"Esoteric"
Hey everyone, here is chapter one of the story. I would like to thank my beta readers once more and those who had read and reviewed for the story. I do not own Death Note or Naruto. I just own the plot and some OCS.
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Chapter One: 12 24 03: Broken
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12/24/03 Konoha
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted out as soon as he could see the bright pink of her hair. He started to pick up speed, leaving the rest of the search party far behind him.
"Wait, Naruto!" Kakashi yelled after him, sensing the Kyuubi's power rising. He beckoned towards Yamato who nodded and dashed after Naruto. Sai, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino followed close behind. Team 10 was there to track down the enemy while Team 7 was there to search for their fallen teammate.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto repeated once again, he speed up. "Naruto, slow down, it's still dangerous around here. Who ever took Sakura-chan down might still be here." Kakashi said, feeling a faint but familiar charka signature emitting from the area. Naruto still didn't listen very well. Kakashi continued pursuing Naruto, only slowing down when he felt the other chakra mark disappear.
Strange. He thought, before stopping by Yamato and Naruto. He pushed past the two and felt his heart clench at what he saw.
If not for the bright and distinguishable color of Sakura's hair, they probably wouldn't even have been able to recognize her. Her face was swollen and blue from lack of oxygen. Her clothes were torn, muddy and bloody. The dark pink now an icky green, her open eyes were lifeless and both her arms and one leg were bent at odd angles.
"Sakura-chan...Who did this to you?" Naruto said softly to himself, anger boiling up in his body. Kakashi looked somberly at Naruto and the hot tears running down his face before kneeling by Sakura and putting his fingers to her neck.
Nothing...
He went to her wrist next, feeling slightly panicked.
Still, nothing...
Sakura had no heart beat...
She's dead. The thought ran through Kakashi mind. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead! Just like Obito and Rin! No...No...No...No...No...No...NO!!! Kakashi let out a shaky breath and closed Sakura's eyes.
She's dead...
No, this couldn't be. The Sakura-chan he knew wouldn't let anything kill her. Kakashi looked away, heartbroken. Should he summon up his ninja dogs and go after the person who did this to Sakura-chan? Kakashi's gaze hardened and he motioned Hinata over. He stood as the timid girl knelt down by Sakura's body.
All watched on anxiously as Hinata's hands glowed a purple-tinged green. She shut her eyes and focused hard, hot and wet tears clinging to her eyelashes. Kakashi hung his head, Hinata would have known by now if she was alive. He walked towards Naruto, who was staring at Hinata, a tormented look on his face. Suddenly, Hinata's head shot up, her tears scattering about her face. She stood and turned to Kakashi, smiling.
"There is brain activity!" she exclaimed.
Kakashi was bewildered and looked towards Yamato who merely shrugged. Hinata raced over to Naruto and held his tear stained face in her hands.
"Naruto-kun, it's alright! Even if there is no heartbeat, Tsunade-Sama surely should be able to do something if there is brain activity!" Naruto raised his head and met Hinata's determined eyes.
He looked like a lost child, sad, alone and confused. But he found confidence in Hinata's gaze. He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat, turning towards Kakashi as he spoke.
"Kakashi-Sensei?" Kakashi nodded in understanding.
"Naruto...Lets bring her back to Konoha. Quickly, before she's gone for good."
~.~
Tokyo Japan 12/24/03
"Ryuzaki-san, I don't think it's safe for you to be wandering around out here. I know Naomi-san and Raye-san asked you to come here to help investigate, but if Kira was around―"
"It's alright, Watari. I'm sure everything is―wait, is that a girl?" Those were the first things Sakura heard when she regained consciousness. She couldn't smell the forest anymore and because of the voices around she didn't dare open her eyes. Due to the cold in the air, she guessed it was nighttime and that she was lying on a road somewhere in a city which made no sense considering she just had a mind blowing 'to-the-death' battle with Itachi in the forest. All things considered, she should either be: A) dead, or B) in a hospital. But, that was the least of her worries. She had no chakra whatsoever, both arms and one leg broken, and was fully aware that there were four figures around her.
She heard a rustling near her left side and forced herself to stay calm and breathe normally. Unfortunately, she didn't expect anyone to touch her and yelped when one did so. Her eyes flew open and she rolled onto her side, shrieking in pain and falling back down when her injuries where bothered. Her black rimmed vision did her no good as she tried to access the situation.
She blinked when she saw an old man standing by a pale dark haired boy roughly around her age and a couple knelt to the ground where she had just been. None of them looked like enemy Nin and she could tell by their lack of chakra that they were civilians. Sakura instantly relaxed, but shouted as another spasm of pain ripped through her already wrecked body.
Sakura gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, opening them again when the pain receded. She flinched when she saw the man her age by her side and tried to roll away. He immediately pushed her stomach down so as not to disturb the broken limbs.
"Relax...I'm not going to hurt you. You are safe with us," The man she thought was Ryuzaki said. She still flinched, terrified of what was going to happen. "I am known...as Ryuzaki...and we're going to bring you...back to the hotel with us...to fix you back up." He said, talking with pauses in his sentence to her, almost as if speaking to a four year old. Sakura frowned at this. She was a freakin' kunoichi for gods' sake! Not some retarded little four year old snot!
"Do not speak to me as if I am four!" Sakura snapped at him, her patience and temper wearing thin. "I am the Godaime's apprentice, Haruno Sakura, and have earned more respect than that."
Ryuzaki smiled and picked her up bridal style. Sakura, too tired and weak to care, turned her face away from his coal black eyes that reminded her of Sasuke only to realize that her vision was fading fast.
"C-crap," She whispered as she shook her head, trying to remain conscious. Ryuzaki, noting her distress, turned towards Watari.
"Bring the limo around, fast. She losing consciousness and she might die if she blacks out now," He stated, all business now. "We need to bring her to the hotel if we're going to help her." Ryuzaki said.
"Wouldn't it be better to bring her to the hospital, sir?" Watari said.
"I don't think it's a good idea. The people at the hospital will certainly ask questions about her condition and I have a feeling she has no place to go." Ryuzaki said. "In fact, based on what she's been saying, she's probably not from anywhere near here."
"I'll bring the limo out front then." Watari said, walking off towards the direction of the limo.
Ryuzaki looked down at the broken girl before him. Sakura tried to glare back defiantly, but it only came out as a look of desperation. She cursed herself for being so weak.
In a few minutes the limo came around and stopped beside Ryuzaki and Sakura. Sakura observed the man before her as he laid her onto the seat of the strange vehicle. He had dark raven black hair with onyx eyes, under his eyes were bags, an obvious sign of insomnia. He wore a simple white t-shirt, worn in light faded blue jeans and a pair of plain sneakers, but he didn't wear any socks.
He looked very fragile, but was surprisingly strong considering how easily he picked her up.
He slid into the seat across from her. After calling out directions to the couple to follow them he sat in a squared position with his knees pulled close to his chest and feet in the seat. Sakura quirked an eyebrow and hissed when pain shot through her face.
"You may sleep now," Ryuzaki said. She turned to him and gave him an amused look.
"I'm a medic-nin as well as a Konoha kunoichi, sir. I know when it is safe to sleep and when not to sleep, especially considering the injuries I have now and the strangers I'm with," She said evenly. The man sighed and ran his fingers through his messy hair.
"Need I say it? I am L, leading crime solver and detective for the whole world. Believe me, you are safe with me and my company," he said, gaining eye contact with her again. This time, Sakura could see the honesty and serenity in his eyes and smiled.
"Thanks..." she whispered before falling into the deep pit of oblivion.
TBC
Please review! :D
L maybe a bit OOC at some point, lol.
Next Chapter: 12/25/03: Christmas:
Haruno Sakura finally recovering from the battle between her and Itachi, forgets that Christmas is today. She suddenly watched something that made her heart stop beating for real. Is L another Naruto for what he had done in the past?
