Search for Salvation Ch 9
Zetsu set the autopilot and leaned back in his seat. After the incident on the planet everyone was still a bit on edge. Some were hoping they didn't encounter anything out in the black where the rest were hoping the next thing they encountered wouldn't kill them.
He glanced to the cot at the sleeping boy. He had grown fond of Tobi. The kid had a quiet and wonderful disposition. He never argued about anything Zetsu told him and he always seemed eager to help out. Zetsu was grateful that he could count on him in a crisis.
He looked back out at the black and watched the stars for a moment. He wondered what was so special about them. Tobi always watched them in awe. Zetsu however had seen them dozens of times. Now he studied them again. They looked quite beautiful.
Pein sat on the edge of his bed. He winced as a pain shot through the wound in his abdomen. He leaned back and carefully lay there. He had been trying for the past forty minutes to put his boots on and get up but to no avail. The pain was just too much.
He threw his hand out and punched the wall next to the bed in frustration. He hated being incapable. Konan was walking down the corridor when she heard the thud. Immediately she rushed to Pein's room thinking that he had fallen. She was relieved to see he hadn't.
She did however notice that he had been trying to get up and put his boots on. She knew he should be in bed resting but it was boring just lying around doing nothing. She quietly went to his bed and put his boots on him for him. He gave her a grateful look.
She helped him stand without too much difficulty and led him out of his room. She took him into the lounge and set him on the sofa. He leaned back and sighed in gratitude. He was feeling ten times better already. Konan smiled and left him to his peace.
Sasuke broke the egg into the pan and once more explained to Naruto how to cook it so it was cooked on the white and runny on the yolk. Naruto again gave him a blank stare. Sasuke shook his head and sighed. He had never had so much trouble teaching before.
Naruto walked over and sat down at the table. He picked up a cook book and began reading it again. It was hand written by Konan but useful. She was very vast in knowledge of food. She was also very strict in her teachings of the art.
Sasuke finished the egg and set it in front of the blonde. Naruto gave a grateful smile and began wolfing down the egg and the toast that Sasuke had just given him. Sasuke watched the blond and wondered how someone could eat the way he did.
Kisame and Itachi both lay in their hammocks. Itachi was reading something and Kisame was swinging back and forth in his hammock humming a tune. Itachi was at ease with the older guys habits. He found it kept him sane. He also found he enjoyed it.
Kisame stopped humming as he stood. He walked to the engine and checked everything out. It was where it should be so he went on to the compression coil. He could see the coupling on it was getting looser. It would hold up as long as the engine wasn't working harder than it should.
Itachi watched Kisame looking at the coil. He knew how bad it would be if the compression coil blew. They didn't have another one at the moment and it would do severe damage to the ship and the engine. They only hoped it wouldn't happen.
Kakuzu and Hidan hung out in the cargo bay. They rearranged the cargo bay a little bit and set up a work area. They had all of the guns out on the table and were cleaning and loading them. Kakuzu was teaching Hidan to make the shells as they went.
Hidan picked up a magazine and slipped it into the chamber. He aimed the gun and eyed the shot. It was a little off so he went to work realigning he sight scope. Kakuzu was impressed at how fast he had picked up on things. He was also relieved.
They had been doing combat training at night while everyone slept. Hidan proved to be a quick study and he was able to counterattack most of Kakuzu's blows. He had picked up a few moves as they went and created a couple of his own. Kakuzu was proud of him.
Sasori and Deidara had been making bombs that were small with big explosions and big with smaller explosions. Sasori at first had been against using his art to make the bombs. Deidara had been persistent about it so much so that he had told Sasori he would do anything for him.
Sasori of course had been taking advantage of that and had Deidara catering to him most of the time. Deidara would never admit it but he actually enjoyed it. It seems that Deidara was starting to develop a little crush on Sasori. Sure they both guys but Deidara was gay.
No he never told anyone and he was sure that some of them may have figured it out but he wasn't ashamed of it. If it weren't for the fact that they needed to find a way to repopulate the human race he would have made a move on the red head by now.
As it was, everyone was thinking the same thing. Unless everyone got Konan pregnant if it was even possible then there would be no human race left. He shook his head at the thought and finished putting in the fuse. He set it next to the others and picked up the next.
Sasori watched with mild interest as the blond fused the sculptures. He had seen the blond watching him from time to time. He had figured out that the blond must be gay a little while ago. The blond however never said a word about it. Sasori wondered why.
Zetsu stood up and gently nudged Tobi. The raven opened his eyes and smiled. It was his turn to take the wheel. He got up and stretched, then slipped into his seat. Zetsu crawled into bed and drifted off. He was content leaving the bird in the capable hands of his apprentice.