I don't think I'm really going to edit this... maybe when I have time *cough when I'm not lazy cough*
Just a little explanation on why gift is in quotation marks towards the end of the story:
"Gift" is a present in English, but it also means 'poison' in German.
"Tsuna! Are you there?" A tall black-haired male barges in through the doors of the Vongola without even knocking for an approval of entrance.
"Tsuna?" The boy calls again before he spots the little creature, sleeping with his head on the maple wooden desk.
Takeshi Yamamoto gives a slightly bitter smile as he looks at a pile of documents neatly organized on the sides of the sleeping young boy. With a faint, ambiguous smile, and a quick sigh at the sight of the slightly crumpled papers under Tsunayoshi's drooling face, Takeshi proceeds to quickly walk over to the young Vongola and gently carry him over to the red velvet sofa.
'Light. He got lighter again.' Takeshi subconsciously frowns at the thought. It's not a change that anyone notices because it's only minimal, however, Takeshi and his natural instincts continuously keeps specific track of the little creature's characteristics. Surely, Tsunayoshi is stronger than anyone would expect from his appearance. After all, he has been conceded as the next Vongola boss by Vongola Primo, Giotto, himself. However, he is also much weaker than anybody ever saw after his accession as the next Vongola. He is too fragile; unfitting for the business. The world of mafias is not where he belongs.
His decision to take over the familiga was his own (although Reborn's initial threats did contribute more than just a little), but this is too much. Just too much for Tsunayoshi to stand in and control as the ridiculously nice, no-good Tsuna he is.
It has only been four and a half months since he has officially became the Vongola Decimo, however, changes were already occurring. Although they are only evident to those who were close by, the problem is far greater than anyone could ever expect.
His smile is not his own anymore; His body is growing thinner by the day. The vibrant boy, Tsunayoshi Sawada, who saved the baseball idiot, Takeshi Yamamoto, from his suicide attempt was dying.
Why must this be? Is it because Takeshi is too blessed in life that his most valuable possession is being broken apart? What did he have to do to bring Tsuna's happiness? This may sound like a complaint of a spoiled child, trying to gain the last bit of happiness he has not gotten his hands on yet, but what else could he do? It's definitely too cliché, but sadly true.
Takeshi seats himself on the other sofa after placing a small cotton blanket over Tsunayoshi's shaking body. The brunette tosses and turns for a more comfortable position before he finally falls into an abysmal sleep.
As he gives out a slightly bitter smile, Takeshi could not stop his thoughts. Why, out of all people, did it have to be this boy? Why did he have to become the Vongola 10th? Takeshi cannot help but silently damn this nasty mischief of whoever was up there, laughing at their misery. But most importantly, he could not forgive his impotency. This unnecessary self-reproach just continues to weigh down on him and his sanity. Why could he not do anything? Why is he so weak? Why is he so useless?
With frustration, he lets out a rather heavy sigh as he had momentarily neglected the young boy who was still in his dreamland. After reminding himself to not make any more potential disturbances as the young Vongola rested, Takeshi continues to sink back into his thoughts again.
Regardless of what anybody says, Tsuna was the light in his life. Not even the group of his "friends" or his father's sushi could replace his spot. Even baseball was a bit beneath Tsuna. Him and his smile was all Takeshi really needed.
Oh how he would take Tsuna and run off somewhere if he could. To a life where his precious friend did not have to walk around every day with heavy dark circles from his frequent all-nighters; where he did not have to throw up from the overly graphic mission reports or the "gifts" by his fellow alliances', where he did not have to silently sob alone every night without being able to rely on anyone because of his position as the almighty Vongola boss.
Or maybe Takeshi could just get rid of the origin of all this mess. Would it, then finally, all return to normal? Just like when he first met Tsuna? If only it could, Takeshi would even risk his life without hesitation. However, he knows very well in the back of his mind that Tsunayoshi would despise him in perpetuity if it were to happen.
As the Vongola Decimo, Tsunayoshi had the obligation to protect the familiga against its enemy and always lead the Vongola to its rightful, noble victory. If Takeshi were to attempt an extermination of it, he would only be going against his initial intention in rescuing Tsuna. All this would not matter if Tsunayoshi could become happy anyway; happy from the newly gained "freedom". But there was a clear reason why he accepted his position as the Vongola Decimo.
There is nothing Takeshi can do for him but bring a blanket along with some sushi with his "father" has sent. Nothing more than his seemingly oblivious smile topped with some of his famous Yamamoto-laugh. At this point, there really is nothing he can do except to keep quiet as he sits outside of Tsuna's door when he continuously sheds his uncontrollable tears every night.
Because of this, and especially because of this, Takeshi's self-training just gets more reckless as the days go on to a point where the people watching him suffer more than he does. Even the cold-blooded Squalo could not bear watching Takeshi's foolhardy training. But it may be a bit too late for anything. Takeshi is putting his baseball bat down, and is training to purposefully slice human flesh at the most critical points.
Even after ten years, Takeshi still is not the strongest or the number two guardian of the Vongola 10th. Kyoya Hibari and Mukuro Rokudo are definitely the aloof, but the strongest guardians, and it is already a wide known fast that Hayato Gokudera is Decimo's right-hand man. However, Takeshi's progress is even greater than any other in the familiga.
Takeshi, the Rain guardian of the Vongola 10th, has always had the indefinite trust of his boss, but now is able to carry out missions in perfection for a greater contribution to the Vongola. Nevertheless, this would eventually benefit Tsunayoshi to lay off some weight from his back by creating fewer worries. The number of missions Takeshi had completed over the years is definitely greater than any other of the familiga. If he is unable to directly help, this was the very least he could do for Tsuna.
Of course, the tittle of the Decimo's right-hand man is still certainly more fitting for Hayato than anybody else, including Takeshi. Hayato is much more intelligent in IQ level, more educated in business and traditional data logic, the origin of his family is also a traditional mafia, and his dedication towards Decimo has been more apparent than any other since their middle school years. But something has started to change for Takeshi; things started to twist around.
His smile is now his own anymore; his sword now starts to give out a slight scarlet radiant as it showers in more and more crimson fluids which Tsuna hates, and Takeshi used to hate so much. Even so, Takeshi does not hold back to extirpate his targets in the most rigorous way possible even as he watches Tsuna constantly vomit from the realities of their world. If it is for him, Takeshi will not hesitate to walk amongst the growing crimson, iron-infested river as he precedes his decoration to the path with more scattering pile of scarlet flowers.
The cold smile on his face is a change anybody can notice, but nothing is done to help this situation. Every day, the Vongola only welcomes Takeshi, the Rain guardian, back to the castle as he flawlessly completes his given mission. There is nothing Tsunayoshi can do but sit in his office with a seemingly oblivious smile as he watches Takeshi grow a little thinner every day.