle death, maybe triggering residual nerve impulses. Or something we don't understand yet."

A beat.

"Maybe it even slows decay after a certain point."

I said nothing, letting him continue.

"Even rabies has rules," he muttered. "This thing… stabilizes rot. Preserves the brain stem in ways that shouldn't be possible, and they weren't just wandering."

He glanced at me.

"They moved like a current. I watched one come out of the treeline and just… fall in step."

"Instinct," I murmured. "Like ants drawn to each other."

He nodded.

"Swarm logic, no leader, just response to motion and presence."

Jenner's voice dropped lower.

"But here's what worries me."

He paused.

"If every small pack starts merging with the next… and only a few ever break off…"

Another pause.

"They won't be herds anymore. They'll be floods, thousands, moving without a goal, until something draws them in."

I kept my voice quiet.

"You're saying… the longer we survive, the worse it gets."

"Exactly." He straightened, rubbing the back of his neck.

"They're not thinning out. They're building up. If my theory's right… they could grow from scattered dozens to thousands, then tens of thousands… maybe even more."

A silence settled between us.

"And I don't think we've seen the worst of it yet."

We walked back in silence for a while before I decided to ask something that had been sitting in the back of my mind since Atlanta.

"I have a question."

Jenner glanced over.

"Ask away. If I know, I'll answer."

I looked at him.

"How did the military fall?"

He was quiet for a few seconds before answering.

"They held it together longer than most, secured the cities, and evacuated who they could. But the problem wasn't just the dead, it was panic, riots, communication breakdowns."

He sighed.

"And then reanimation."

I stayed silent, letting him continue.

"They didn't know the rules at first. People were dying from injuries, heart attacks, accidents… and turning. Right in the safe zones, in hospitals, on transport trucks. One walker would get loose in a barracks or evacuation point and…"

He shook his head.

"Containment became impossible."

He glanced at me again.

"Soldiers started shooting civilians, then each other. Orders stopped making sense, the leadership collapsed, some units tried to hold the line while others deserted."

He paused.

"They didn't fall all at once. They just… crumbled, piece by piece."

He looked back toward the path ahead.

"And when they finally figured out you didn't need to be bitten to turn… it was already too late."

We just kept walking.

As we neared the camp, the group was already gathered around the fire, sharing stories and talking among themselves.

Daryl sat near the others, sharpening a knife.

Glenn was arguing with T-Dog about something neither of them really cared about. Jacqui just sat beside T-Dog, laughing softly at them.

Andrea and Amy were whispering and laughing at something Dale had said.

Sophia and Carl ran around nearby, playing and laughing.

Carol and Lori talked quietly about tomorrow's plans and laundry, while Rick sat beside Lori, silently watching the fire.

Shane sat a little further away from the group, eating and stealing glances at Lori, who kept ignoring him completely.

Jenner peeled off first, heading back towards the RV without another word.

I paused for a moment, eyes scanning the group.

Amy caught my glance from across the fire and gave a small wave, motioning me over.

I gave her a slight nod before walking over and sitting beside Daryl.

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🧪 Author's Note:

Thank you all so much for the support — over 1,400+ power stones! You guys are insane.

I'll try to upload another chapter in the next 7+ hours or so… but no promises 😅

Let me know what you thought about the military collapse explanation — does it feel believable and realistic to you? Or did the show explain it more somewhere, and I just missed it?

And as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter. Your feedback means a lot and helps me improve every step of the way.

Thanks again for reading! 🖤