Shikamaru was lying on his favorite hill staring up at clouds when he saw something drop out of the sky and onto the hill not too far from him.

Thinking it would probably be troublesome he never the less got up to investigate, it being unusual to have things simply materialize and fall out of the sky.

He soon found what appeared to be a plain journal with the words, 'Death Note' stamped across the cover. Bending down he picked it up and opened it. On the inside cover there was what looked like instructions.

"The human whose name is written in this note shall die," Shikamaru lifted a single eyebrow. "I wonder if this is some kind of joke."

"It's no joke," a husky voice said.

Shikamaru turned around to see a freakish monstrosity with sharp teeth and yellow and red eyes floating in the air above him on black feathery wings.

Shikamaru managed to remain admirably calm. "And you are?"

"My name is Ryuk and I'm a shinigami."

"Of course you are," Shikamaru muttered. "This is yours I take it."

The shinigami shook his head. "It was, but now it belongs to you. You can use it any way you want."

"Use it? What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just like you read any human whose name you write down in that note book will die. You can kill anyone you want so long as you know their name and what they look like."

"Really?" He looked carefully at the book in his hands.

"You can settle any old scored you have, eliminate rivals, or you could even set out to change the world by getting rid of people you judge as evil or unworthy. With that book in your hands you have the power to reshape this whole world."

"I see," Shikamaru said slowly. "So I could become the new god of this world? I could rid it of all those who are wicked and corrupt, creating a better society where the innocent have nothing to fear while the criminals cower in terror for their very lives?"

"Exactly!" Ryuk nodded.

Shikamaru knew exactly what he needed to do. Putting two fingers in his mouth he gave a loud whistle. Three deer responded and approached him. "Chow down!" he called and tossed the Death Note to them. They began to eat it.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Ryuk yelled.

Shikamaru went back to his original spot and lay down again. "While all that sounds really great and all, it's waaaaaaaaay too much work."

He calmly began watching clouds again.