Zouichi raised an eyebrow. He did, actually, trust Rory -- Sakura and Howard's comfort level with him, observable through both body language and their manner of speech, both suggested someone who could be relied upon. And he implicitly trusted most of the crew, who had incentive to work toward the same goal.

Zouichi had worked quite often in impromptu partnerships, and did not particularly value familiarity over utility, so long as instinct told him his partner could be trusted. Familiarity could help someone cover their partner's weaknesses. It could also lead to blind spots and learned carelessness.

However, if Rory trusted Sakura and would refuse any other split, then he had only one question.

"Howard, do you think you can recognize the technology we need to take out of here? If I recall, you weren't one of the people originally touring the facility."