Chapter 9: Taking Action
"That was a good meal, even if I ended up paying as much as I do when I eat out with Chouji," Shikamaru said.
Kabuto shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry. I have expensive taste."
"You can say that again," Shikamaru grumbled.
"Oh! Shikamaru, Kabuto-senpai. What are you two doing together?" Hinata greeted the two of them, crossing the street to join the Chunin and his charge.
"Together? Hinata, do I look gay to you?" Kabuto scowled.
"No," she cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Why, are you?"
Shikamaru face palmed. "Hinata…"
Kabuto snorted. "No. Not in the slightest."
Shikamaru sighed in relief. Hinata frowned. "Well, you did just ask me that question out of the blue…"
"Hinata, you asked what we were doing together," Shikamaru clarified.
"Oh, well, it's not like I thought you two were on a date or… something," Hinata replied, turning to Kabuto. "Do you want some pocky, Kabuto-senpai?" she asked, extending one of the tiny, chocolate-covered biscuit sticks in his direction.
Kabuto stared at the pocky as if he thought it might bite him. "Um…"
Shikamaru took several from the box Hinata was holding. "Gee, thanks for the offer," he said sarcastically.
"What is it with Konoha and feeding me?" Kabuto demanded.
Hinata appeared confused. "I'm sorry. Do you not like sweets? If you want, we could get you a pretzel or something…"
"You know what, Hinata? Ignore him. Seriously. He eats just fine, as my now very-light wallet can attest."
Kabuto glanced at Shikamaru in consternation. "I told you I was fine earlier. You made me eat more."
"That's because you were still hungry," Shikamaru replied.
"Um… perhaps I should go," Hinata said, pulling the pocky away from Kabuto.
He reached out and plucked it from her hand before it was completely out of reach. "Thank you," he said, nibbling on it delicately.
Hinata smiled brightly. "You're welcome," she said.
Kabuto finished the pocky and glanced at Shikamaru, who was working on his fifth. "You didn't get enough to eat earlier?"
Hinata extended another pocky. "You can have more too, if you want."
Kabuto took another pocky, to be polite. He didn't particularly care for the snack food, but he didn't want to disappoint an important member of the Hyuga clan. "Thank you," he said again, eyeing the candy.
Shikamaru kicked the wheelchair. "Just eat it," he grumbled. "You had no problem scarfing down all the expensive rolls back there."
Hinata appeared confused. "If you need money, Shikamaru…"
"It's not the money," Shikamaru replied. "Well, it is. But he should pay!"
"But he doesn't have any money," Hinata protested, "So I…"
"No, he's just a picky eater," Shikamaru said. "He can only eat the expensive stuff."
Hinata shrugged. "Oh, well, then next time I can treat him-"
"That's not the point," Shikamaru interrupted her. "He-" Kabuto yawned pointedly. Shikamaru glanced at him in consternation. "What?"
"I think he's tired," Hinata volunteered helpfully.
"Yes, tired of being spoken about in the third person. Weren't we going home?" Kabuto sighed.
"Home?" Hinata appeared confused.
"Oh yeah. Kakashi ditched, so I'm stuck babysitting this guy for the next few weeks. It's a total drag," Shikamaru said. "Especially since he has 'expensive taste' for sushi…"
"I apologize for eating only expensive sushi," Kabuto snapped. "Jeez. It's like I'm jabbing you to death with paper clips or something…"
Shikamaru blinked. "Did you just apologize for something?"
Kabuto glanced at Shikamaru and quirked an eyebrow upward. "Yes. Apologizing seems to be something you Konoha people do frequently. At least, that's what I thought. I figured I'd give it a try."
Shikamaru shrugged. "Anyway, we'd better get going," he told Hinata, gripping Kabuto's wheelchair.
Hinata waved one hand. "See you later," she murmured.
Shikamaru waved goodbye, wheeling Kabuto back across town. Before long, the two were nearing Shikamaru's apartment. Kabuto was preparing himself for more damage to his pride after another trek up the stairs when Shikamaru stopped suddenly, throwing Kabuto forward.
"What was that for?" Kabuto snapped, glancing up at Shikamaru, who was busy face-palming repeatedly.
"I forgot to get something for breakfast tomorrow," Shikamaru moaned. "And we were right by the store…" he glanced at Kabuto. "Can I leave you alone in the house for, like, five minutes?"
Kabuto blinked a few times before responding. "You tell me. You're the one in charge here, not me."
Shikamaru scowled. "I don't think I have any weapons lying around… well, I don't know, maybe I do. And I really shouldn't leave you alone… even though I already did, accidentally… So it's probably not a big deal… but I don't want to go all the way back into town, 'cuz I'm tired…" Shikamaru sighed gustily. "I guess I'll just get up early tomorrow morning."
Kabuto shrugged. "Whatever."
Shikamaru glanced at Kabuto. "How do we get the wheelchair up the steps?"
"I walk up the stairs, then you carry the wheelchair in," Kabuto snarled.
Shikamaru looked dubious. "Can you get up the stairs by yourself?"
Kabuto scowled up at Shikamaru from where he sat. "Yes."
Shikamaru shrugged and leaned on the back of the wheelchair. "Go ahead, then," he said.
Kabuto stared at the steps in concentration. There were only three steps; he was sure he could manage to keep his balance if he moved quickly enough. Inwardly he cursed his inner ear for being bothersome during a recovery period. He wasn't used to being on his feet anymore, and he knew these stairs would be a challenge, especially since there was no railing or anything of the sort on either side.
Shikamaru coughed slightly. "Are you sure you can-?"
Kabuto planted his feet firmly and stood, nearly taking Shikamaru's head off (the Chunin had been leaning over the back of Kabuto's head, bracing himself on the wheelchair). He took several confident steps forward, then quickly planted his right foot on the first step, stepping up to the second step with his left foot. He lifted his right foot to take the third step but misjudged the distance, whacking his toe on the edge of the top step. He stumbled forward, hissing through his teeth and crashing against the front door, bracing himself against the solid object.
"Are you all right?" Shikamaru asked, hefting the wheelchair and following Kabuto up the steps with ease.
Kabuto sighed in frustration. "I'm fine."
Shikamaru shrugged and pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking the front door, pushing it open. "You'll have to take the couch tonight," he said, moving inside. "I wasn't exactly expecting company."
Kabuto limped inside, a scowl fixed on his face.
Shikamaru glanced at Kabuto's face and scowled back. "I'm sorry I don't have anything better for you to sleep on, deal with it."
Kabuto glanced at Shikamaru, a confused look replacing the scowl. "What? Oh, I'm not angry with you, I'm angry with myself," Kabuto informed Shikamaru, appearing slightly embarrassed. "I'm not used to waiting this long to recover from… well, anything," he confessed.
Shikamaru raised his eyebrows. "Really? Why is this so different?"
Kabuto staggered past Shikamaru and flopped onto the couch with a sigh. He held out his wrists, giving the Chunin a bland look. "Chakra inhibitors," he explained. "Usually, my body pretty much fixes itself automatically- I barely even have to think about it. But without my Chakra…" Kabuto made a dismissive gesture. "Anyway, do you have some blankets, a pillow, something I can use tonight, or should I just rough it?"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I have extra pillows and blankets, I just don't have a bed stashed in my hall closet."
Kabuto quirked the left side of his mouth up in a sardonic half-smile. "Good to know."
Shikamaru glanced around for a moment, then moved into the kitchen, glancing over at the table. "What's this?" he wondered aloud.
"What's what?" Kabuto called from one end of the couch, reclining slightly.
"A package… with an envelope of some sort… it wasn't here when I left this morning." Shikamaru wandered back into the front room, plopping down on the opposite side of the couch from Kabuto, guardedly eyeing the manila envelope. He unsealed it carefully, withdrawing a thick pile of papers. "Hmm," he mused, his eyes flicking from side to side as he read the first page. He lifted the page slightly, checked the back to make sure nothing was written on it, then shuffled it to the back of the pile and moved on to the next page.
Kabuto restrained an urge to attempt to peer at the papers. Instead, he feigned indifference, settling back into the couch and attempting to find a comfortable position.
About halfway through the pile, Shikamaru yawned, and shoved the stack back into the envelope. "Definitely not light bedtime reading," he quipped, folding the top down over the envelope and standing. "How many blankets do you want?"
Kabuto considered the question for a moment. "Two, I suppose."
"How many pillows?" Shikamaru asked, moving across the room to an adjoining door. He opened it and moved into the hallway as Kabuto replied.
"Two?"
"Is that a question?" Shikamaru called from the hall, pulling open the hall closet door with a creak. He snagged two blankets and two pillows.
"I guess not. I'll take two pillows, please," Kabuto answered as Shikamaru returned with the blankets and pillows.
"Sure thing," Shikamaru said, handing the bedding to Kabuto. Stalking around the room attentively, he carefully put away a few stray papers and unplugged the lamp, carrying it out of the room.
"What are you doing?" Kabuto asked upon Shikamaru's re-entry, as the Chunin began once again scouring the room.
"I'm emptying this room of any possible weapons. And I'm padlocking the kitchen. I can't have you getting in after the knives." Shikamaru informed him, heading for the hall closet and returning with an abundance of locks and keys. Kabuto hoped the Chunin would be able to keep track of all the keys; he wasn't fond of starving, or being locked indoors for an indefinite period of time.
Shikamaru picked up the half-eaten bowl of rice, scowled at it, and took it into the kitchen. He came back out, padlocked the kitchen door, then padlocked the front door. He glanced at Kabuto. "I usually do this when I leave on a mission," he said. "It's kind of weird to do it when I'll just be sleeping down the hall…"
Kabuto frowned. "So how do you get out?"
"There's a door in my bedroom," Shikamaru told him, moving across the room and padlocking the window. "I lock that one from the outside, padlock it on the outside, and lock the handle from the inside."
Kabuto nodded absently, fluffing a pillow and scooting down until he reached a marginally comfortable half-sitting position.
Shikamaru glanced around the room one final time, then moved into the hallway, shutting the door. "Good night," he called, his voice muffled by the door.
"Good night," Kabuto called back, scowling as he heard the click of a padlock. He was a sharp kid, that Shikamaru. Kabuto rolled over slightly, glancing at his wheelchair and smirking. Smart, yes. But not smart enough.
Two hours later, Kabuto was at his wheelchair, carefully taking it apart, aiming for a small, thin, flat piece that would be the perfect device for picking a lock. Finally, the recovering shinobi was able to free the piece he'd been trying to get.
Slowly, silently, Kabuto moved across the room, pausing at the kitchen door and leaning against the wall, sliding to the floor and reaching above his head to pick at the lock- carefully and quietly. After fifteen long minutes, Kabuto freed the kitchen door from the clutches of the padlock.
Kabuto stood, cautiously swinging the door open. There, in the middle of the kitchen table, was the envelope. The light of the full moon was streaming through the window, illuminating the room. Kabuto glanced at the knives for a moment and considered palming one for safety's sake, but decided against it. Shikamaru had probably counted the knives- it was too risky, and Kabuto was in no position to try and overpower the Chunin. Kabuto lowered himself into a chair and carefully unfolded the manila envelope, reaching inside and withdrawing the papers inside. He shuffled the papers around until he got to the top of the pile and began reading.
Background information, immunization records, grades, notable moments during his time at Konoha, what little info they had on his time in the Akatsuki and with Orochimaru. And then, what Kabuto had been searching for. The medical records regarding his treatment and surgery in Konoha. Fairly basic stuff for the most part; general anesthetics, sedatives, local anesthetics, and…
What's this? Kabuto wondered, re-reading the name of the drug, thinking he must have misread it in the moonlight. I know this drug, Kabuto thought in slight irritation. It's a powerful drug used to regulate extreme psychological disorders. I'm not psychotic, and I'm not clinically depressed, so why am I on something like this?
Kabuto scowled, glancing around for the package that had held the manila envelope. He had a feeling that this envelope was not the only thing it had held… He spotted the package a moment later, poking out of the trash can. Carefully, Kabuto stood and made his way to the trash can, checking the package to see if the medication was in the package. It wasn't. Kabuto glanced around the room, then moved to the nearest cupboard, rifling through the contents until he was satisfied that the medication was not in that cupboard. It took Kabuto fifteen minutes and three cupboards before he finally found the medicine that he'd been prescribed for some reason.
He pulled the medication out of the cupboard, glared at it for a moment, then moved over to the sink and decisively dumped it down the drain, deciding he didn't care if it tainted Konoha's water. Remaining as silent as possible, Kabuto rinsed the bottle out thoroughly, then glanced around to find a suitable replacement. He finally decided on the powdered green tea, putting a bit into the bottle and then adding water, swishing it around until it was about as viscous and turbid as the medication had been. It was even near to the same color (a bit greener), but seeing as Shikamaru wasn't a medical ninja, he probably wouldn't notice the difference- if he'd even bothered looking at the medication at all.
The only problem was the scent of the 'medication'- it smelled like green tea. Kabuto went back to the cupboards, digging through them and selecting a few spices and health supplements. Kabuto carefully sprinkled a tiny bit of ground cardamom, powdered Echinacea root and garlic powder into the tea, then topped off the volatile cocktail of now-repulsive flavor with a sprinkle of powdered goldenseal root. Kabuto sniffed the former tea delicately and grimaced. Shikamaru would never doubt that this was medicine now.
Kabuto carefully replaced the 'medication' and then returned the papers to their original positions, shuffled in the exact order that Shikamaru had left them, folded the envelope as it had been when he'd found it and slipped it back onto the table in precisely the place it had been before. Kabuto cast his eyes about the kitchen once more to verify that everything was back in place before slinking out of the room and replacing the padlock.
He then reassembled his wheelchair and sank down on the couch, thoroughly exhausted. Still, he felt victorious and competent for the first time in weeks. Smiling slightly, Kabuto allowed himself to relax and fell into a deep, restful sleep.
It was the last good night of sleep he was to have for months.
A/N: Mwahahaha! I'm home for winter break and I finally found time to update! Kabuto's finally getting a little action in, and the next few chapters should get interesting...
This thing is turning out really long, but hopefully you will be willing to stick with me (and all my slowness) to the end. Thanks to all you reviewers, and those of you who've favorited and alerted this story. It means a lot to me! ^_^
*ahem* Well, now that I've gotten all sappy on you... stay tuned!