Disclaimer: I don't own KHR.

A/N: The plot came when I read a fic where yamamoto was mercilessly killed and I thought 'What's going to happen now? No more rain guardian?', and this story was created. But I couldn't just kill yamamoto and enter a new character so I made it the other way around. Sato Yoshino was (WAS because from the very start of the story, I already killed him XD) just a character created by my twisted imagination.


Ch1- Guilt and sorrow are two different things.

It is my fault that you're burnt to ashes inside a fucking urn.


On the first and last day of the late rain guardian's funeral, the Tenth told him with a solemn look on his, about the meeting that would be held one week from now. A few hours later, Gokudera found a thick file placed unassumingly on his office table containing a dozen profiles of people possible to be the next rain guardian.

Just a few hours passed and everyone was fucking ready to let go, forget about Sato Yoshino and move on.

It irked him big time.

After all, Yoshi was one of the best swordsmen the Vongola will ever have. Even the sword emperor himself acknowledged his prowess.

The man may be serious most of the time but only because of his responsibilities as the tenth generation rain guardian. Hell, if Yoshi was a serious man, then how do you regard Hibari and Reborn-san?

For him, Yoshi was just… Yoshi.

A purpose was all he need and he'd know what to prioritize. When he became the rain guardian, he vowed to serve and protect the Family, devoting his whole life for the only Family who believed in him. Gokudera knew this, for the reason that they share the same sentiment.

Ahh~ but Hayato-chan will still be the first in my priority list~.

A sworn loyalty that took his life.

Gokudera could vaguely recall the night it happened. He was injured himself after a meeting gone wrong with an allied Family and was barely able to stand on his feet. All his muddled mind could remember was an ambush attack from the said Family, the deafening sounds of firing guns before a body covered his own as he pathetically hit the ground and lost consciousness.

The day after, the bomber woke up with the news of his friend's death from the multiple gunshot wounds he received.

No one dared to utter the words, but Gokudera knew, the bullets were meant for him. His limp shoulder was not an excuse, neither were his blurry eyes. He fucking screwed up everything and now Yoshi was dead and it's his goddamn fault, yet nobody blames him.

"What the fuck, you idiot!? I told you I could take care of myself! You didn't have to take the punch for me!"

"Heh. You still have a long way to go before you could take a punch as powerful as that, Hayato." And Yoshi smiled, though it looked more like a grimace.

"Asshole! Look what it got you, an ugly black eye just to save my sorry ass? What will the perv say?" He dabbed a wet towel on the bruised part of his friend's face, cleaning the surrounding area of the wound.

The older kid laughed. "I'd save your sorry ass whenever I could, Hayato, and no one's gonna blame you for that. No one."

Gokudera smiled bitterly. 'You just saved my life for the hundredth time and look where it got you.'

He was just an eight year old snotty, pampered kid when he first met Yoshi. His pale, tear-stained face was what the older kid saw as the latter open the front door on his tutor's house.

Yoshino did not laugh nor got disgusted by his wretched look, which what Shamal would have reacted if he saw him hat time. Cold yet warm silver eyes regarded him for seconds before he was ushered inside the house by the eager taller kid until he was settled on a couch.

"You must be Hayato-bochan." And the black-haired boy smiled warmly at him.

Apparently, they're first meeting had been ingrained to Yoshi's memory, especially his red, puffy eyes and his quivering, pouty lips. The guy had told him a million times already how fragile he looks no matter how tough his words and actions were.

Back when he was ten and Yoshi was thirteen, he came across the group mafia brats calling him 'son of a bitch'. His young mind remembered the pretty woman who visits him once or twice a year, which he later found out, was his real mother, and started screaming profanities at the mean kids. But before he could swing his little limbs towards his assailants, one of the kids was suddenly knocked down on the ground by a full-force punch from an enraged black-haired teen.

"You got a problem with my brother?"

His brother, he had said. How could he say no to that? Ever since he found out the truth about his mother, Gokudera became the brat full of angst and hatred. And no soul could stand his self-pity but Yoshino; otherwise, the other wouldn't have tolerated him for years.

But look where it got you.

If only he hadn't been clumsy on the things he should be protecting, then this wouldn't have happen. Was he supposed to live in revelry at the expense of Yoshino's life? Yes, for the past week after the funeral, he was able to carry out his duties as the storm guardian of the Vongola Family even with his injury. But only because he's been doing it for years that it already became a routine.

The selection for the new rain guardian was the main agenda of the meeting. A dispute could break out through the allied Families if the Vongola Family couldn't proclaim a new rain guardian the soonest possible time and it wouldn't be an amusing sight.

Now, after the said selection failed, mostly due to some argumentative opinions, he knew the boss is in turmoil. Usually, at times like this, Gokudera would literally come running to his Juudaime to propose a solution in every conflict they got into. But right now, he couldn't bring himself to do just that, especially when he was the original cause of that problem.

'What does that say about me?'

What about you? C'mon, Hayato. You're still as stubborn as before. Cut the Tenth and the rest of the family some slack.

Shut up, Yoshi.

Were you stuck because of my heroic death?

Heroic? It's a stupid death, fucker.

Gokudera chuckled to himself. He must be insane, talking to a dead person.

At least I know you're still alive and kickin' some ass. You still got a long way to go.

Shut your blabbering mouth.

It's not your fault, Hayato.

"That's for me to decide! Now, get the fuck out of my head!" he snapped into the thin air, his breath shaky and deliberate. He slowly opens his burning eyes and welcomes the darkness that cloaked the room. His clouded eyes stared ahead of him, where a shadowed vase was placed on an altar made for the dead.

The urn that contained the former rain guardian's ashes.

I see.

"No, you don't. You can't. Not anymore."

He doesn't think that the day will ever come where talking to his self would be like talking to the real one.


Sawada Tsunayoshi had been contemplating on the things he'd done and should've not done.

It's just that, there are times when he tends to overdo things, especially if it's concerning the family.

The young boss sighed heavily. This past week's events made him doubt his own credibility as the Vongola boss. He knew his actions were justifiable. But somehow, everything he did only worsen the situation.

Gokudera was at a lost, blaming himself for the death of someone who understood and cared for him more than anyone could have. And Tsuna had just put a salt to that wound with the selection for the new rain guardian on the way.

He groaned inwardly. He hates himself so much when he knew he had gone beyond to what's only necessary. Sato-kun had been a great guardian; of course it wouldn't be easy to replace him. He's irreplaceable.

If only he could just let things stay this way. If only there is no such thing as power, blinding power, that is.

"Should you really be worrying yourself over such trivial things?"

Tsuna raised his head from his hands, eyes narrowing at the shadowed figure leaning against his office door. Through all his inner conflict, he hadn't felt his cloud guardian entering the room.

"Hibari-san, what are you doing here?" It's rare to have Hibari Kyoya step a foot in his office when not being summoned.

The suit-clad man strides towards Tsuna, a folder in hand. "Where's the ex-arcobaleno?" he asked nonchalantly, making himself comfortable at the seat in front of the table.

"You know he never tell anyone where he disappear to." he pause, thinking of a better answer when the other cocked an eyebrow. "But he often took it upon himself to attend to my inaccuracies, especially after the failure that was my plan."

"Hn."

The Vongola boss heaved another sigh. Yes, he had considered a whole lot of qualified members of the allied families for the selection of the new rain guardian, but the plan backfired. He assumed that the more the choices were the easier and the faster the search will be. Now he was slapped hard on his face of how mistaken he was.

Each of his guardians, except for Gokudera and Hibari-san, has their own opinion. Reborn wasn't satisfied, the same goes for his father. The Ninth seemed uncertain and Shoichi couldn't decide without his consent. His plan fell short and the meeting was a disaster. "I know. I know. But my only point is to have a solution the soonest possible time we could." Tsuna ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I see. You still have the herbivore in you." The other man deadpanned.

The stressed boss had the sudden urge to laugh, and laugh he did. "I thought I'd never hear you call me with that name again. After all, it's been years since I evolved into an omnivore in your opinion. Am I right?" Caramel brown eyes stared intently at the man on the other side of the table; waiting for a confirmation he knew would come.

Tsuna wouldn't dare say that he have a close relationship with his stoic cloud guardian, but he could tell that Hibari had already accepted it in his mind that the herbivore back in the middle school, is now his boss. For the past years, the young boss found himself surprisingly having a small conversation with the ex-prefect, much like the one their having now. It might be short and more of one-sided but still Hibari listened.

"Hn. That's not the point though." The raven-haired man said in a matter-of-factly tone before he stood up and placed the folder he held on the desk. "Give it to him."

He frowned at the mauve folder on his desk. Another folder? What's with folders these days? Tsuna was starting to develop a really, really bad inkling for folders.

Tsuna snapped towards the door when he heard the knob being turned. "Wait! What-"

"And don't you even dare peek or I'll bite you to death." was what Hibari said before he closed the door behind him.

'Do not peek, he said?' He thought, dumbfounded. His curious eyes turned a shade darker as he glared at the folder he now had in his eyes. If his former tutor asked this from Hibari, then it must be classified, about what, he would have to find out.

A lithe hand slowly turns the leaf of the folder.

"He told you not to peek, didn't he?" came a familiar baritone voice behind him.

The Vongola boss moaned in frustration, not even startled by the sudden appearance of the aforementioned man. He just sort of expected that. "What? Don't I have the right?"

Tsuna heard a soft thud before a tall figure settled beside him, half-sitting on his desk. He looked up at the formidable man known before as the sun arcobaleno. The man, of course, was intimidating. Even before the curse was lifted, the baby form of the famed hitman still radiates authority. But not like before, Tsuna won't be swayed. "Well?"

Without a warning, the ex-arcobaleno snatched the file from his hands. "This," Reborn pointed, waving the folder on his face, "is the background profile of your new guardian."

For the second time that day, the young boss was dumbfounded as the folder was continuously being wave before his eyes, taunting him.

He knew that this man together with his father had been the ones to choose his guardians. They didn't explain how they came up with the line-up and he didn't have the guts to ask that time. But that was before.

"Reborn."

"He's not from the allied families and he's a kid no more if that's what you want to argue about, Dame-Tsuna." said Reborn. "But he did come from a family of hitmen."

"I knew it. You always have something under your sleeves, the craziest ones I'd say." Tsuna spat exasperatedly, giving his former tutor a reprimanding look, earning him a blank stare in return.

Silence fell between the two men.

Moments later, the younger man averted his eyes from the other. "I have to admit though, they worked more often than not."

He instantly regretted what had slipped out of his mouth when he saw Reborn's smug look. "It's not a compliment, Reborn. And if you think the others would approve-"

"You're the boss. You don't have to ask their permission on this." the former arcobaleno contested firmly.

"Opinion, Reborn, their opinions were as important as yours." Tsuna retorted evenly. "And you're right, I'm the boss so I still have to see if this new rain guardian, as what you already call him, is the right one. Not that I don't value your judgement on this, because believe me, I do. "

Reborn regarded him for a moment, his pierce eyes made his fingers twitched in anticipation of another argument. So he was slightly taken aback when the man just snorted and smirked at him.

"You have gone far now, Tsuna, far from what you were years ago." The hitman commented, a hint of pride in his tone.

A dust of pink was suddenly prominent on Tsuna's face, contradicting his otherwise affronted look. "Tha-That's not what Hibari-san said earlier." he snapped, scolding himself for stuttering from the compliment he rarely heard from his former tutor. "And that's beside the point!"

The other continued to smirk at him while he composed himself. "They ought to be inform regarding-"

"Hibari already knew." Reborn stated.

"Of course he does! You had him-"

"And Timoteo too."

"That's-"

"As well as Iemitsu and Shoichi, whom I asked to inform the others. The final decision lies in your hands."

The Vongola boss was rendered speechless. He really shouldn't have doubted this man. Even if he has a cruel way of doing things, it couldn't be hold against him. In the end, it'll always be a job well done.

"Alright. But I'll be the one to tell Gokudera-kun."

Sharp eyes under the fedora hat stared at him for the last time before the taller man move away from the desk, striding towards the door. "Suit yourself then, Vongola Decimo."

He nodded after the man. "This would have to wait till tomorrow."

Reborn halted on his steps. "Do what you must do, Tsuna." With that, the former arcobaleno walked out of the room.

Tsuna grab the violet folder left on his desk as he stood from his chair. 'I'll do it right this time.'


End of chapter 1

A/N: Sorry for the late update! I've no excuse whatsoever for it though. Oh. And if you didn't notice, I had the older Reborn came in from the window! Haha XD

review!