Chapter II

After conducting numerous speeches, swaying the audience with promises of peace, and debating with rival candidates, the election for commissioner came to a close-with Light as the victor. As predetermined assumptions would have it, Light's triumph was that of a land slide-with competition receiving votes in the single digits. His first day in his new office, Light takes in the warmth of accomplishment.

Standing at the Plexiglas window, hands laced behind his back, Light looks over the city of Konoha. "So this is how it felt to be responsible for an entire city." The streets bustle with people and vehicles. The known rush hour has commenced. "I'll make you proud, Naruto." Light's gaze rises to the boundary encasing the city, "By ridding this world of the filth."

Hinata, Light's secretary, knocks gently on the door. With his permission, she peers inside, stating Sakura has dropped by. He tells Hinata to send her in and straightens his suit, flattening his hair with cupped hands. Sakura awkwardly bursts through the door, making Light flinch. She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it and brushes her ruby red dress—the door swings shut simultaneously.

Light walks to his desk and offers her a seat. Before he is able to sit down, she shoves a wrapped box in his face, a red ribbon tied into a feathering bow resting atop of it. "What's this," He asks gleefully while carefully holding it.

"It's a gift, to congratulate you for making it as Commissioner."

"Ohh, you didn't have to go through all that trouble."

"It's fine, really."

"I wonder what it could be," Light excitedly, but gently, unties the ribbon and unwraps a thin box. Brimming with curiosity, he lifts the lid to find neatly coiled chocolates decorated with sugar cherry blossoms inside. He looks up at Sakura with wonder in his eyes, "Did you...?"

She nods proudly. "I forewarn you though, Naruto always hated my cooking."

"I'm sure I'll love them; thank you very much," He smiles brightly. Sakura's expression saddens, and, in response, so does Light's. "You miss him a lot, don't you?"

"Yes, but it makes it easier, knowing he's in a better place."

Light nods, "I just hope I can live up to his legacy."

Sakura takes a seat, "He never did tell you..." She crosses her legs. Light gulps, watching her soft skin lightly brush against itself, and the action forcing the skirt of her dress to ride up. Catching himself, he immediately returns to make eye-contact. She continues, "After Naruto finally gave up his pointless goal of retrieving Sasuke, and you two met, he told me that you were a better version of Sasuke. I was skeptical of course, but he was right, you two are alike in some ways. But at the same time, you are also like Naruto, with a huge sense of justice. Because of this, he instantaneously became connected with you. He acknowledged your enthusiasm for justice and formed your thinking to be somewhat like his—not so harsh—so you could be his successor."

Light is rendered speechless. This whole time, Naruto was training him? Was everything Naruto told him a plot to make him ideal? How didn't he catch onto this before? He must've been blind to it, seen as how he and Naruto were the best of friends.

Light keeps quiet, the feeling of a blade stabbing his chest dragging him into silence. All this time, Naruto had an ulterior motive, he thought to himself. He was just a specimen Naruto needed to perfect. How could someone as genuinely good-natured as Naruto be so manipulative? Was he the only one? Light looked up from his hands; did he manipulate Sakura's feelings? She was in love with Sasuke at one time, feelings like that don't disappear at the flip of a switch. "He must've..." Light whispers.

"What?"

"Ohh, nothing."

"Well anyway, Naruto knew you'd make for a great leader, that's why idolized you."

Light's thoughts pause, "Idolized?"

"Yeah, he always said you had that cool-mindedness that he just didn't: another reason it was so easy for you two to be friends."

The pain in Light's chest fades and instead fills with shame. How could he doubt Naruto's motives like that?

Sakura rises to a stance, saying that it's about time she left. Light rushes out of his seat, "U-ugh, wait a minute. Won't you share these with me?"

"They're for you. Besides, I'm late. I was supposed to meet Naruto's parents for breakfast."

"Ohh, well, don't let me keep you," Light can't hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Don't worry, you'll see me again," she grabs her handheld purse before exiting. "Let me know how the chocolate is, it's a new recipe." Light nods with a smile, bursting with angst as now he has a reason to call her.

As she leaves, he takes a chocolate, first stripping it of the blossom. Heat rushes to Light's face as his mouth fills with sugary goodness. Overflowing with bliss at the taste of a creation of Sakura's—something she's touched—Light tosses the chocolate in his mouth. Suddenly his taste buds go haywire at the foul sensation of the gunky slop coating his tongue. Tears well in his eyes as he holds back the urge to vomit. With a successful—yet painful—swallow, Light smiles, wiping his eyes. He takes a deep breath and grabs for another chocolate.

"After going out of her way to make these for me, they can't go to waste."

Walking up to the window, Light watches Sakura bustle through the crowd of people and nimbly enter her limousine. He eats the chocolate with resurfacing tears, "It's not as bad with the flower." A tinge of sorrow eats at Light as he watches the limousine depart. Taking another brave swallow, Light returns to his desk at a calm pace. The treat makes his stomach quake, but it does not shy away his smile.

Before Light is able to reach his desk, his boss walks in. Jiraiya stops in his tracks, turning his serious expression to sympathetic, "Woah, are you alright? You look like you've been hit by a ton of bricks."

Light waves it off, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Did you need something?"

Jiraiya holds up a newspaper, "It looks like they're not giving you any time to get settled in." He slaps the paper on the surface of Light's desk and in doing so, catches sight of Light's gift. "Ohh, can I have one?"

"If you're brave enough."

He connects the dots and retreats his hand while Light reads of what he speaks. On the front page, the article reads "Arbitrary Experimentation: What the Government is Really Up To." Light looks at Jiraiya, "What's this about?"

"An officer has been suspected of conducting human experimentation to find the 'ultimate answer.' An officer in your jurisdiction. Now I know that you just got here, but that doesn't change the facts. Do you know how this makes us look? Not to mention people might cause peril out of fear. We've worked so hard to get this far, but if people believe we were a part of this, it all goes away."

"Yes, I understand. Who is the suspect?"

"He calls himself 'Lord,' but his name is Orochimaru. I'm ashamed to admit we once acquainted fairly well in the past."

"Do you believe he's capable?"

"That man? Anything."

"In that case, I want the finest on this. If it's true, then he'll suffer the consequences of the new world justly. As for me, I'll inform the press of our exclusion in this matter."

"I'll allow it, but choose your words carefully. One slip up and that "peaceful exchange in information" turns into an all-out riot."

Light nods firmly, "I am aware."

Jiraiya exits as Light calls for a press meeting for the near future. Gulping down another chocolate, Ryuk appears. "You're so boring nowadays. What happened to your goal of being God and all that noise?"

Light checks to affirm his door is closed, "There's no need for further bloodshed yet."

"Oh? But chakura-users, your sworn enemy, still roam the streets. The convoys you send out every night find groups with every outing."

"Exactly, I have the power to send thousands of officers to do my bidding. There is no need for the Death Note."

"Maybe you think that way now, but what about those you know are chakura-users and choose not to turn them in to the authorities? How about that one, that Kakashi Hatake? What officer would follow the order to shoot him down?"

"The loyal ones. You know our laws now, and look how it is. Crime is at the bare minimum."

"Fine, but your precious officers won't go past the boundary—"

"That's enough! I have work to attend to. Go yap off someone else's ear."

"Tsk," Ryuk floats above Light, laying nonchalantly with crossed legs while cradling his head in the famous Shikamaru pose. He munches on an apple, some juice plopping directly on Light's speech. Light sits back, tapping his index on the desk.

"Could you move," He asks as politely as possible.

"I could," Ryuk answers, "But I'm not going to."

"You're impossible," Light growls, grabbing his speech and moving to the other end of the room.

"C'mon Light. You used to be my favorite TV show!"

Light ignores him. With a scowl, Ryuk disappears. Light sighs happily, but soon struggles to concentrate. He glances up at his desk, replaying Ryuk's words in his head. Shaking off the notion, he tries to return to his work. He then finds himself staring at his desk, thinking of that one particular notebook being locked away, the notebook Light never went anywhere without. The memory of Kakashi revealing his Lightning Blade flashes through his mind, and now it is all Light can think about.

He's pretty old, so no one would suspect a heart attack from him, right? Though that estimate is invalid as young-bloods have fatal heart attacks as well. Still, it can be easily covered. The stress of being an officer of the new laws was too much for him; his heart had to give out sooner or later.

Light steps up from his chair and slowly merges towards his desk. "It's not as though they'd suspect me. What correlation does the commissioner have with a simpleton like Kakashi?" He assures himself once more that it is much more difficult to pinpoint Kira's position in current times. For all the people know, he could've died in the war.

Striding to his desk, Light sits comfortably in his chair and unlocks that specific drawer. With hesitation, he pulls out the Death Note, gently laying it on the surface of his desk. Light shakes his hands, feeling out of his element. Opening the notebook, he scrolls through the countless names belonging to victims of his murderous intent. At last, he reaches a fresh page and yanks a black pen from his breast pocket. He clicks it and hovers over the sheet. Why—if there were to be no consequences—did he feel as though something negative was about to take place?

Ignoring his conscience, Light scribbles down Kakashi's name. Just as he finishes, he hears commotion just outside of his office. In the next second, Kakashi bursts through the door, fury boiling in his glare. Hinata races after him, explaining that she couldn't stop him. Light rises to his feet, befuddled. Kakashi clutches Light's collar in his fists, his eyes rimmed with anger. Light's eyes widen, curious to Kakashi's sudden bravery in touching him. "You son of a—" Kakashi stops mid-sentence, struggling with his words. His grip loosens on Light's collar as he reaches for his heart. Falling back, he yelps in pain. Light catches him before he can hit the ground, unable to hold back the evil smirk begging to be on display.

Hinata sprints out of the room to call for help, and in that moment, Light releases a small chuckle. Kakashi's eyes fade to death. Light calls out his name once, then checks his heart. Numerous people hustle into the office, watching the scene. With no beating, he buries his face in Kakashi's chest, laughing so hard it is easily mistaken with grief.

Light became intoxicated with the rush of power, the power that is control of another's life. That drug he tucked away eons ago had fed its way back into his stream, and now clings tighter than ever before. Taking a deep breath, he thinks of who he will end next, the thought making him lick his lips.

The paramedics rush in as Light squeezes out a couple of tears for the audience, stepping back to allow the professionals' passage. The group huddled near the door ooh and awe at the terrible tragedy of Kakashi's death and gives their condolences to Light, only now realizing how close they truly were. Light smiles and gives thanks, and assures the grievers he's in a better place.

How pathetically naive. In a better place, feh. If I am God than this is your heaven, so, I am merely passing judgement to those deserving-those who snuck into my realm of wonders.

Light remains calm even after Ryuk's presence becomes known, the sight making him tense up only slightly. Light waves at the paramedics who wheel Kakashi to the morgue. Closing the door, Light makes a small dance with accompanying fist pump, "Phew, what a rush!" With a skip in his step, he returns to his desk only for his gut to drop. He accidently left the Death Note in plain view of the audience while performing his act of genuine grievance.

"You're a little rusty, eh?"

Light shakes off Ryuk's teasing, more concerned if anyone caught a glimpse of his treasure. Revealing his inner thoughts, Light stages a one-sided conversation, "Hey, you remember when Kakashi keeled over? Yeah, there was a notebook on commissioner Yagami's desk, and, well, I didn't want to say anything, but Kakashi's name was written in it. It's as if Mr. Yagami knew Kakashi was going to die. Or better yet, maybe he caused it and it was a checklist! Ohh god I can just hear it!" Light clutches tightly to his head while wailing uncontrollably.

Ryuk watches in silence, concerned at Light's newly-acquired demonstration of emotion. Droplets of sweat drip from Light's nose due to his frazzled nerves. Brushing off his worry, Light regains his formal composure, standing straight and proper, clicking his heels and wiping his hair to the side. Tucking the Death Note away in his briefcase, he proceeds to leave. He opens the door to find L talking with Hinata. L's arms are folded over each other as he leans on the edge of her desk, hovering next to her computer screen. A smile growing deviously on his face, L quietly converses with her, making her giggle with a red face. With a frown, Light closes his door with a loud thud, catching their immediate attention. Light storms away, a look of irritation plainly noticeable on his face. L makes a phone symbol with his hand and holds it to his face while grinning at Hinata, tossing her a piece of paper. He quickly scurries off to catch up with Light, matching his pace when at his side. "Where are you going," L asks innocently. Light replies with stern silence. "What? Don't tell me you're jealous."

Light impatiently and repeatedly taps the elevator button directing downward, "I must speak with the Mayor on current events."

The elevator doors shoot open and L rushes in after Light, facing him, "I just caught wind of Kakashi, I'm sorry."

"Not so sorry as to skip flirting with my secretary. Besides, it is as fate foretold."

"Umm, yeah, but he was your teacher as well as Naruto's, for many years!"

I could never live up to his standards anyway, Light thought. "L, I'm in a bit of a hurry, could you wrap this up?"

L shoves the lobby button. The doors close and the two men bob up slightly at the cube's jolting movements. Light sighs, once hoping he could've used the elevator as an escape.

"What did you do," L stares into Light with unwavering severity. Exhaling slightly, Light relaxes, keeping a firm grip on the briefcase. "Are you still active?" Light answers with a mere blink, his absence of emotion still unwavering. "Dammit! I knew this would happen. I should've turned you in when I had the chance."

"But isn't it great that you didn't? Naruto may have relished in the glory, but we both know who really ended the war."

L bites his lip, frustrated at his defeat in terms of argument. He looks down at the floor, ashamed of himself. I made the worst mistake in letting him go, he thought. He made a vow to forgive and forget, even if that meant stripping himself of his title as a warrior of justice. After all, if it weren't for Light, the human race would be extinct.

The elevator nears the lobby. "Look at the Brightside," Lights smirks deviously, "there's a lot less crime and bloodshed. Those heathens are nearly wiped into extinction."

"Slaughtering a species? I see no brightness in that."

The elevator doors open. As Light steps out, he remarks, "Your way of thinking is so twisted."

L stays in place, allowing others to flood in. He watches Light leave, the evil man departing with a friendly goodbye to the Lobbyists and Door Greeter. L's black orbs watch the victor in the battle of justice. Slouching his shoulders, L accepts crippling defeat in his most imperative case.

**XXX**

"I forbid it!"

Temari slams her hands on the table, eyes rimmed red. "And I don't want to hear another word about it!"

Light looks up at her innocently, "But, why?"

"If you go up there, it'll only fuel conspirists' fire. You are to remain neutral on the subject, is that clear? Let it run it's course. One criminal can't bring down our reformed government by simply doing what criminals do. After the trial, life will return to normal, you'll see."

Light stays quiet for a long while, considering what she says. After all, without the press conference, Light's schedule will open up some, perhaps enough to inject a personal outing. Light brings his fist to his chin, balancing the pros and cons. He sighs, "I won't be responsible for the repercussions. Otherwise, I see no other way but to get involved."

"Fine, fine, I'll take full responsibility."

Light continues to frown, hesitating before rising from his seat. He latches onto the briefcase and exits Temari's office. Taking a deep breath after closing the door, Light walks down the dark hallway absent of life. He mutters to himself, completely devoid in awareness.

Temari leans on her desk, arms crossed, looking out the window. Sun beams shine brightly through the partings of the clouds, demonstrating an end to the rainy day. The sky, a lightest blue, carries with it only birds, as the sounds of air planes and jet engines are nonexistent.

She blinks slowly, "Gaara…"

At the end of the hall, Light rests on his hands and knees, gasping violently for desired air. His starving lungs burn like fire with his struggling. Purification beads along his forehead. A string of saliva drips from his chapped lips. The suitcase lies dead next to him, robbed of its belongings. The Death Note lays open before Light, pen off to the side. The perpetrator hoping to retain valuables from Light collapses to his knees, falling face-first into the laminate tile, utterly lifeless. A light hanging above the scene flickers. Light, breathing heavily, takes a gander at the robust man, his eyes beaming red due to an instantaneous deal made with a certain Shinigami.