"Esoteric"

Here is chapter two of the story! :D Anyway I just watched the live action Death Note movies (2 of them), L is so cool, the way he prevent his death for another 23 days (23 day rule). I cried through at that part. The movie only makes me dislike Light worse. (Sorry Light fans) lol anyway I don't own Death Note. If I did, L would still be alive and Misa would stop listening to Light and being a little bit smarter. I just own the plot and my OC's.

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Chapter Two: 12/25/03: Christmas

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Tokyo Japan, 12/25/03

The bright rays of sunlight shining through the window woke Sakura up the next morning. She blinked and squinted at the hellish bright light and flipped over, covering her eyes to shut it out. A few moments later, her eyes shot open and she sat up quickly, only to hiss in pain and crumple back down into the sheets. She scowled at the four poster king-sized bed she was in and tried vainly to move again.

"Stupid Itachi, stupid fight, stupid injuries," she huffed angrily. She tried to summon chakra into her hands to heal them, but was devastated to find that her chakra reserves were still too low to try any advanced healing techniques.
Damn. She thought. Well, might as well bandage them up now before they get infect-, what the heck? Sakura gaped at her arms, mid-section and legs. All of her wounds were cleaned up, sanitized, stitched and wrapped. Her dirty, ragged and torn clothes were gone and replaced with a loose black T-shirt that was so long it nearly reached her knees.

When she through back the covers, she giggled to see a pair of large and baggy boy jeans twisted around her ankles.
What happened? Sakura thought. Think, Haruno what's the last thing you remember? After a few moments of desperately trying to remember, she gave up and flopped back into the covers. She studied the long sleeve of her T-shirt with a frown, chewing on her bottom lip as she did so. But, these clothes seem so... familiar... she grumbled in her mind before bringing the sleeve to her face and inhaling deeply.

"Oh! Oh..." she gasped, the memories breaking free from their prison in her head and dancing through her mind. The scent of rain and pine and those coal black eyes the most memorable.

~Last Evening~

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, and sat in a squared position. 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 the the honesty and serenity in his eyes and smiled.

"Thanks..." she whispered before falling into the deep pit of oblivion.

~Back to the Present~

Ryuzaki-san....

L...

Why does he look like­―

"I see your up, Haruno-san. Did you sleep well?" A computer like voice made its way in Sakura's mind, disturbing her from her thoughts. She jumped at the noise, dropping her arm, covering herself with the blankets and blushing madly.

"Oh, ah, um. O...kay?" Sakura said questioningly, trying to find where the sound was coming from. She swung her head around to the bed stand to see an intercom placed there, muffled computerized laughing coming from it.

"I was asking you how you were doing, Haruno-san. I don't intend to make up an answer for you," the voice said a little teasingly.

Sakura struggled once again to throw her legs over the side of the bed and stand: her ninja pride wouldn't just let her lay around all day in this strange place.

"I slept well, sir," she answered sternly, angry that she still couldn't get up but trying all the same.

"Haruno-san, I don't think it's wise for you to move around in your condition," The distorted voice said. Something in Sakura told her that the one talking to her was Ryuzaki, or L, the young man that helped her last night when she awoke in this strange place.

"Ryuzaki-san?" Sakura called out.

"Yes?" The voice responded easily.

"Ah, thought it was you," Sakura smiled at the intercom before opening her eyes and once again studying the room.

The room she slept in had its own bathroom, a queen sized bed, a bed stand, desk, TV, computer, sofa and another table. Ryuzaki must be loaded, Sakura thought in awe.
Sakura turns back to the intercom.

"Good. I told Watari to fix you something to eat, maybe that will make you feel better. Now, I must go. I will come to see how you are feeling later on. Until then, Sakura-san," The intercom went off after the last word.

"Um...bye?" Sakura whispered haughtily before reaching for the remote. She was grateful that someone was being so kind to her and helping her, but she couldn't help but wonder why he was doing this in the first place. There was no way she could get out of this without falling into some kind of debt. Sakura sighed and silenced those evil thoughts crowding in her head. She turned on the TV instead, humming a tune until she found a channel that caught her eye.

----__*_*_Merry Christmas_*_*__----

From Sakura TV

Sakura blinked, confused at the TV channel. Today's Christmas? Huh, I didn't even notice, Sakura thought before turning her attention to the next TV program.

In honor of the new god that walks the earth-

A Kira past special! Kira's first public act against the cowardly L!

"Bull shit," Sakura coughed, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the program. "Been there done that. Pein thinks the same thing but he sure as hell isn't a god. This Kira isn't either," Sakura growled before leaning back into the pillows. L isn't a coward either, she thought before hitting the side of her head. "Shut up, you!" she hissed at herself, before turning her attention back to the screen.

----------TV screen----------

A man with straight raven hair took a seat at a huge desk in front of the camera. A name tag in front of him stated his name as 'Lind L. Tailor'. He focused at the camera in front of him, putting on a very serious face. He spoke in monotone.
"I am Lind L. Tailor more commonly known as "L". The sole person able to mobilize police in every country world wide." Lind said strongly.

"Criminals have been the target of a killing spree. Which has turned into the biggest mass murder case in history. This monstrous crime must be stopped at all cost. 'Kira' as the perpetrator is commonly known as, will be caught. I guarantee it." Lind said with fake confidence and with the most sarcastic tone of voice of all.

He paused to regain his breath to speak again.

"Kira, I think I've got a pretty good idea of why you're doing this, but what you are doing- IS EVIL!" Lind L. Tailor finished his speech. A few moments passed and Lind opened his mouth to speak when his eyes bulged and he shouted out in pain. He grabbed the place where his heart should be and looked one last time at the camera, tears brimming his eyes that were filled with terror, before dropping dead onto the desk.

Two panicking police officers rushed to the body, dragging in off when a large Gothic Font 'L' filled the screen.

The cynic voice that accompanied the letter had traces of confusion, panic and fear in it, at first.

"I...I don't believe it. This was an experiment for a hunch I had but I never really thought...Kira you can actually kill people without making direct contact... So my hunch is right. I couldn't believe it till I saw it with my own eyes, but you can, other wise it wouldn't make any sense." the voice said. A few seconds passed before it spoke again, but this time without any fear.

"Listen to me Kira, you just killed Lind L. Tailor, a condemned criminal scheduled to die today at this hour. His arrest had been kelp secret from the media and the internet so you would have no knowledge of his existence, but I, L, do exist!" L said.

Sakura watched the rerun board cast, her mouth hanging wide open and her jade green eyes wide. The next thing that L said almost gave her a heart attack of her own. Is L stupid? Why the hell is he asking for his death on live TV? Sakura thought. He's as much of an idiot as Naruto! And here I though he was a kind sane man.

"SO COME ON! KILL ME IF YOU CAN! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! COME ON GO AHEAD AND KILL ME! I'M STILL HERE! CAN'T DO IT KIRA?!" L shouted at the microphone. Several moments passed and the only thing heard was L's deep breathing as he calmed down.

"Evidently you aren't able to kill me. So there are people you can't kill. That's a valuable clue, now I give you information in return. This broadcast is only broadcasted in the Kanto region of Japan, not world wide. In other words, you are in Japan, Kira! Kira it would interest me greatly to know how you carried out your murders, but that's something I can find out after I catch you! Kira... I'm going to find and dispose of you, if it's the last thing I will do! I'm righteous! I...am justice! Till we meet again, Kira."

-End Broadcast!

How's that for the classic L verses Kira?

----------Back to Sakura----------

Sakura continued to gape at the TV, slightly startled when it shut itself off. A soft knock could be heard at the bed room door, the door knob turned and the old man from the night before walked in with a tray of food in his hands. He placed the tray beside the still-in-shock Sakura on the huge bed. On the tray was a bowl of potato soup, steak and a side of vegetables. Hot water for tea, some pain medications and 4 boxes of strawberry pocky tied together with a red ribbon and a card hanging off of it. Watari smiled warmly to Sakura and she responded with a classically Sai fake smile.

"Ryuzaki-san, won't be able to make it. He is very busy with his work now." Watari said kindly. Sakura stiffened, before lowering her gaze back down to the food.

"Thanks...um, Watari?" Sakura said with a note of question in her voice. His response was another smile and a bow before he turned to leave.

"Merry Christmas, Miss," Watari said as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Merry Christmas," Sakura whispered to herself, knowing that Watari couldn't hear her now. Sakura ate her meal silently before turning her scrutinizing gaze to the boxes of pocky.

"Wow, someone likes sweets," she laughed softly to herself before reading the note. She clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs and blinked back tears. She gazed at the ceiling, eyes swimming with tears and happiness before uncovering her mouth and laughing joyfully. These people, especially Ryuzaki, were far to kind. Just like Konoha, she thought sadly.

To: Haruno-san

Merry Christmas!! Hope you like sweets as much as I do!

-Ryuzaki

12/25/03 Konoha

"Christmas is nothing when Sakura-chan is in the hospital." Naruto said sadly.

"I hate to admit it, but it is boring without the hag here," Sai said with a fake smile on his face. Naruto, ready to beat the shit out of Sai, sighed and controlled himself with a sour face. It's Christmas! Why can't Sai be sensitive for once?

They both walked down the path through the village to the hospital, each with a Christmas gift to Sakura in their hands just in case she woke up. Naruto sadly watched the citizens of the village all smile and laugh to one another, unaware that one of there best ninja was in the hospital in a coma.

When Naruto and Sai entered the hospital room they greeted the workers before heading to Sakura's room. There they met Teams 8, 9, and 10 along with Kurenai, Kakashi, Tsunade, Yamato, and Asuma. Naruto jumped when two arms wrapped around his neck and yanked him forward. He looked down to see Ino sobbing into his shirt.

"N-Naruto, it's my entire fault, I know it!" Ino cried. "I-If I had listened to her, if I had just g-gone with her when sh-she asked!" Shikamaru softly put his hand on Ino's shoulder.

"Then you will be in the same condition as Sakura is." Shikamaru said. "Itachi is a formidable opponent, and without me and Chouji you probably would have ended up in an even worse condition."

After that, all of Sakura's friends, teammates, and old teachers visited her, sometimes in groups, other times alone. Each one left a gift in a small pile by her bed. When everyone was finished, they all met outside, Ino still clinging both to Shikamaru and Naruto's jackets. Everyone wished that Sakura would wake up so they wouldn't have to worry anymore and everything would be better.

Shikamaru was the first to speak, calling out goodbyes and promises to meet them all that night for the Rookie 9 party. He took the still quietly sobbing Ino with him, holding onto her tightly as they walked back to their apartment. Slowly, everyone else followed Shikamaru's example and started to leave in couples or groups until it was just Kakashi, Yamato, Sai and Naruto. The other three tried to convince Naruto to go out and have ramen, but he wouldn't. He waved them off and went back inside the hospital to Sakura's bedside.

He had to have hope, she would soon wake up from her nightmare, despite what Tsunade-baa-chan said.

TBC

Please review! I just like to thank my beta readers for all of there/their hard work: D

(Vote on who Sakura would end up with at my profile poll please)

Next Chapter: 12/26/03: Percent

L finally asks Sakura-chan some questions. This could end either in a good way or a bad way.