I Bite My Thumb At Thee

Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi and Death Note to Ohba Tsugumi, and I have no characters of mine involved.

Enjoy (:

Chapter 10 – The Third

"It's definitely not an ability which is born with. Let's compare the killing ability of both Kiras to two sets of identical scales. The scales are the same, but depending on the weight or pressure that is placed upon it, the scales will indicate different numbers. If we say that the higher the number displayed upon a set of scales, the greater the killing powers, Yagami Light is on zero, where he requires both a name and a face to kill, and Amane Misa on one, where she only requires a face. Although the greatness of the two's power differs, the fundamentals of it are both the same: a face and a name is required. What if Amane Misa knows the name of a person just by looking at them? The power of the two Kiras aren't different, they are just on different levels."

"I agree. As you say, how troublesome."

"Troublesome indeed. My brain hurts."

"And I want more cake."

A lone pair of footsteps could be heard making its way up the stairs, pausing as its owner fished for the apartment key.

The dark figure was talking, or more rather, chattering.

Such a scenario was nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet no average person would have been able to pick up what the companion said… assuming they could even see the companion, which no average person could.

So, in the eyes of the average person, this shifty looking figure enveloped from head to toe in black, was chattering to themselves, acting as if they were receiving replies.

Well, that was still nothing out of the ordinary considering that this was the 21st Century.

Having finally found the elusive key, the heavy door creaked open with a forceful push.

The figure stepped inside, already beginning to slip off their outerwear.

The removal of their hoodie revealed honey locks bound by crimson elastic.

Despite everything they were doing, the figure did not stop to take a breath, instead preferring to continue talking to their invisible companion.

The chattering temporarily ceased as the television was turned on, only to continue soon after.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A Death Note user has appeared, un. Were we really gone for that long?"

"There is no point in asking. Human time is insignificant to me."

"So cool, Zellogi-danna. So I'm gone on a business trip for a year or so, and another one just pops up? An annoying one too, un."

"Keep in mind that there are always six Death Notes in the human world, although they may not always be in use."

"Why are there so many?"

"Because some Shinigami tire of gambling for centuries and thus will come on a visit to the human world. To do so, they must first give a Death Note to a human, who then will do as they wish with it. Foolish humans think that burying the Death Note in the ground will destroy it, but as it is of a material not from this world, it cannot return to it."

"So only burning it yeah? Well I have no intention of that ever happening to mine."

"I hope not. Even among Death Notes, yours is quite a rare one."

"Un."

His almost non-stop chattering ceased for the next while, as the television screen reported the most recent doings of Kira.

"Japan, huh? Maybe we should go there."

"Maybe we should, maybe we should not."

"You're helpful, Zellogi-danna."

"I am not here to be of help to you, human."

"In fact, why are you here? Do you just have to follow me around till I die or lose the Death Note?"

"Yes. It has been too long since my last trip to the human world. My memory of it was fading, and I thought to satisfy my curiosity once again."

"Un. So, about that new Death Note user."

"Finish your sentence, boy. Does my pet not even know how to speak proper human language?"

"Che, I was just wondering if you were going to tell me anything."

"Even if I wanted to, I cannot, for that is something that I am forbidden to tell."

"Un. One of those laws again. Well, what can you tell me?"

"Why would I, human?"

"'Cause I know you're curious too. About the newcomer, I mean un."

"Perhaps."

"Zellogi-danna, does a Death Note ever get used up?"

"It cannot, the pages will continue to be refilled."

"So it doesn't look like the newcomer's gonna stop killing anytime soon."

"Why do you care so much, boy? Is it compassion and empathy for your fellow humans?"

"Huh? Hell no. If you haven't forgotten, I happen to be one of those criminals myself, just not yet known nor convicted. I don't exactly wanna die as part of some psychopath cleaning up the world, you know. Un, I need to go take a shower."

And so the man went off to begin his business, leaving the Shinigami with what appeared to be a smirk etched onto his scale-like face.

"Kukuku, a human who possesses a Death note cannot be killed with the likes of one… although it would be fun catching up with Ryuuk… and even Rem."

At least half an hour had passed before the man stepped out again, with a towel to absorb the moisture from his golden hair although droplets of water still continued to drip.

"Looks like we're going to Japan, Zellogi-danna. We're gonna make a visit to the newcomer."

"If that is so. It seems that the humans call him 'Kira'."

"Kira? Hell that sounds like a girl's name, un."

"I believe that it is the Japanese pronunciation of the world 'killer'."

"Ahh. Zellogi-danna, do you know Japanese?"

"As a Shinigami, I know all human languages."

"I should learn some Japanese too. I should, shouldn't I?"

"Perhaps it will be useful in their land."

"Un. This Kira, he only kills criminals. And through heart attack it seems. Is he trying to make a point that he exists and put our kind in jeopardy?

"It seems as though that pet is trying to play god by carrying out these executions."

"And L undertook the case. We're going to have to be careful."

"You will. If you provide to be unentertaining, I will kill you myself."

"Better than rotting in prison, un. I'll at least go out with a bang."

"I'll be sure to remember that when killing you."

"Gee, thanks Zellogi-danna."

"You are welcome, boy."

"Well, since L is working over there, the Japanese police must be aiding him. I haven't hacked in a while, un."

"Your technology never ceases to amuse me."

"Do you mean amazed, Zellogi-danna?"

"I mean amuse. As advanced as your technology seems, it can never compare to our gambling – the epitome of technological advances."

"If you say so, un. Zellogi-danna, can you read Japanese?"

"Of course I can, boy."

"Then will you do me a favour and read this?"

"And why would I?"

"Because, I know you're curious too. You could read it and give me incorrect information, but you know I'm too smart for that, or you could refuse to tell me anything entirely, to which I will nag you for the rest of my life, un."

"You humans…"

"I take that as an agreement, un. Try looking for 'Kira' or 'L' first of all."

"There are no documents regarding those keywords."

"Then, can you go into the police database and look for any police officers currently involved in the Kira case?"

"No such case exists."

"Tch, even the great L himself couldn't have gotten the police to manipulate their own documents… does that mean that L is working without the help of the police? If so, why? Did they refuse him help? Impossible. Or did he choose to work in secrecy with a borrowed taskforce…"

"So it seems that Yagami Light has entered the police files from a computer outside the network of the police."

"It certainly seems so."

"Thank you, Watari. This is further evidence against Kira, and although it may not be of extreme significance, all pieces of evidence are vital in this case."

"L, while I was looking at those who entered the police files, there was another IP address that was not a registered police computer."

"Another IP address?"

Who could that be?

It was not every day that the police systems got hacked into, with the exception of Yagami.

In the case of Yagami, he had exceptional hacking skills, and thus would not leave a trace if it was not for the new method Watari devised.

L doubted that anyone else with comparable skills to Yagami would have been interested in the police files… everyone of a lesser skill knew the dangers that hacking brought to them.

Could it have been Amane? Impossible.

Then was it a third party? Most probably, but why? Were they interested in this case? Were they allies, enemies, neither, or both?

"Interpol has requested the help of Eraldo Coil."

"Well, I trust those matters to you, Watari."

"Yes, but the case is somewhat interesting."

"Interesting? Does that mean interesting in the sense of being interesting, or interesting in the sense that it seems to relate to my case?"

"Slightly of both, L. In the past year or so, there have been deaths in Russia that should, by theory, have never happened."

"Never happened? Those cases were impossible."

"They certainly seem to be so."

Impossible cases. Just like what he was working on.

"In which manner were the victims killed, and were there any similarities between the victims?"

"The victims all shared the connection of being involved with the government, whether they were officials, workers or elsewise. The victims all died of bullets and bullet wounds."

That did not seem too Kira-like, killing innocent people with guns to say the least.

"Perhaps it was just an assassin."

"One would think so, but the wounds that the victims died of were critical, but not fatal if tended to immediately, to which they were."

"Why did they die?"

"Causes vary from blood loss to infections, with some not being able to heal, and others because their bullets were not able to be removed."

"That is certainly interesting."

If Kira could manipulate the conditions of death for their victim, then could they also get someone killed by something?

Was this another Kira? One who was not involved in Yagami's scheme to bring 'justice' to the world, but rather one who was much more concerned with their own personal affairs?

If the victims were all involved with the government, then it was either an external party targeting the Russian government, or it was the Russian government themselves. That thought however did not do much in figuring out the perpetrator.

"Watari, were those the assassin's only kills?"

"It is hard to determine, but following those clues, we have found many such deaths scattered across the globe since about five or six years ago. According to all those nearby when the victims were shot, they state that the victims suddenly moved prior to being shot. As all the wounds are in the chest area, it was safely assumed that the initial target had been the heart. From that, I have been able to obtain information on all the deaths of those who died via a clean bullet through the heart. I have a map here for you with those deaths marked."

Watari extracted from the folder he was carrying, the before mentioned map.

"They seem to be concentrated in certain countries, what do you think?"

"Certainly."

"Those countries… they are the countries which were, and still continue to be enemies of America… Is this something America is doing?"

"There are still a significant amount of killings in America, it seems though."

"If it was the American government, then there ought to be some people or groups of people that they thought was a danger. Telling Interpol that that the American government was responsible will not do anything but create havoc."

And even if he were to press the government for answers, they would be able to elude it, especially if the assassin, or assassins, were hired ones with no connection at all with the government.

"In that case, we should focus on catching the assassins first. From there on, we can extract information from them regarding the American government."

"We shall."

"I leave that matter in your hands. If there are any 'interesting' updates, I trust you to inform me. Thank you, Watari."

At the conclusion of L's words, the aged man exited, leaving L along with his thoughts… and his sweets.

So the possibility of another Kira… L could not help but shudder at this thought.

He could not determine which was more dangerous; a psychopath who wanted to purify the world by killing all those who sinned and went against him, a potential ally of the psychopath who could kill people by just looking at them, or an assassin hidden in the shadows killing all those who he was order to.

Perhaps the biggest factor in play here was identity – L was certain of the identities of the first and second Kira, but of the third? As long as he continued to remain in the shadows with the protection of one of the world's most powerful government, there was little that even Watari could do to dig his identity up.

It also seemed as though this one had been around for years, meaning that his actions were of little suspicion, unlike Kira who demonstrated his ability to kill publicly.

Exactly how many more were out there?

He hoped for his sake and the world's that there were not too many, as catching the others, assuming there were more, would be near impossible.

Be it may that he liked impossible cases, but the potential case upon his hands would not be able to be solved, unless he was given unlimited resources and decades of time.

Dampened by his thoughts, L saved his thumb from being nibbled to ribbons, replacing it with a piece of cake, which could only make him smile despite his mood.

Now, getting onto the more present matters, what would he do about Yagami and Amane meeting?

It was unlikely that they had met in Aoyama, for although they were both present, there were definitely no signs of contact made.

But if what Shikamaru said was true… if Amane knew the names of people just by looking at them, she would have known Kira's name, yet how would she have known that it was Kira's name she was looking at?

Did she know the name of Kira beforehand? How so? Had they gotten into contact before? There was no prior date mentioned in her diary.

Was L already late in trying to prevent their meeting? No, he could not be. Knowing the arrogant bastard that Kira is, he would have announced to the world that the two Kiras were allies, in an attempt to show that he had 'won' against L.

"Justice will, without fail, prevail."

Having said those words to himself, he felt much better. While Kira believed he represented justice, he did not, for what sort of twisted justice would it be to kill people? Nothing could excuse the death of another human being at the hands of one, although Kira may be delusional in believing himself to be a god. L hope that one day, the gods will kill him themselves for blasphemy, granting it was after his arrest.

"Of course justice will prevail." Having heard this familiar voice with laziness forever etched into it, L faced the speaker.

"Ah, hello Shikamaru-kun."

"Well, hello to you too. You seemed to be troubled. What's up?"

Having recounted the recent events and his dilemmas to the young boy, L felt much better – was this what you called a 'friend'?

"You know what, I have a feeling that despite what we do, the best we could do was delay their meeting. They will, without doubt, meet as if that were their fates. I suggest that instead of wasting time and effort in delaying the certain, we should plan ahead."

"I guess that is true. The two Kiras meeting would make it more dangerous, but in trying to prevent their meeting, we may waste more lives."

"Yeah, and if there are other Kiras out there who show no interest in what Yagami Light is doing, then perhaps, they dislike him. Could we possibly convince them onto our side? That way, we would have a clear advantage."

"Shikamaru-kun, it is highly unlikely that the other Kiras will willingly help us knowing that we are persecuting those with their powers."

"We could always make a deal. You know, help us catch Kira and we won't go after you."

"It is just that we cannot promise not to chase after them, especially after knowing their identity and what they did. Though, I guess we could make it a condition that their past deeds would be forgotten if they cease to kill immediately."

"Ah, with power comes responsibility and if such a power was suddenly thrust upon a person, that person may become corrupted by power, in the case of Yagami Light, or the person may deny the power and responsibility, wishing that what they did could be undone and for everything to return back to normal."

"In line with your thoughts, assuming that the unknown hacker was who we assume to be another Kira, we should recruit him over to our side?"

"Exactly."

"It is unlikely that he will revisit the police files after realising the lack of information regarding the Kira case. However, he should know that I am in charge of this case. How will we relay our message of cooperation?"

"From what you said, it seems that the third Kira is pretty smart, but probably not as smart as Yagami. If he's interested in this case, perhaps he will make a visit to our country."

"I will begin to monitor the flights coming from America."

"He probably speaks English coming from America, and maybe he knows a bit of Russian and Japanese?"

"English is a definite, but we cannot be too sure of Russian and Japanese. Shikamaru-kun, could you do me a favour and make the message regarding our offer in cryptic English?"

"I have enough difficulties in English. It's just not my thing. It's too troublesome to learn a new language when I plan on staying in Japan. But I can try."

"Thank you. Meanwhile, I shall get started on installing the cameras and monitoring the airport."

I've had difficulties with this chapter, and I'm not too happy with it to say the least. But, I thought I should get something up seeing as it's been a while since the last.

Hopefully, the next will be much easier and more enjoyable for me to write, and for you to read.

Bubye,
xoxo paperdress