Summary: Tsuna knows, that with Reborn around, becoming the next head of the Vongola Famiglia is unavoidable for him, no matter how much he denies it. With the realization that his friends would share the same fate, Tsuna makes one last attempt to run from it all. But what he forgets is that wherever the Sky goes, the elements follow, for without the Sky, the elements mean nothing at all.

Beta'd by WaiiKitsune

Notes: Also dedicated to WaiiKitsune for being an amazing beta and my first KHR buddy here in the FF world! xD She is the BEST and writes great KHR fics too! Gives great tips and helps me out all the time with my fics (grammar, description, plot holes, you name it.).

Thank you so much! TTuTT (I seriously can't express my gratitude in words...)

Disclaimer: Akira Amano owns Katekyo Hitman Reborn

It was raining.

The rain was coming down in heavy sheets, soaking everything outside to the core.

The small town of Namimori was experiencing a heavy rain that day, and the town was virtually void of people. Most had deemed it wise to stay inside until the rain died down, not risking the chance of catching a cold. Despite the misty white rain, there was one lone figure that ran, ignorant (or perhaps oblivious) of the rain.

That person was Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Tsuna ran in the rain, unaware of where he was going. All that he knew was that he needed to get away: away from his troubles, from his tutor, from the Mafia. The rain poured mercilessly on his small frail frame, but he ignored it all; blindly running down streets.

Have to run… Have to run away…!

It was all he could do to avoid the unavoidable truth: that he was going to become Vongola Decimo; that his friends –his dearest, most precious friends– were going to become his Guardians.

Don't want… Don't want any of this…!

He didn't want it! He didn't was the dangers that accompanied the title of Vongola Decimo. He didn't want to put his friend's lives in danger! Hadn't they suffered enough because of him?! All the wounds…all the pain and injuries…Weren't those enough…?!

Then…

…WHY?!

After the victory against the Varia, Tsuna and his friends officially received their Vongola rings and inherited their positions as the 10th Generation Vongola Famiglia: Sawada Tsunayoshi as the Vongola Sky Boss, Gokudera Hayato as the Storm Guardian, Yamamoto Takeshi as the Rain Guardian, Sasagawa Ryohei as the Sun Guardian, Bovino Lambo as the Lightning Guardian, Hibari Kyouya as the Cloud Guardian, and both Chrome Dukuro and Rokudo Mukuro as the Mist Guardians.

Tsuna could do nothing but accept it at the time; he did not want the blood-thirsty Xanxus to take over the Vongola Famiglia with his short temper and wrath. If that ever happened, it was inevitable that the Vongola Famiglia would be let into a war with the entire Mafia. War would be constant, the world would fall to ruin, and life would never be the same.

Tsuna shook his head from side to side as he neared his house to clear his head of such thoughts, having been thinking about it as he walked home from school. He opened the door and let himself in, stamping his feet at the doorway to loosen any mud stuck on his shoes as he called into the house to let them know he was home. Tsuna shook his head vigorously, splashing water droplets everywhere in a feeble attempt to get dry. It was only drizzling outside, but the brunet was still considerably wet from the long walk home.

Tsuna walked in, tossing his schoolbag by the staircase to dry before heading into the kitchen. There, he found Reborn sitting at the dining table, slowly sipping his freshly-brewed espresso. Leon sat perched on his fedora as usual, his eyes closed as if taking a nap.

Without looking up from his drink, he greeted Tsuna, cradling the cup gently in his baby hands. "Ciaossu. How was school?"

"Fine," Tsuna answered tersely as he glanced around nervously. He was unsettled by the serious atmosphere in the room, and his Hyper Intuition constantly alerting him of something –whatever it was, it wasn't life-threatening– was not helping. Tsuna swallowed, deciding to get a glass of water in an attempt to calm his rattled nerves. "Where is everyone?" Tsuna asked, noticing how quiet the normally-loud household was. It was unusual, but not completely abnormal. There were times when everyone headed out to go shopping or buy dinner or something of the sort.

Reborn took another sip of his delectable coffee before answering, "They went out to buy groceries." Reborn reached up and pulled his fedora down, hiding his expression, not that Tsuna could have seen it with his back facing Reborn.

Tsuna nodded to indicate that he heard Reborn's reply, knowing that the hitman could see him. He turned around with the glass in hand, took a few gulps to wet his suddenly-parched throat and began to head over to the staircase to pick up his bag. "O-oh…well I'm going to do-"

"Wait." The voice wasn't normal, high-pitched sounding. It was authoritative and deep, like that of a full grown adult. At the command, Tsuna froze and turned around to face the infant apprehensively, his eyes darting to the side to avoid the cold onyx eyes staring at him. "Sit. I have something that I want to discuss with you," the infant continued, still using the same tone as he motioned to the chair across the table.

The brunet shivered, hesitating slightly. A discussion with Reborn was never a simple matter, and always meant bad news for him. He gave in, walked over, and sat down in said chair, cupping his glass tightly in his shaking hands to still them as he waited to hear what the infant had to say. As expected of Reborn, Tsuna didn't have to wait long.

"Tsuna," Reborn began, his expression once again covered by his fedora. "You did well during the battle against the Varia. After much consideration, the Ninth and I have decided for you and your Guardians to officially inherit the Vongola Famiglia as the Tenth Generation."

There was silence as Tsuna processed what Reborn said, his eyes growing larger as the words sank in and realization began to hit him.

"Wha... WHAT?!" Incomprehensible words spewed from the brunet's mouth until Reborn's cold, harsh glare shut him up.

"You heard me, Tsuna. You will be taking the Ninth's place as the next Don of the Vongola Famiglia." Reborn sounded slightly irritated at having to repeat himself.

Tsuna's mouth fell open as he tried to collect his jumbled thoughts. His arms flailed in the air, his glass forgotten as Tsuna jumped up, knocking his seat over in the process. "Reborn! How many times have I said this?! I don't want to become the Don Vongola! I don't want to become leader of the Mafia!" He slammed his hands on the table to emphasize his point, the water sloshing around in the glass before settling.

Reborn took another sip from his rapidly cooling espresso before continuing in the same authoritative tone. "You don't have a choice Tsuna. By winning against Xanxus and the Varia, you proved to the Mafia that you are worthy of the position. You have the Vongola Rings to prove it and there are no longer any other candidates to take your place." The words seemed to squeeze the fight out of Tsuna, who knew how dire the situation was for the Vongola, and his eyes dulled in response, before flaring in determination and anguish.

"But… but… What about everyone else? Did they consent to this? Do they have a say? Do I have a say in this?!" Tsuna's voice cracked at the last statement, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Memories of the battle, of the friends that he nearly lost, flooded his mind and he bit his lower lip to prevent himself from breaking down in front of his tutor.

"They have already been accepted as your Guardians, so regardless, they have to follow you," Reborn answered coldly, ignoring the twinge of his heart at the sight of his student, who was about to fall apart.

"DON'T I HAVE A SAY IN THIS?!" Tsuna repeated, tears finally falling in small rivers from his eyes.

Reborn didn't answer, his eyes still hidden within the shadow of his fedora. Leon didn't move, opening his eyes as he stared between his master and Tsuna in concern, occasionally flicking his tongue out in obvious distress. It was clear that Leon didn't like this confrontation any more than Tsuna and Reborn did.

Ever since Tsuna met Reborn, everyone that he met; everything that he did; every single day that he lived through… He was constantly being reminded of the cruel world of the Mafia, as well as how he would somehow inherit the infamous Vongola Famiglia. All he wanted was a normal life –a simple wish in his opinion, one that was made impossible the second that Reborn entered his life. Tsuna had to concede that it was because of Reborn that he now had friends and was no longer the same person that he was before; yet, it was also because of him that their lives –his precious friends' lives– were in constant danger. He couldn't bear the thought of losing any of his friends; so his only logical conclusion was to deny any association with the Mafia. But there was one thing –more precisely, person– stopping him.

With Reborn around, he had no chance of that happening.

Unable to take it any longer, Tsuna turned and ran out the door, his bangs covering his eyes as he ran into the unrelenting rain, too anguished to acknowledge any and all calls of his name behind him.

After the brunet left, Reborn quietly set down his now-cold espresso on the cool surface of the dining table. Leon crawled down to the hitman's shoulder and gave comforting licks as Reborn hopped down from his seat effortlessly and made his way to the open doorway, onyx orbs peering out into the misty white skies. The rain was no longer a drizzle, but a heavy downpour, flooding the streets with small rivers of rainwater that grew with each passing minute. There was no wind, just the pitter-patter of the seemingly endless rain.

"How fitting…" Reborn couldn't help but scoff. The infant stretched out his hand and his faithful partner obliged, helpfully turning into a green umbrella as Reborn stepped out into the rain.

Tsuna didn't know how long he had been running, or where he was running to. All he knew was that he had to run away. It was his only thought, the only thing that was preventing him from breaking down at that very moment. He ran through streets without a backward glance, passing through neighborhoods without a second thought. He didn't care if he got lost and couldn't find his way back home. He didn't care that he was soaked, clothes plastered to his skin as he continued running. He just wanted to escape.

When he finally stopped, he bent over in exhaustion, severely out of breath and legs shaking violently from the long run. After managing to catch his breath, he looked around to get an idea of where he was and found himself at the Namimori Shrine. He stood up straight, closed his eyes, and tilted his head backwards, arms down by his sides as he allowed the rain to cascade down the sides of his face, as though he was crying. Tsuna chuckled bitterly; with how he was feeling right now, he might as well be. The rain was comforting, as if washing away all of his pain and sorrow.

He didn't feel cold or wet. He didn't feel sad or anguished.

He felt nothing, allowing the rain to wash it all away.

His moment of reprieve was short-lived, however, as his Hyper Intuition helpfully alerted him of shallow footsteps behind him that were easily heard over the pitter-patter of the rain. Having heard that set of footsteps almost every single day, Tsuna recognized its owner immediately and felt his worries come back in a flash.

"Tsuna."

He didn't turn around, didn't answer. He simply stood there, staring up at the crying sky.

"You're going to catch a cold."

He still didn't answer, but relented a little as he turned around to peer down at the infant in front of him, who was holding up the Leon-umbrella to shelter himself the rain. Tsuna's eyes said everything, half closed in defeat and glazed over in anguish and pain. The brunet fidgeted uncomfortably and glanced to the side to avoid the hitman's intense stare. Reborn sighed softly, hiding his expression from view as he tilted his head downwards.

"Your Guardians aren't going to let you take the burden by yourself. They will follow you no matter what."

That finally got Reborn a reaction out of Tsuna as the brunet flinched visibly. Tsuna replied, his voice barely louder than a whisper. Reborn had to strain his ears to hear the response over the pouring rain around them.

"I won't let them. They can't… they won't." The brunet swayed as he answered, finally beginning to feel the cold seeping through his clothes and the exhaustion from running nonstop to the Shrine. Tsuna felt lightheaded and he struggled to remain standing, not willing to give in. His eyes were drooping without his consent, and his vision spun. Darkness began to envelop him and he struggled to fight back, to stay conscious. It was a losing battle, and Tsuna eventually yielded, allowing the darkness to consume him.

As Tsuna fell forward, Reborn wordlessly stretched out the hand holding the umbrella. The umbrella shone, transforming into a fluffy green pillow that caught the brunet's head just before it made contact with the paved floor.

The rain began to soak the hitman, but Reborn didn't care. He merely stared at his student, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"… Baka-Tsuna."

Tsuna groaned quietly as he slowly woke, eyes still closed. He heard voices around him –Who were they?– but he couldn't identify them, his mind too clouded and groggy from sleep to comprehend anything. Tsuna sighed softly when he felt something cold on his head. It felt good; he felt very warm and the cool contrast of whatever that was placed on him was a huge comfort and delight.

He heard his name spoken a few times, but didn't catch the whole statement. His eyes felt heavy and leaded, yet he still tried to open them. It took some effort, but before long, he managed to open them halfway. He blinked a few times in an attempt to clear the sleep from his eyes and it took a while before his eyes could focus on his surroundings. When they finally did… 'shocked' was an understatement of what he felt.

He was on his bed in his room back at the Sawada residence; but more importantly, crowding around in his bedroom were his Guardians –even Hibari, varying looks of concern prominent on each of their faces.

"Juudaime, are you alright?"

"Tsuna, you shouldn't push yourself too hard in this weather. What were you even doing outside in this downpour?"

"Sawada! You're burning up to the extreme!"

"Boss… How are you feeling…?"

"Dame-Tsuna must get back up and work for Lambo-san!"

"Hnn."

Tsuna frowned slightly, confused at their presence. He opened his mouth to speak but his throat was parched and he could barely make a sound. Yamamoto hurried over to help him sit up, supporting him and removing the cold compress as Gokudera held a glass of water steady for him to drink out of. Once his thirst was quenched, Tsuna peered around his room again as he finally spoke up, "What… what are you guys doing here?"

The Guardians stared back at him in confusion.

"We're here for you Juudaime." Gokudera answer simply, speaking for all of the people in the room. Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Chrome nodded their heads in agreement, while Lambo and Hibari both stared silently at him.

Tsuna stared back in disbelief. His friends had gathered because he was sick. Everyone, even Hibari, who abhorred crowded and would bite anyone who crowds to death; and Chrome, who had to make a long trek down from Kokuyo Land to Namimori, was here. It was his own foolishness, rashness, naivety, and indecisiveness that got him ill, and yet here they were, to care for him and to stand by him. He didn't know how to respond, having been dame and friendless most of his life.

After a few minutes, all the stress, both physical and emotional, came rushing up inside him and Tsuna broke down. He cried, sobbed, and wailed; releasing all the tension that had built up over the past few weeks in one go.

The Guardians jumped when they saw the tears sliding down the brunet's cheeks unexpectedly, falling on the sheets scattered around him.

"H-hey! What's wrong Tsuna?" "J-Juudaime! What's wrong? Why are you crying?" The Guardians shot out questions rapidly in concern, but Tsuna was too incoherent to be able to answer properly. After a few moments, the Guardians decided to wait for Tsuna to calm down enough to give them an answer. They quietly listened to the faint sobs coming from the brunet, each feeling a pang of pain in their hearts. It took a while, but Tsuna was able to contain his crying enough to answer.

"You… you are all here… B-Because of me…" Tsuna choked out between sobs.

The Guardians blinked at the statement, finding it strange. It was as if Tsuna didn't think they would be here for him. It was Lambo that answered first, everyone else following soon after to comfort the brunet.

"Baka-Tsuna! Of course Lambo-san is here! Lambo-san needs to watch over his servant, after all!"

"Hnn."

"Boss… Boss cares for me… That's why… I'll be here… to care for Boss too…"

"Of course we will extremely be here for you Sawada!"

"What are you talking about Tsuna? Of course we are here! We will always be here for you!"

"The baseball freak is right! I will follow the Juudaime everywhere!"

At this, Tsuna's tears fell harder and the Guardians finally realized the cause of their Boss' tears. All the fear and terror during the battle with the Varia was held in. Now that the battle was over, Tsuna couldn't help but worry about them and their futures.

They smiled.

It didn't matter.

They weren't going to let him leave; they were going to follow their Sky to the end of the world.

The Guardians comforted Tsuna, each in their own ways, allowing the held-in tears to finally fall after so long. They watched as the tears finally stopped and the brunet regained the smile on his face, despite still hiccupping for breath.

"Thank you… Really… Thank you, everyone…"

They smiled.

Yup, there was no way they were going to leave their Sky.

No matter what.

Reborn watched the scene quietly from the farthest corner in the room. He was the one who called the Guardians after Tsuna fell unconscious. But they were the ones that dropped everything they were doing and rushed over. He didn't have to ask nor did he need to explain the situation. They all came on their own free will, and Tsuna knew that.

Reborn let the corners of his lips lift ever so slightly.

Do you get it now Tsuna? Wherever the Sky goes, the other elements will follow. Storm, Rain, Mist, Cloud, Sun, Lightning… The elements will follow the Sky no matter where it goes. There's no point in trying to leave them, they will always search until they find you again. They will forever remain loyal and truthful to you.

Because the Sky is the one that influences all, understands all, and accepts all.

And without the Sky, the elements are nothing at all.

A/N: If this concept is similiar to 'Left Behind', then that's because I started this one first. 'Left Behind' was what came out as a result. Either way, I decided to finish this one up and post it. It came out pretty well. Let me know what you think?

The next chapter of 'Left Behind' will be posted as scheduled. I also made a Tumblr account so that you can see previews and updates on future chapters/fics and anything else that I might put up there. The link to it is on my profile. Check it out if you want, I'll update it every once in a while.

Thanks to WaiiKitsune for being a great beta and friend!

Ciao Ciao~

Pikachu

Published 21 February 2013

Updated 10 August 2013