When Nana first woke up on a Friday morning, it hadn't really felt much different from all the other Fridays that had happened for many years. But when she opened her eyes and stared at the ceilings for a moment, concentrating, she could sense anything different. It was quiet in the house, like it usually was at this time of day, so that wasn't anything new. She sat up, looking around the room. There wasn't anything out of place, everything exactly where it had been the night before. She frowned. "Was I just imagining it?" said Nana, before she got out of bed, stretching as she did so. "Oh well, that's fine. I should start getting ready, anyways." She went to draw the curtains of her windows back, wanting nothing more than to greet the day with a sunny smile, but stopped as she did so.

On the other side of the curtain, her room the only one with a window facing the rising sun, was something that unnerved her more than it should.

Instead of the soft hues of rosy pink and husky orange she usually saw, the sky had a blanket of low hanging clouds that looked like it would snow despite it being only September. Maybe it was because it was so light; the bloody crimson light looked so much like a stain in the sky. It carried a foreboding feeling that immediately erased the beginning of a smile on Nana's face. "How strange…" she mumbled, regarding the scenery in front of her carefully. She didn't have the infamous bloodline ability of her husband's, but she had lived long enough to be able to tell when significant things were going to happen. A sort of sixth sense that had developed. "Ah! I wonder if Iemitsu is coming home today! He must want to surprise us." Nana said, blushing as she held her face in her hands. "Such a romantic."

"Mama…?"

Nana turned to the bedroom door in surprise. "Tsu-kun?" She said and then looked at the clock sitting by her bed. "It's only seven right now, what're you doing up so early?"

The small child shuffled around a bit, his eyes sleepy but he seemed determined to stay awake. He had this look on his face that showed he wanted to crawl into Nana's arms, but he was embarrassed to do so when he was already eight years old. He still remembered clearly what his classmates had said about 'crybabies running to their mommies.' "I… I had a nightmare." He said hesitantly. He kept his eyes on the floor in front of him.

Nana looked surprised for a moment then chuckled. She patted a spot on the covers next to her. "Come here, Tsu-kun. Mama had some nightmares too." She said.

"R-Really?" Tsuna said, a hopeful look on his face. He puffed out his chest and cheeks importantly. "Then… I'll protect you until Papa comes home!"

"Yep, that's a job left to men." Nana giggled. "Now come over here."

Tsuna shuffled over to the bed, and crawled underneath the blankets until he came out on the other side next to Nana. He snuggled against her side, a blissful smile on his face.

Nana looked at him in surprise, but smiled. It wasn't too often anymore she got to cuddle up with her son like this. To her, her only son had grown up so fast in the past few years, growing from a red faced infant into a grown child. He was a perfectly healthy boy, and there was nothing wrong with him to her. Except for the fact that he never had friends. Nana herself never knew the cause of it, but Tsuna would regularly come home with messed up clothing or sometimes with his homework in pieces. She had wondered what was the cause, since she knew her boy was a delightful child, and wouldn't be a bad person to anyone else. That went against his teachings.

Pursing her lips in thought, Nana ran her fingers through Tsuna's hair as he fell asleep, looking outside of her window. It was still quite early in the morning, so the sun was just starting to rise up into the sky. However, instead of a beautiful golden glow adored and admired by many, the low hanging clouds were stained a horrid colour not unlike that of blood. Nana kept staring at it with an intense gaze in her eyes and unconsciously fisted her hand in Tsuna's hair.

"Ow! What was that for, Mama?" Tsuna whined, his hands rubbing his hair. There were little pools of tears starting to form in his eyes as he pouted at Nana.

"Ara! I'm so sorry, Tsu-kun!" Nana cried, smothering her son with kisses. "I was trying to see how much food we have. What would you like for breakfast?"

Tsuna looked confused for a moment, and blinked his large brown eyes. "O-Omurice…?" He said. The poor boy looked confused.

With a cheery smile that Nana had everyday, she got up and swiftly changed clothing before going downstairs. "Alright, I'll get it ready for you! You can sleep in a little longer, but make sure you come down, alright?" She said.

Tsuna was left blinking at Nana's exit, not quite sure what had happened. He tilted his head a little to the side, his messy hair following the movement. "Why did… Mama look like she was in pain…?" He said to himself.

Nana hummed as she broke the eggs into a pan, savouring the delicious sizzling sound it made. She smiled, shifting the pan a little bit before flipping the egg like a pancake, neatly catching it back in the pan. I can't wait for Iemitsu to come home, Nana thought. I wonder what should I cook? Oh, I should cook his favourite! I'm sure he hasn't had it while since he's in… Hm. Where was it he went again? Mou, that silly man is always telling me he's gone to the stars. She plated the omurice and placed it on the table, along with a bottle of ketchup. "Tsu-kun! Breakfast is ready!" She called up the stairs.

"C-Coming, Mama!" The faint reply came.

Knowing her son, Nana pulled out a first-aid kit from under the sink and waited for the inevitable. And as always, the sound of Tsuna tripping over his feet was heard as he yelped, grunting as he hit a step as he continued his way tumbling down the stairs. He finally landed in a heap at the bottom, groaning in pain all the while.

"I told you we could set up a room for you downstairs." Nana said, appearing out of the kitchen with a sigh. "Then you wouldn't get wounded like this all the time."

"Owch, I-I'm fine, Mama. It's no big deal." Tsuna said, carefully untangling himself. He yelped as he rubbed a particularly nasty bruise on the floor. "I-It's not… It's not… that bad…"

Nana frowned as she looked over her son. There were multiple bruises on his arms and legs, along with a fist sized one forming on his right cheek. Several were already starting to turn purple. "This won't do…" She said, shaking her head and opening the first-aid kit. "You're not going to school today."

"R-Really!?" Tsuna said excitedly, then seemed to remember himself. "I-I mean, really? I-I really wanted to go…"

Seeing through the obvious lie, Nana ruffled Tsuna's hair, careful to avoid any bumps that might be hiding in there. "You're not getting off that easy, Tsu-kun. I want you to be studying after you finish breakfast, all right?" She said sternly. "I want you to improve your grades!"

"What!? But I don't want to! It's not like anyone believes I can do anything, anyways…"

"You need to go to school though, it's important for your future!"

"But-!"

"No buts, Tsu-kun. Now go eat your breakfast!"

Grumbling his complaints, Tsuna grudgingly went to the table. He picked up his fork and cut off a chunk and stuffed it in his mouth, trying to distract himself. But once he tasted the wonderful blends that went into the omurice, Tsuna's eyes lit up an he started to eat more vigorously. Nana chuckled and pushed a glass of milk closer to him. "Don't forget to swallow. And drink some milk, it's good for you." She said. He nodded his thanks and continued eating, his attention entirely absorbed in his food now. Nana smiled and turned back to the stove to prepare more food.

She was so absorbed in her good mood, she almost didn't notice that the phone was ringing.

"Mama?" Tsuna said, trying to get her attention. He looked at the ringing phone in the hallway and then back to Nana. He was tempted to answer the phone himself, but something told him that wasn't a very good idea. So, that just left his mother to answer the phone. "Mama!"

Except for the fact that Nana appeared to be caught up in a daydream that she didn't seem to be hearing anything.

"MAMA!"

"W-What?!" Nana yelled, whirling around with a spatula in hand.

Tsuna pointed into the hallway where the phone was still ringing. "The phone." He said simply.

"H-Huh? Oh, right." Nana said, trying to calm herself down. Who could that be on the phone? There weren't that many people who viewed the Sawadas as friends as far as she knew, and it was far too early in the morning for a house call anyways. Shaking her head of such thoughts, she quickly shuffled to the hallway and took a deep breath before picking up the phone. "Hello, Sawada residence."

There was a pause on the other side of the line, making Nana initially think that it was a prank call. It wasn't the first time, after all. She thought she could hear the distant sound of something like shots being fired, but brushed it off as static. It was probably the phone getting too old. When almost a full minute had passed and still no answer, Nana started getting annoyed. "Excuse me, but if you have business with me then please speak up! It's early in the morning, and I have things to do!" She said impatiently.

When there was still no reply, she took the receiver away from her ear to hang up when she thought she heard a faint crackle of her name. Surprised, Nana pressed the phone to her ear again. "Hello…? She said uncertainly.

"N…Nana…? Is that… you?" A breathless voice grunted into her ear, and there were some loud noises in the background, making Nana wonder just what was going on. But there was no mistaking that voice, there was only one man in the world with that voice that it had to be her darling husband.

"Iemitsu?" Nana said, concerned for her husband. She knew Iemitsu's voice better than anyone in the world, but she had never heard him sound like that. And there was also the matter of how he had called her. He never left such a long pause when calling her, and he always used his pet name for her with the tone reserved for only his darling Nana. "Why do you sound so tired? You should be resting."

"Nana, I don't have time." Iemitsu said sharply into the phone. "I need to tell you something."

Now, Nana was very worried. Iemitsu never acted like this with her, and there was no affection in his tone right now either. Right after she answered the phone, he'd usually starting babbling about how much he missed her, and how everyone's cooking was no where near the league of Nana's, and asking how their dear little son was doing at home. Just what was going on over there? Did it have something to do with his work? "Iemitsu, what's going on?" She asked with a sense of urgency.

"You need to get out of Nanimori. Now. Far from it. Can you do that for me?"

"Well, yes of course, but why—"

"Don't question me, just do it.

"Iemitsu, it's all so sudden—"

"Nana. Please."

Nana stopped at those words. The words full of such pleading and asking of pure trust. It hurt Nana's heart to be hearing it from someone she loved so much, even if she didn't know what was going on. She nodded and said, "Alright."

Ieimtsu let out an obvious sigh of relief. "Good. Get Tsuna and leave before they find you. Make sure you have the cell phone too. I promise I'll call you soon."

"Wait, what do you mean—" She didn't manage to get through as the distinct click of the other line hanging up followed by the dial tone as the only thing she could hear now. She hesitantly hung up and walked back to the kitchen slowly, trying to make sense of what had just happened. It must have something to do with the Vongola… but what happened? She thought, biting her lip. Iemitsu… please be all right…

"Mama?" Tsuna asked, watching Nana from the doorway to the kitchen. He had been eating breakfast, expecting the call to be from his father. It had been a while since the last one, and it made him happy to hear Nana's elated voice. But when she instead sounded confused and worried, it made him stop and pause. So he got out of his chair into the hallway, curious. "Who was that?"

"What? Oh! That was your father." Nana said, forcing a smile on her face. "We're going on a little trip, so go and pack up your things now, ok?"

Tsuna gave her a sceptical look, but nodded and jumped out of his chair to do as he was told. He gave his mother another look before going up the stairs to pack up his things. There's something going on … Tsuna thought, But what does Papa have to do with it?

As soon as Tsuna was out of sight, Nana let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding and collapsed in a nearby chair. She held her head in her hands, wondering what to do. Iemitsu had told her to get out of Nanimori, but where? Obviously she couldn't flee to a town nearby, and the mafia was likely to be watching within a large radius for anyone matching their description.

During the time that Iemitsu had been the leader of the CEDEF, Nana knew that he had done everything within his power and requested numerous favors of the Vongola Nono to keep his mafia life and family life as far apart as possible. He had permitted a few of his subordinates whom he trusted the knowledge of his precious family for the case of should something ever happen to him; they were to take care of his wife and son.

However, he had not considered the possibility of Nana already know about the Vongola Famiglia, and his involvement with them. In fact, he would have been shocked enough to know that Nana was well aware that Iemitsu's real job definitely did not involve working in the oil fields as he had told her.

No, I don't need to be thinking of those things right now! Nana scolded herself. I need to think of Tsuna's safety! I'll find out what's going on as soon as I get him somewhere that's safe. But where… The only place I can think of… would be… that place…

Nodding to herself, Nana quickly went up to her bedroom. She paused in front of Tsuna's door, slightly ajar. She took a peek inside to see how he was doing, and softly chuckled to herself when he tripped on a stack of books near the door and caused a chain reaction of avalanches around the room, and the floor was now covered in books, papers, toys and clothes. It was impossible to step anywhere without stepping in something unpleasant. The boy himself was shrieking as every step made him slip backwards, landing on a toy inconveniently placed where his bottom would land, then shrieking pushing his way forward into another mess. It was just an endless cycle.

Walking into her own room, she immediately went toward her dresser, pulling open the top drawer. She dug around there for a bit before pulling out a small, plain black, rectangular box. She opened it, tossing the lid onto the ground and pulling out a phone her husband had given her. She treasured it dearly, decorating it with pink heart stickers with Iemitsu written in flowing script.

Tracing the name with her fingertip, a sudden wave of worry swept over Nana. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew something big had happened, and it had involved Iemitsu, and could possibly involve Tsuna in the future. She hoped that they would all be safe, and they would soon be able to come back to their peaceful life in Namimori. Clenching the phone tightly in her hand, she got up and went to the closet, digging deep into its depths and pulled out a simple long black tube. She twisted open one end of the tub and tilted it, letting the contents drop onto the floor.

Inside the tube was another cell phone, along with a pair of blades, a katana and tantō. The phone was surprisingly modern, and appeared to be of a much more expensive model than the one Iemitsu had given her.

Unlike the phone Iemitsu gave her, this one was left relatively untouched. As the phone was replaced at regular intervals, there was no reason to decorate it. The only thing she had added to the phone was a simple keychain with an emblem that had the word 'fear' written in kanji. She turned it on, fiddling with it a little to make sure it worked properly. Once she was sure there were no problems with it, she turned to the two blades.

They had been a wedding gift from an old family friend, a person who had dabbled in sword making as a hobby at one point. He'd been amused when he had heard of Nana's wedding to Iemitsu, knowing full well, as did others who knew her well, that there was no changing a mind like hers. As a token of good faith, he'd fashioned the weapons for her should the need ever arise. He'd told the newlyweds that the weapons were purely for decorative purposes, but a well-practiced eye and any who knew the man were are the swords were anything but.

Despite the years that had come and gone, the blades, or their scabbards at least, still appeared to be as new as the day they were forged. Nana smiled. "I suppose the old coot did something to make it seem that way."

Her hands went over the smooth black, lacquered scabbard or the tantō. There was a pattern of cherry blossoms in bloom along its length, and looked so real that Nana almost felt disappointed when she didn't feel petals under her fingers. She gripped the hilt of the dagger, drawing the blade to inspect the edge. A dull sword could mean the end of their lives.

The blade itself was just as beautiful as it had been, perfectly polished. It was a little longer and more slender than regular tantō, and seemed like a perfect weapon for a boy of Tsuna's age and size. The balance was didn't seem to be changed, and a few practice swings ensured that, despite the years, Nana hadn't forgotten how to use the blades.

Placing the tantō back into its scabbard, she turned to the katana. Unlike the more feminine looking tantō, the katana's scabbard was a blend of different colors and images. The background was a gradient from peach to rosy red. There patches of black scattered around, with a golden pattern on top. There were different places where there were flowers, toys and wooden mallets in bright colors placed in various places as well.

Like the tantō, the katana's hilt was also soft, though it was significantly longer than the tantō's. It was short enough it was easy to swing with one hand, but at the same time, long enough to be able to hold with two should the situation call for it. She drew the blade, marveling at the way it slid out so smoothly, like water. The tantō itself was an impressive piece of work, but the katana was the weapon that deserved many praises.

The blade shimmered in the low light of the room, dancing and making blade look like it was alive. She smiled at the way the part of the blade closer to the scabbard was thinner, and then the end of the blade was thicker. I wonder if he was looking into Chinese history when he made this. She thought, comparing the way its appearance looked similar to the Chinese Dao blade. She figured that he was trying to come up with new blade styles, and just blended them together. It didn't matter; the blade was still well balanced, and the edge was still sharp. It would protect them properly from whatever enemy came their way.

Nana searched through her closet once more, pulling out a medium sized black duffel bag. When she was sure that there were no holes made during its lack of use, she placed the two blades inside a secret compartment and zipped it up. She didn't need Tsuna searching her back and accidentally finding them. She paused, looking around the room. "Is there anything else I might need…? " She murmured, a slight frown on her face. Her expression brightened, and she walked to her nightstand. "Ah yes, that!"

She opened the drawer, pulling out some things like magazines she read late at night. Her fingers brushed past a tidy stash of emergency cash, passports, and a list of people Iemitsu made that he has assured Nana could trust. She considered taking it with her, just in case Iemitsu came back and found that she hadn't brought it with her, but really didn't think she'd need it. It wasn't like she was going out of the country, anyways. But if someone as going to come after them, then wouldn't it be safer to take it along and fool their pursuers that they had fled Japan?

Nana frowned and closed the drawer softly. No, that wouldn't be the best plan. She didn't care about what the other mafia would do, but Iemitsu would be curious as to the reason why she had bothered to take all the emergency items with her, but not even bother to leave Japan. She was sure that she could dissuade Iemitsu, but he'll attempt to investigate once he returned to work, and that wouldn't bode well.

She checked the contents of the bag over, the picked it up, leaving the room. It would be best to take care of Tsuna as soon as possible. Iemitsu had told them to leave, and while she knew she could handle whatever threat came their way easily as long as it was human, she wasn't going to take the chance with her son. He was much too clumsy for his own good, something she hoped he could possibly grow out of once he got older. There was this kind of air about him that screamed 'easy hostage', and she'd rather die than have Tsuna get hurt.

"Tsu-kun?" She said, knocking on the door. "Are you done yet?" There was no reply on the other side, though she thought she heard some ruffling. She opened the door slightly, thinking maybe he hadn't heard her. "Tsu-kun?"

On the other side of the door was a massive amount of clothes, papers and toys cluttering the floor. It was at least a foot high, and was already starting to spill out through the open crack of the door. "Just what did that boy do while I was gone…? It hasn't been that long." Nana said, a hand on her cheek as she sighed. She wasn't even sure how he had accumulated so much stuff. Was her son a budding hoarder already? She noticed a pile of papers shaking next to the bed, and she smiled. She reached over, and gently pushed it aside. "Tsu-kun, we have to leave."

Tsuna was sprawled on his back, his face slightly pink and breathless. "Sorry, Mama." He said, sitting up. He shook his head, fluffing his hair up again. "I tripped."

"You tripped?" said Nana, staring at him incredulously. How does tripping make such a mess? She sighed then shook her head. That wasn't the important now; she'll just have to clean it up when they got back home. "Have you finished packing yet? We have to leave."

"Yeah!" Tsuna said, brightening. He pointed at a backpack sitting on the bed. "See?"

Nana looked at the bag, curious. Tsuna was still a child, so she had thought he would have wanted to bring a lot of things, but the bag seemed perfectly normal. It wasn't bulging to the point of exploding if touched, but then it didn't look too empty either. "What did you put in there?" She asked.

"Um, um, I put in some food, 'cause what if we got hungry? And Usa-chan, 'cause I can't sleep without it! And, um—" Tsuna was stopped as Nana placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair gently. She smiled at him fondly. "We don't need all of that, you can just bring your pyjamas and Usa-chan with you."

Tsuna looked disappointed. "That's it? But aren't we going on a trip?"

Nana nodded. "We are, but we're not going that far. We're going to see… some relatives."

"Are we going to see Grandpa?" Tsuna asked, his eyes sparkling at the thought of seeing Timoteo again.

Smiling, Nana squatted down to Tsuna's level. "That's a surprise." She said, a finger on her lips. "You'll have to see when we get there, ne?"

Tsuna tilted his head to the side a little, looking at Nana's expression carefully that didn't quite seem to fit an eight year old. He put a hand on his mother's cheek, surprising her. "Are you OK, Mama?"

Nana took the hand from her cheek and placed it between her own. "What do you mean, Tsu-kun? Mama's happy like always!" She said with a bright smile to prove her point.

But it didn't seem to convince Tsuna, who frowned. "But… you looked upset when you talked on the phone with Papa." He said. "And you still look sad."

Now Nana was surprised. When had she grown so easy to read, that a child could see her thoughts on her face like an open book? "It's nothing for you to worry about," she said. She said, getting up. "Why don't you go to the washroom before we go? Wouldn't want to have an accident, would we."

Tsuna nodded, though was reluctant to pull his hand away from his mother's. He looked down at their hands, before grabbing Nana's hand. "If I can help Mama, then let me know! I'll protect Mama!" He said with a fierce expression before pulling away and going into the bathroom. Nana could see Tsuna's cheeks dusted with pink before the door closed.

She sat there, surprised, for a moment before holding her hand to her heart with a soft expression on her face. Pulling out the phone, she dialled a number she had memorized and kept in her heart since long ago.

The phone rang a few times before there was a crackle as someone answered the line. "Hello?" croaked the voice on the other line.

"Karasu," said Nana, her expression determined. "I need to talk to Uncle."

A / N

19/11/2013: Did a little editing so its quite a bit longer, and hopefully better.