12.

The day started pretty early for the group. It was 7 am when some of them woke up. Well, just Kakashi, Homura, Saeko, and Tomoe. It was no surprise for the two men, but when asked the girls said they were used to getting up even earlier. Apparently, Saeko woke up every day at 6 am to train her swordsmanship. Similar to her, Tomoe always started her day at dawn either to prepare her family dojo or to practice with the bow.

It looked like the previous day took a toll on the rest of the high schoolers. And to be honest, it wasn't surprising. Their whole world collapsed in a matter of hours. Though the government kept announcing that everything is or will be under control, Kakashi knew it was unlikely. The disease hit unexpectedly, they don't even know how the first infected get the virus. Was it through the air? Water? Maybe food? Or maybe even a laboratory leak. Kakashi shook his head at the last option.

"If that would be the case then why did it spread around the world? Suddenly dozens of labs get leaks? Unlikely." Said Kakashi to Tomoe, waiting for his coffee to brew.

"That's true, you have a point. Maybe it's a mutation? Like flu or something." The red-eyed girl said stretching her arms. She was wearing short pants and a tank top.

A few feet away Homura and Saeko also had a small talk. Both seemed to enjoy it or did a good job pretending. They were talking about something similar to Tomoe and Kakashi. Homura also seemed to be interested in Saeko's sword's skill, asking her what kind of style did she prefer or how long has she been practicing, that kind of stuff. It might be Kakashi's imagination, but it looked like the girl caught his friend's eye.

'Is it legal? I mean, he is 24... she's 18 or 19?' He glanced at them for a moment and shrugged his shoulder.

"So, what are the plans for today?" Tomoe asked suddenly. Only then did he notice that she was acting familiar with him, with no honorifics whatsoever. Not that he cared in the first place.

"Wait till the rest get up. We will talk about it with everyone to not repeat everything. Can you wake them up if they don't get up by 8?"

"Sure. No problem."

***

An hour later the whole group gathered in the living room, some with sleepy faces.

Kakashi stood up and placed himself in front of them. "Now, we have 3 issues. First, we need to find another place to stay, this building is no good."

"Why though? It's pretty safe here." Rei asked.

"It only looks like it. This building was built as a living space for the rich and influential, not to hold off a horde of zombies. Second, the location is terrible. We are pretty much in the center of the city. I don't need to explain why it's bad?" Homura explained, looking between them if has to elaborate. Thankfully, he didn't have to.

"Right on the spot." Nodded Kakashi.

"What about the evacuation areas? The police and the army could help us." Nino said after thinking for a moment.

Shizuka had the same thought and nodded.

"Everyone has the same thought in their heads. The number of people there would be massive. The noise will also increase drawing zombies' attention to them. It could be even more dangerous if we try to evacuate." Homura explained once more instead of Kakashi. "Besides, there is no telling when and how or even if we get evacuated. They could lock us up in camps, in quarantines, and given the circumstances and people, it's just begging for trouble."

"Like he said. We need to find a place to stay for a long term, a base. Preferably on the outskirts."

They started chatting with each other, throwing places they know or heard of that would be suitable to settle in. What picked his attention were two places.

First, Saya said there was an old factory on the west. The building was surprisingly in good shape, as the company shut it down just 3 years ago, but they call it old because it was built right after the second world war. The new owner was about to renovate it but given the situation, that could never happen.

The second option came from Kohta. Up in the north of the outskirts was a hospital. It was the oldest hospital in the city and was still running to this day. Why was it in the outskirts then? It wasn't at the beginning. When the city was much smaller, the hospital was at its center, but as the people kept settling in, they started buying and building houses heading towards the south.

'Both places are intriguing, but it's better to see them personally.' Thought Kakashi. He didn't place his hopes high, though. It's better to expect worse and get a pleasant surprise than the opposite.

"Okay, now that we settled it, another issue. We need weapons for you. We have some guns but I don't trust you to turn my back to kids with rifles. Out of you all, except me and Homura, only Nino and I suspect Kohta know how to handle a firearm."

Nino nodded reluctantly. She knew how to shoot, that was true. But she only shot to the paper silhouettes! She couldn't shoot someone alive! Wouldn't that make her a murderer? But what if she or her friends were pinned down? Would she be able to gather herself and pull the trigger? With these thoughts, she hid her face in her knees and started thinking.

"I can shoot!" Contrary to Nino, Kohta was enthusiastic about it. "I go to the shooting range now and then, so I know the basics, heck, I could be in the intermediate level! I also know how to clean all kinds of guns and even how to make makeshift ammunition!"

"Okay, okay. Slow down, kid. We get it, you like guns. But all we can agree on is just a pistol for you. The submachine gun stays with me." Homura, who was sitting between Kohta and Saeko put a hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him down.

"...okay. The Glock is fine too." As if he was disappointed, Kohta slumped in his place.

"What a moron..." Saya said under her breath.

Suddenly a hand was raised in the air. It was Tomoe.

"I want to say that I would prefer using a bow. I'm much familiar with it, plus it's quieter than a gunshot, arrows can be retrievable and easy to make, and I won't waste bullets while trying to learn how to shoot." Her red eyes locked with Kakashi's visible eye.

"That's alright. Even more than that. If we can place a bow in your hands you would make things easier for us." Kakashi agreed, thinking of the positives of having a silent shooter.

"I also would prefer to stick with melee. It's more comfortable for me and I can do a lot more with a sword than a gun." Saeko spoke her mind.

Then Takashi said he would prefer something simple that doesn't require much of a technique, like a metal bat, but he would also like to learn how to shoot, just in case.

Shizuka said that if she has to, she would prefer to learn how to shoot. It would be safer and more comfortable to stay at some distance and deal with the enemy than do close combat, at which she admitted she didn't excel.

"Oh! That reminds me!" Shizuka jolted from her seat.

"What happened?"

"I have a friend who is a cop! I often hang out at her place." Shizuka spoke with a smile.

"How is it relevant? Do you want to check on her?" Sayaka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No! I mean, that's too, but I doubt she would be at her place. The thing is that her house has a walled fence and she has those big metal wardrobes, similar to this in Kakashi's room!" Shizuka said enthusiastically after she felt she contributed something important to the group.

Kakashi made a thinking expression, a hand on his chin. He glanced at Homura and asked him to bring a map. If they could get to that house and open the lockers, their arsenal could expand, even if just a bit. And even if there won't be many weapons or just handguns, having more ammo won't hurt. Plus, if the place is as reinforced as Shizuka claimed it to be, they could stay there for a day or two. Hopefully, they could find some supplies there.

Speaking of supplies they would have to find fuel for their minibus. Thinking about the vehicle, Kakashi almost sighed. The bus was spacious, that was an advantage, but other than that? It was too...delicate? It just wouldn't handle ramming through the zombies or barricades if ever necessary. The issue was also windows. Sure, he can cover them with something, but he would prefer something that would require fewer adjustments. If they could get a military or police vehicle, that would be fantastic.

A few seconds later Homura came back with a folded piece of paper. After a few moves, the piece expanded to the size that it almost covered the whole table. The lines, colors, squares, and words appeared on the laminated paper, showing the city and the parts of surrounding areas.

"Okay, can you show us where it is?" Asked Kakashi crouching towards the map.