Nightshift 39: Kitchen

[31st_of_china]

[With mod permission]

Sanzo jerked awake, cheek pressed against the floor. The monk immediately went for the gun. He hadn't gone to sleep that last shift, not while he hadn't made a decision about Takasugi. What the fuck? Had they drugged the food? He was curled on the floor - and he definitely wasn't in that cell any longer - his fingers around

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[toobothersome]

[from here]

The door ahead of them was already open, luckily, and as the four moved through it, Shikamaru pulled it shut behind them. It didn't lock, but it would hopefully stop those in the cafeteria from using any magic or weapon that required a line of sight.

The room smelled like blood: bad sign. Given the silence and stillness, though, it was most likely that someone had escaped through here after being attacked by the person or people in the cafeteria. Just in case, he cast the beam of his flashlight over the surroundings.

Aside from the spilled blood, the kitchen was even cleaner than the one at his house--a feat, considering how often his mother made him clean the damn thing. There were no visible monsters or people ready to attack, so he stepped aside to a drawer and quickly slid his fingers around the edges then pulled it out a quarter inch, listening for giant roaches or ants or sentient silverware or whatever the hell haunted the kitchen. Satisfied that it wasn't rigged or a habitat for man-eating washcloths, he balanced the flashlight between his chin and shoulder and yanked the drawer fully open.

Judging from the disorder, it seemed someone else had been here first, but after pushing around the spoons, he did find a few very dull knives. Shikamaru moved quickly, not wanting to hold up the group but working as quietly as possible within those constraints. "We can sharpen this stuff later," he said, picking up a couple triangle-shaped things with wooden handles. What the hell? For cake? Nothing he found was especially sturdy, but they'd run out of scalpels eventually and those blades were thin to begin with, requiring a precision that was difficult in the dark and possibly bending or breaking when used against anything with armor or a protective shell.

The instruments were useless now, so he didn't bother offering them to the others. After a few seconds of trying to fit more than a couple knives in his pockets, he gave up and glanced across the others. Somehow, Kakashi had managed to keep his usual clothing, and the assortment of pockets there should be enough. "Can you hang onto these?" he asked, holding out the findings. "We'll just get rid of them if we find something more important."

[lostonlifesroad]

The scent of blood in the air wasn't to be ignored, but Kakashi also knew that he couldn't strictly focus on it as they made their way across the kitchen. He wanted to pause long enough to give Dias's group a chance to catch up, just in case they were needed. After all, it'd be rather poor to offer help and then just abandon them. And besides, Shikamaru had already taken it upon himself to begin searching the area. The action would buy them a few minutes, which would hopefully be enough time for the other group to catch up.

Otherwise, Kakashi would have to consider ordering them back into the previous room. It wasn't something he particularly wanted to do, since their goal was the basement. However, he refused to simply leave behind someone he considered an ally. Those who worked with him knew this fairly well, particularly Naruto and Sakura. It'd been the first lesson he'd ever taught them as ninja, after all.

When Shikamaru approached him, the man glanced over the items, then nodded as he took them. "Sure." Nothing more than harmless butter knives and cake cutters, at least in appearance. But if they found some way to sharpen them, they could be turned into something not unlike kunai in shape, if not nearly as durable. Besides, without the typical assortment of ninja tools, Kakashi's outfit was rather roomy in terms of pocket space. There wasn't any harm in playing the pack mule.

At least, not so long as he didn't think of it that way.

[whirlingwinds]

Naruto couldn't help crinkling his nose and bringing a hand to it at the smell of the blood. It was a familiar smell but it had never been an incredibly pleasant one, and in this situation he didn't want to imagine where it come from or how so much had been spilt.

His eyes fell on the sink he'd wet their shirts in the last time he'd been there, which lead to him thinking of what he'd seen when he'd turned around. He felt a pang of anger, clenching and unclenching his fist, storing the emotion aside for when he'd need to fight.

[see_my_back]

Sakura stayed near the door when they entered, just to see if Kakashi's allies would take them up on the offer. There was already a really tall guy there who seemed to be either watching the fight or waiting on others, but she tried to stay out of his way. The others were gathering blunt tools which she supposed might be helpful. She knew she'd seen notes on the bulletin that spoke of weaponsmiths, but she'd yet to meet one in person.

She said nothing, but wondered how long Kakashi would have them wait on these others. Sakura didn't mind healing them, though it would probably deplete her chakra, but if they didn't get moving, they might not make their own destination.

[toobothersome]

After passing the pieces of silverware to Kakashi, Shikamaru leaned against the counter, arms folded, wearing an expression that most would consider disinterested or aloof. In actuality, his attention was fixed on his three teammates, and as he waited for Kakashi's okay to move on, he carefully noted their expressions and shifts in posture. Sakura had said they'd all come from different points in time, and although he was determined to learn as little as possible about the future, he knew the difference that a matter of months or even weeks could make in a person's perception of themselves and the world. If Naruto was from an earlier time, Shikamaru would have to take that into account when predicting his actions and gauging his priorities, especially knowing what he'd just learned at breakfast. Sakura and Kakashi would be even harder, since he'd have to make predictions based solely on what he saw here. Still, at least for the time being, nothing would change his resolution to keep his own future where it belonged: in a very separate place from the present.

From what he'd seen, Kakashi hadn't changed much from the man Shikamaru last knew, as evidenced by the fact that they were stuck waiting around for some guy that they had no official responsibility for. This part of the jounin's personality could be a hassle, especially in a situation like this, but in line with past experiences, Shikamaru's appreciation for the trait far outweighed any frustration. Sakura seemed her usual bothersome self, though he was far less grateful for that. Naruto seemed slightly unsettled, but that might be due to the kitchen itself...he'd seemed more comfortable in the hall.

A hell of a lot of concentration to lead to no conclusion. This was becoming a pattern. Shikamaru unfolded his arms to drag one hand down his face, then let out a quiet sigh that was closer to tired frustration than impatience. The sooner they moved on, the sooner he could think productively, and the sooner he could think productively, the sooner he wouldn't have to think at all.

[whirlingwinds]

Naruto, in a situation like this, didn't really like waiting around. They had a place to go, and he didn't like the kitchen (not just for what he'd been thinking about before but because of the smell, amongst other things). He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, wondering if anyone would actually come here or if they'd be waiting for no reason.

"Is anyone coming?" He asked.