The War Before and the Warrior After

by Bleach-ed-Na-tsu

Ever since they came to a truce four hundred years ago, humans and youkai have coexisted with each other more or less peacefully. But despite how much the governments liked to brag about how far society had come since then, it was painfully obvious just how much the humans still looked down upon and ostracized the youkai. And because of this, Tsunayoshi Sawada...full sum inside

Hello all. I know this isn't my usual update, and I had promised updates on various fic, but this was a challenge –from the lovely SkyGem –that I couldn't very well not take. We challenged each other to write a 25K+ fic in a month using the same summary, and this was my attempt. As I post this, I'm buzzing to read hers.

DISCLAIMER: I want to apologize to any/all Japanese/Chinese/Greek/Roman readers I have, or any readers with a vast knowledge of youkai and legends from those areas of the world. I have none (knowledge that is) and I've tried my best to fit our main characters with Youkai/other things I thought fit, and tried to keep these youkai as IC as I possible could.

DISCLAIMER 2: I am not as proud of this as I thought I would be, but I was not really as motivated as I thought towards the end, I won't make excuses, though I have a few. So please don't be too harsh if it is as awful as I think. Constructive crit though is welcomed.

Summary: Ever since they came to a truce four hundred years ago, humans and youkai have coexisted with each other more or less peacefully. But despite how much the governments liked to brag about how far society had come since then, it was painfully obvious just how much the humans still looked down upon and ostracized the youkai. And because of this, Tsunayoshi Sawada, who is already picked on for his low grades and scrawny build, works desperately to hide the fact that he is not human. However, in his second year of high school, it somehow gets out that he's a direct descendant of none other than Giotto Vongola, the one responsible for bringing about the truce between the humans and youkai, Tsunayoshi is forced to stop being a bystander and is thrown into the midst of a battle he'd been trying his hardest to avoid.

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The War before and the Warrior after

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It was hot and fast, it was wildfire and roaring, it was birds screeching and it was howling wolves; and there was nothing he could so about it.

"And so we see yet another example of why youkai have never made it into a position of authority in our country."

The teacher, Nezu-sensei, was a foul man; angry, selfish, and extremely prejudice, but he was human and that gave him a monopoly in their world. Everyone in the class knew not to anger him, even the human children, with their equaled prejudice, would rather not end up on the receiving end of his fury.

"This pathetic animal can't even remember all the times tables. Let alone get a job and be a useful part of society." The creature, a very young Isa-ona flinched back and a high keen pierced through Tsuna, his eyes flickered to the few youkai he knew were in the class -no shit that the norm was to hide their true nature- and each one flinched when they heard the sound.

There was fire and heat and roaring again.

A chair suddenly clattered to the ground and twenty eight other sets of eyes suddenly shot to a brown haired boy with wide eyes, the youkai eyes narrowed suddenly on him and the child who was currently being verbally assaulted puffed up in hope.

"Sawada, what is it this time, you stupid boy." Nezu-sensei held no love for the boy, stupid and without motivation, he was almost as low as the youkai in the room, but the boy was at least human not quite so disgusting.

And believe it or not, that was him being kind, because for all intents and purposes Nezu was of the opinion that Tsuna was human, as were most of the class, and that's how Tsuna liked it.

Even though seeing his fellow youkai hurt more than anything and brought out the strangest and worst part of Tsuna's youkai blood.

"Nothing sir..I..I fell asleep and uh…fell out of my seat?"

It sounded more like a question and it was, because Tsuna couldn't lie, he was useless at that kind of thing; it went against his very nature. But it gave his unique ability the time it needed to take effect, a calm settled everywhere, a suffocating, sweet like anesthetic –not quite scent but more like aura –swept through the room, Nezu-sensei's eyes dilated and so did a majority of the room -except for a striking green pair of eyes at the front row of seats in the class- "Whatever, pay attention, you're already barely passing. Fix that Sawada. Now back to my lesson."

Tsuna sat deep in his chair, trying to fight down the wave of disgust and fatigue and embarrassment. All because he hadn't acted right away, and had acted out in front of the class of curious, probing eyes.

But Tsuna couldn't fight his blood, it was stupid and painful, and pretty much impossible anyway. All a youkai could do to hide and control their inner urges was to redirect them. For Tsuna that was cloak and dagger; he still acted on the strange burning and let that peaceful lull out. He was just doing it in a roundabout way.

"That was a really nice thing you did for Ona-san, Sawada-kun." the voice was high and sweet, human by the lack of echo in Tsuna's ears, but kind anyway.

"I didn't do anything." Tsuna refused to look the girl in the eyes when she walked over after Nezu-sensei's lesson was done and over. It was almost the end of the day, and Tsuna just wanted to clear his desk and run; he didn't need to attract attention by talking this classmate.

She was the star of the class, there always was one after all, with tawny eyes and golden hair, Tsuna thought she was cute once upon a time when he though –like the rest of his kin –that not all humans were bad, but even she with her sweet words didn't fool him. She was as prejudice as the rest.

So really it was best to deny everything. For his own sake.

"I really fell asleep, I would never help a thing like that." if he hadn't the practice, Tsuna would have cried out when the harsh fire ripped through his head at the insult to his own kind.

Kyoko, that was the girl, pouted for a moment. Not quite believing Tsuna, but continued anyway. "Well at least he was only yelling at Ona-san. He can be so cruel, especially when he turns on us humans."

Tsuna snarled lowly in a half-human-half youkai dialect and if Kyoko noticed she ignored it, "Says the one who never gets yelled at; try understanding us before you preach at me."

"What was that, Sawada-kun?" Kyoko's smile was soft, like her.

"Nothing. I didn't help Ona, you're looking for things that aren't there."

With that the boy stood with a shove and stalked out of the school, his bag clutched close to his chest and his eyes flickering around; looking to a legitimate reason to run.

Luckily for the poor child, there was no one waiting for him on his way home; there usually was. Tsuna was horribly bullies for nothing more than being a little different. He was small and skinny with few muscles, but that wasn't totally his fault. His breed came into their own only in their later teens, and humans started maturing around fourteen. Tsuna wasn't intellectual, not human intellectual anyway and even if the teachers knew of his nature they wouldn't give him the time a youkai like Tsuna –or any other youkai in fact –needed to learn human things. It was awkward and unnatural for youkai to learn human tasks, because youkai at the base were animalistic, so Nezu-sensei wasn't all that far off in a sense.

But youkai were naturally curious and naturally driven to learn about new things, and once the treaty was written most young and trustworthy youkai came out of hiding, desperate for the interaction with humans.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The story goes that Giotto, the man who made it possible for the treaty they currently lived under to be drawn up, was a descendent of a God of the West. A strong, charismatic man with too much justice and compassion. He came to Japan once his life amongst his own humans grew tiresome as he grew stronger and wiser and they did not.

You see, his God-blood made him entirely too aware of the suffering of creatures of any kind –animals and Youkai especially –and when he arrived in Japan with his group of strange gods-men like himself, he was aghast to see the suffering and fear in the youkai because of human progress.

Giotto grew close to the youkai so that he could further understand why they suffered so, and when he fell in love he could truly not bear to see his love die before it could start. For youkai were considered sub-human and he would never be able to openly love the woman he wanted to make his bride. Giotto had fallen for a beautiful Ho-o bird whose flight for peace and serenity captured his heart and his power, and he wanted to capture her and love her in every way possible.

Giotto was a kind soul, said to be god-blood of Feronia, able to wield wildfire like it were his own breathe, speaker of animal tongues and deity of fertility and health. The story says that once Giotto fell in love, he threw himself into youkai life, and he could not bear to see his love and her kin feared and hurt by humans, for he saw the beauty and humanity in the creatures.

After all, Giotto of god-blood –a Demi-god by all rights and powers –was also believed to be fiction and he had felt the barb of hate and distrust in his life.

Many youkai and men alike perished, for the talks and meetings turned into vicious fights; youkai and Giotto's men versus the humans and their fear.

But Giotto persevered, he grew strong, and his words echoed in the humans. They saw his resolve and so agreed, four hundred years ago, to write up a treaty. Under Vongola name, the treaty provided the truth to Youkai existence and gave human and youkai a bridge to live and love in harmony.

When Giotto passed away, his descendants took the duty of treaty protectors to heart, hiring and researching and breeding a whole family dedicated to preserving the peace and ensuring human and Youkai could live peacefully.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And you know what, for the longest time it worked, sort of. People liked these new and strange creatures, but that's what they were, creatures. Humans treated them like amusements, like zoo animals and side-show acts, and things went downhill after the treaty maker was killed in a knife fight long before his time.

Youkai stopped being amusing not long after that, and they started becoming things to be feared again, they started being looked down on by humans who had wanted them as pets not a few years before. Humans had more knowledge about the way the human world worked, and though youkai knew more of the world workings they were and continued to be easily overwhelmed and taken-aback by human progress and their laws. Yes the treaty still stood, and should have given Youkai the advantage and help they needed to learn, or else be given leniencies for not knowing, but it was lost in translation. All in less than fifty years of being written. Not even enough time for the newest generation of youkai to learn the ways of the human world to teach their children.

And now three hundred and fifty more years had passed and it made Tsuna sick.

Youkai had the right to live in human houses, and try to get human jobs, and buy human foods –though most did so only to blend in –but they had no real rights beyond there. Many struggled to work and their monetary values came from their powers and secret gatherings. Youkai children were bullied ruthlessly by the adults, and therefore the children followed suit. Tsuna had seen a child, barely four, beaten to death by some zealous barely teen humans, and it was all written off as accidental once it came to light that the child killed was of youkai blood and the teens were purely human. Most Youkai hid in human skins, fighting instincts to change form and move freely even within their own homes, in fear of being found out by the humans who would do so much worse than torment them.

And god forbid if anyone found out you were a half-blood. Luckily for the poor creations of that mix there was no physical way to tell the difference between a half-youkai-human child and a youkai child in hiding, or else Tsuna knew that the blood would paint the streets as youkai and man alike hunted them, or else estranged them from all they knew of home and security.

Humans were corrupt, the government was corrupt, the police force was corrupt, and the treaty was corrupt.

The treaty made Tsuna's blood boil the most, even the peaceful side of him that lulled people grew ruffled when he thought too long about the treaty of alliance and rights. The thought of his that man, Giotto's, naivety to write something o corrupt. He let something be written that could be and was easily overthrown and misinterpreted.

It was corrupt and it made Tsuna sick.

Fair to say, all the brooding had Tsuna exhausted and his emotions simmering violently under his skin, he felt feverish when he walked into his home.

"Tsu-kun!" Tsuna's dear mother, youkai like himself, appeared in the kitchen doorway when she heard her son arriving home, she too, like Tsuna could push peacefulness around people at her will.

But it usually wasn't needed since people rarely got angry at the very –outwardly –human Nana.

"How was your day at school? I'm sure you learnt lots! Did you make friends, I'm sure that wonderful Kyoko would make a good friend too you. Maybe you could teach her to be less critical about youkai."

Tsuna listened to his mother, because he truly did love her, but his temper was already simmering. "It was great mom," he muttered, "almost let it out that I'm a youkai and spoke to Kyoko for a second."

Nana tried not to frown at her son, "Tsunayoshi, you know that it's alright to show everyone that you're a youkai, you're such a unique kind, I'm sure they'd really appreciate knowing the real you! The treaty was made for a reason you know, so that you and me and everyone could live happily and open-."

Tsuna felt a rush of heat overwhelm the warm peacefulness that usually overcame him when he was with his kin, the stove next to Nana puffed suddenly and the candles on the table roared before they snuffed out.

"Fuck the treaty! It was corrupted from day one!"

His eyes bleached gold for a moment before his blood cooled. He looked ashamed, and Nana looked almost afraid for a moment.

"I'm sorry mom…that was uncalled for. I'm going to bed."

"Tsuna, wai-."

"Nii-san!"

Tsuna turned at the loud voice, and a smile lifted his lips, the fire and his temper completely nullified. He dropped his bag and a heavy, long body suddenly jumped into his arms. Tsuna felt a face nuzzle into his neck and long legs wrap around his waist, and Tsuna huffed a laugh as he walked out of the kitchen.

He loved his mom, but sometimes he thought that she was as blind to the current affairs as the humans she loved to spend time with.

"Ooff, Lambo, you're getting too big to do that." Tsuna struggled up the stairs and Lambo just laughed.

"But even when I get bigger, Nii-san, you do too, so it's fine!" Lambo chuckled and held tighter, ignoring the fact that he was probably going to be as tall as Tsuna soon enough.

Hakutaku like Lambo very quickly become mature, so even at almost eleven, Lambo was growing fast, and his human form was reflecting that. After all, besides their immeasurable knowledge and thirst for learning, Hakutaku were great beasts, huge white ox, and Lambo was no exception.

Of course, Tsuna would soon enough grow to be taller than Lambo again, and build up like his father's blood dictated he would, after all his youkai blood was beginning to stir with his other side, if his outburst meant anything.

Tsuna smiled and dropped Lambo on the bed and went to change. "If you say so Lambo, how was school?"

Lambo's emotions dropped and Tsuna paused. Tsuna was very good at judging emotions, but he didn't know why, his mother was good at that kind of thing too, but Tsuna seemed to be far more aware of Lambo and his emotions than even his mother. He figured it must come from his father's side of the family.

"Lambo, what happened?" Tsuna dropped his shirt to the floor and sat beside Lambo, ignoring how the boy didn't cuddle into him like usual.

Lambo wasn't Tsuna's blood brother, but they were as close as such could be.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Lambo had appeared one day at Tsuna's door, battered, malnourished, and brandishing a tongue as sharp as any abused youkai as Tsuna had seen.

Tsuna had been the only one home, and as soon as that thrum of 'youkai kinsman in trouble' had hit Tsuna he had Lambo –at the time only four –in his arms and in the kitchen where he was already brewing tea to warm him up.

"Who are you?" Lambo snapped, looking at Tsuna and the tea with harsh eyes, "Lambo won't let you hurt him, just because you're older."

"You're the one who appeared at my door." Tsuna snapped back, slightly taken aback, but still he persevered. "What are you doing here, little Lambo?"

Lambo, who would have usually bristled and shot curses at anyone who called him little, soothed under the curious brown eyes, and sipped at his tea, a rush of knowledge filling his head. "You called me," Lambo explained again, resolutely, and in a tone much richer than he had used previously.

"I didn't, not knowingly." Tsuna was startled and unsure of this change, too sudden to be natural.

"But you did. You're a descendent of the treaty maker, and I am a Hakutaku, therefore you called me."

Tsuna was frightened by the boy's speech, so much older and wiser than a four year old should be, but Tsuna had heard tales of what happened to the intelligent creatures when under stress and fatigue, their future selves sometimes came out in their speech. A protective mechanism that served them well in times of trouble.

"I am sorry, but I did not call knowingly." Tsuna admitted, a little afraid of such a creature, even a child one. His body naturally released settling waves, hoping to lull away any anger in the ox youkai. "What drew you to me?"

Lambo's eyes were cloudy with his own defense and Tsuna's anesthetic, "I was drawn to the history you will write. I want to be there, I am meant to."

Tsuna, at ten, had no idea what any of this meant. He didn't understand what his connection to his grandfather would have to do with this strange ox-boy, or why someone would want to help him write his history. But there was a flash when they met at the door. A heat through Tsuna he only felt when he was with his mother or father.

That flash in Tsuna told him that he couldn't send Lambo away, and so when his mother arrived home, surprised by the new member, he told her with the least amount of uncertainty he had experienced in his whole life that,

"Lambo will be living with us from now on. We're his family."

And for whatever reason, his mother never argued with that.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Nothing happened." Lambo insisted, not looking at Tsuna in the eyes, and lip wobbling with emotion.

"And I'm an umbrella-youkai." Tsuna snorted, a little concerned that Lambo didn't. "What happened?"

Tsuna never spoke to Lambo about their meeting, and Lambo never asked. Tsuna knew that Lambo didn't remember, because the rush of knowledge that came from being a Hakutaku was so strong it nulled memories, and would continue to do so until Lambo was old enough to accumulate that knowledge himself.

But Tsuna remembered, and it always made him uneasy when he did.

"Some kids were bullying another Hakutaku, and I couldn't do anything, because they would have known it was me and what I am." Lambo snarled, his breath coming out in a snorted anger. "They tried to convince him that they were smarter and stronger than Hakus! Stupid humans have no idea what we can do! We could end them-."

Tsuna's hand was on Lambo's head, running soothing fingers through the thick, dark curls. "Now Lambo, what did I tell you about saying that about your human class mates?" Tsuna let his soothing presence cascade around Lambo, and the boy leant into him.

"Not to, but Nii-san they're out of line! We're so much more powerful than them, but they still treat us like animals."

Tsuna sighed and pulled Lambo into his lap. "I know, and it's not fair. But to prove them wrong we have to rise above it. We have to protect ourselves, and our own, but we also must show the humans that we aren't animals. Threatening them with our strength, that will only anger them more."

"But it's not fair!" Lambo whined, his voice sounding more like it was sobbing.

Tsuna looked at his little brother with pity, it wasn't fair, and Tsuna hated that Lambo was growing up in such a one-sided world. Sometimes Tsuna thought that it would have been better if youkai hid, and sometimes he agreed that they should go into hiding again. The humans would never find them and eventually they'd forget they ever existed. Again.

It would be easier…but…

"I know, sweet brother." Tsuna replied finally, "But maybe things will change one day."

"I don't care, I want it to change now!" Lambo was still distraught and Tsuna knew what to do.

With a flash of fire and heat, uncharacteristic to the Ho-o, Tsuna appeared in the form of a giant red bird with the softest feathers, as he settled around Lambo, who had flickered into the form of an ox –although, for now a rather small one –all sounds ceased and the air seemed peaceful, birds and the summer cicadas grew hushed and Tsuna trilled at the ox child.

Lambo grew soothed by Tsuna's very image, and that was a Ho-o's gift, truly a bird of peace, and good omen, however Tsuna had his differences, ones he learnt of the moment he felt rage within his being, something Ho-o's could not conjure within themselves. Tsuna's feathers sparkled with ambers, and as he flew flames scorched at his wings. Even in human form, the fire won over the tranquility and his eyes grew molten and around him wildfire seemed to come at his beck and call.

"How about I tell you the real story of how the Treaty really came about again, so you can remember next time a human frustrates you. Things can change."

"Yes please, Nii-san."

Tsuna smiled softly and started to speak, his voice soothing, and lulling Lambo to sleep already.

"Giotto is of God-blood, but not Gods we knows. He is of Greek descent, his mother a God of wildfire, the one to put the forces of nature in man's hand. He was raised an orphan, and found himself through battles for his life.'

"He grew strong in the new-lands, like his mother and her kin, meeting other gods-men who became his clan and his greatest friends. Together they brought about a rein of peace and equality between gods-blood called Demi-gods, and humans wherein prosperity and peace never known before spread through the lands."

Tsuna didn't know why he knew the story so well, his father had only told it to him twice, and he had been so young when he was told the story, but he knew that it was true –past his father's embezzlement –and he knew it word for word and truth for truth.

"Why did they leave the new-lands, Nii-san?" Lambo already knew why, but he always asked, just to make sure Tsuna was telling the truth and wasn't making up their families histories.

"Grandpa-Giotto and his men grew at a slower rate than the humans the shared their home village with, and once they settled their kin in that time of peace, they grew wary of human company. They were stronger, wiser, and had a longevity only demi-gods could own, and so they left, to the lands of one of Giotto's gods-men."

"Ugetsu, right? He was a Youkai who left Japan after his family was slaughtered?" Lambo knew this part, he felt very touched by Ugetsu's tale. And Lampo's, who he told Tsuna was his name-sake.

"That's right, in a way. But he was a god-blood of his own, but of our old-kingdom and not of the west." Tsuna explained softly, running hands through his hair.

"Ugetsu missed his home-lands, and his tales of creatures so fantastical that they could rival Gods-blood riled Giotto into moving; his friends followed out of loyalty and the same tired longevity.'

"Of course we know that Giotto fell in love with Japan and us youkai; so much more abundant and different than the Gods Giotto knew. But he did not fall in love with a Ho-o until much later, and it was most definitely in secret at the time and for much time after."

"So how did the treaty come about, and how does everyone know that Giotto groomed a Ho-o. All the kids at school know that Giotto's blood runs within a Ho-o family." Lambo was growing more tired, but Tsuna knew he would listen to the whole story first.

Tsuna mused on Lambo's question, he only somewhat knew the answer, and he told Lambo just that. "The story my father told me was that the war that Giotto led was for the rights and equality that he had given Demi-gods in the new-lands. But the Japanese people were much more fearful of their youkai –all their legends painting them as man-eating beasts who killed virgin girls and slaughtered whole villages for fun –and the war was long-fought and full of death.'

"Many people died, and when finally both grew exhausted the agreed to a treaty, if for no other reason than to end the bloodshed on both sides. But that's where the problems started."

Tsuna didn't like the next bit, because Iemitsu had been so cryptic, and unsure.

"Giotto was betrayed by someone; some say one of his gods-men who disliked the youkai and their greater powers. Some say by a human he grew close to. I've even heard rumour that the Ho-o he loved was tainted and became demonic, blurring his mind until he couldn't tell what he was doing was condemning him and his descendants."

"Giotto drew up one half of the treaty, for the youkai; a man by the name of only Secondo drew up the other half, for humans. When both reviewed each other's works they were pleased and it seemed like a working contract for both."

"But we know it wasn't."

"Yes, we know it wasn't. After Giotto was killed, again by someone no one is sure of, the treaty crumbled, Giotto's children whom his youkai-wife birthed in secret over the years were all slaughtered, except for our line, who was much older and had already started off on his own life and training."

"That's it?" Lambo always hated the ending, because it made no sense!

"What do you mean?" Tsuna laughed lightly, "Giotto's wife and children were slaughtered after Giotto was betrayed and killed, the treaty doesn't work, and no one knows how Giotto was tricked, or even how he died so young. That answers everything." Tsuna wanted to finish there, but he knew Lambo would not go for that.

"What about the clause Giotto hid, within Youkai script that only his kin could read?" Lambo was smart, growing smarter each second as he came into his own. A history writer, as his own future decided for him.

"Ah, you remembered."

"Nii-san!"

"Alright, alright. Giotto had what is fabled as intuition, born of the mix of his god-blood and his father's own strange super-natural powers, and so even drugged or tricked a he was, Giotto made sure any wrong done by him could be righted. The treaty cannot be changed or altered, or else bring about another war in the human's favour –for they have stunted the youkai growth and knowledge we know now –except, that is, by one born of Giotto's god-blood. Which is why all his sons and daughters were killed, to stop that from happening."

"How will they know, if a child of Giotto's blood appears?" Lambo yawned, Tsuna smiled, he almost had him.

"When Giotto's kin appears, ready to change a wrongdoing in the treaty, a drop of blood on the contract will burn its words; forcing a rewrite on the old parchment." Tsuna got shivers when he thought of the possibility. "The youkai words will keep the parchment whole, so that it can never be said that the treaty was never written in the first place, but it will force a change, and only if there are wrongs done in the treaty; for all sides."

"All sides?"

"Yes. Because Giotto's kin are now and will always be of Youkai blood, God-blood, and Human blood no matter the dilution or time between Giotto and his heirs; and therefore no-one should have the upper hand in a treaty or in life." Tsuna reminded, the most important section of the story if there was only one. "Which is why the story told in human schools is so different, to hide the errors in the truth. But we of the Vongola blood know what wrongs have been done, and we're just waiting for them to be righted." Tsuna finished, his voice deep and thrumming with power he lacked the strength to wield yet.

"Why don't you do something about all this, Nii-san?" Lambo whispered at the end, drowsy and barely holding consciousness under Tsuna's aura. "You're Grandpa-Giotto's heir. You have the right to change the treaty."

Tsuna frowned, and his fire bucked happily, his God-blood burning at the idea of putting to rights that which his ancestor made a mistake on. After all if Giotto was a descendent of Feronia, Tsuna was too, and his blood called out to help both creature and man.

"I don't want to fight a war, Lambo. Besides, I couldn't. Grandpa-Giotto fought years for that treaty, and many people died. Yet it still failed in the end. What makes you think I could change anything? I'm a dame-youkai, and I can't even protect you properly, let alone a whole race."

"You're the strongest ever…."

Tsuna thought on that, staring at the wall for hours as he and Lambo drifted back into their human forms, Tsuna didn't want to fight a war, certainly not one that would risk his peace and Lambo's life.

He knew enough humans would be after him just for his Ho-o powers, let alone the God-blood that he carried that let him control the forces of nature, never mind the humans who would kill or seriously injure Lambo and himself for hiding out as humans for so long. Tsuna couldn't bring that upon Lambo, or his mother.

Tsuna didn't want any part of this war. This was on his Grandpa-Giotto's head, not his.

Later, when Nana checked on the boys, since they had been awfully quiet over the last few hours, she smiled when she spotted them tangled in the sheets, Lambo clinging to Tsuna for dear life, and wildfire orbs –familiar to her from when Tsuna was young and Iemitsu was always home –floating around the pair, Tsuna's blood acting to protect what was his even in his sleep. She wondered how long it would take Tsuna to realise that he couldn't fight his blood, and she knew he wouldn't.

Xxxxx

Unlike usual, it was Lambo that woke Tsuna up in the morning. The cow-boy rolled over and whined about his alarm-clock –a lovely girl by the name of I-pin who lived down the road. A strange youkai girl, very secretive as was her 'Sensei' but Tsuna knew they were keeping tabs on him and so he kept tabs on them too –who had just called to tell Lambo it was time to get up if he wanted a shower and breakfast. Which meant of course that Tsuna should get up too, since he didn't take as long to get ready, but school started earlier for him.

"Lambo, I'm taking a shower, if you're not ready to take one when I get out I'll tell I-pin she's allowed to throw garlic shot at you again."

Tsuna didn't know what the garlic shot was, he had never heard of a youkai technique like it, but the girl was kind, and helped his brother so he trusted her not to hurt him too much. Or else he would have a word with her father-sensei and set it straight.

"Nii-san! I want to sleep more."

The brunet boy chuckled, that was an obvious lie. An evening spent next to a Ho-o gave the person complete and utter peace; you never needed more than eight hours when you slept next to a Ho-o.

"Ten minutes, Lambo."

"Che. Nii-san is so cruel to me."

Tsuna just laughed again, because he could hear Lambo up and searching for his clothes and school supplies.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sawada, how about you grace us with your answer to the following problem, hmm?" Nezu was as ruthless as usual, today's first lesson was on FL (foreign language) and this semester was youkai language, since to be fair humans had to learn youkai language in the same way that youkai had to learn Japanese and English.

Of course, it was an easy way to detect youkai in the groups of children. Ninety percent hid their more animalistic and youkai-obvious traits and appearances with talismans and youkai powers; you could never tell kitsunes from children because of their fox fire magic; hakutaku and bakus were odd sorts, too smart to be found; bake-neko were too clever and mischievous, able to transform into humans and speak all the human languages known. But others, the umbrella-youkai, the takunaki and the vicious onna they were more easily found out, exploited and made miserable.

Especially during language and history lessons; youkai were not not good at lying and easily riled by lies to do with their history.

"Um…." Tsuna stood, conscious of the way his movements flowed, and stared at the board.

The blackboard clearly said 'It's raining, it's raining! Don't take a youkai's umbrella today.' In bright white chalk in youkai language. Tsuna knew that Nezu couldn't read it right, except for the help from his teacher's book, but Tsuna could.

But he couldn't very well say that, could he.

"Um, I don't know sir. Something about a field in the west?"

Tsuna felt ashamed. Especially when all the children in the class, youkai and otherwise started laughing at his idiocy. Fire roiled in him, almost chastising him; he didn't like denying his heritage either, but necessity called for this.

"Alright class, don't laugh too much at Dame-Tsuna. It is youkai language after all. Much too complicated for Dame-Tsuna." Suddenly the youkai laughter stopped, and no one missed the sarcasm in Nezu's words. It made the humans laugh louder.

"Dame-Tsuna can't even speak Japanese right, how could he read youkai!" One of the loudest boys screeched with laughter, and Nezu let the laughter die a long slow death by itself, not hiding his smirk.

"Now, how about we ask our resident youkai-expert."

"Che," Bright green, brilliant silver, and a long –smoke, or maybe shadow-like –black tail that swished lazily suddenly appeared and stood near the front of the class. One of the three youkai in the class that openly allowed his presence to be known. "You're an idiot. It says 'It's raining, it's raining! Don't take a youkai's umbrella today!'." And with that the boy sat.

"Well, one thing a youkai will always know is their pitiful language." Nazu scoffed before he turned around and continued his lesson, with minimal enthusiasm. Every child –youkai included or how suspicious would he look? –would pass every test he gave, he didn't care really.

Tsuna sank back into his seat, trying to avoid the quick glances from the green-eyed boy at the front. He was too smart, much too smart. It was in his breed, of course, but Tsuna didn't need someone so rash and up-front to know about him. Not when he couldn't defend himself against the bullies that would be after him if they found out he was youkai.

Tsuna was quick to leave when the lunch bell rang, easily slipping through the other students, highly aware when his neck prickled with fight –never flight, he had to force a flight –instinct that someone was following him.

"Heeiiii!"

He couldn't quite stop the shriek when a fist slammed into the wall by his face, he was quick to backpedal and glare at the youkai cat from class.

"Why do you act the fool, Sawada?" was the hissed –almost snarled –reply Tsuna got to his shriek and glare.

"What are you on about?" Tsuna tried, eyes flickering around for an escape.

"I know you could read the board today." The cat hissed, ears flickering into existence above his head in shadow like wisps. "Are you such a weak-willed fleshie that you can't even admit to knowing anything about youkai?!"

Tsuna was startled but hid it, trying not to let the heat and tranquility rise and escape. This boy thought he was human, fleshie was a sectarian term youkai used against humans –or the confident ones did behind closed doors –and

"I'm not playing anything," Tsuna tried, trying desperately to find an escape.

"You are!" his classmate hissed, a cat screech coming out in his speech. "I hear you muttering in youkai language all day long when you think no one can hear. So. Why. Are. You. Acting. The. Fool?"

"I'm not, get away!" The green eyes boy back off, a little affronted by the wave of heat that hit him when Tsuna yelled.

It gave Tsuna the perfect opportunity to run and he did. Straight around the corner and towards the shopping district to buy some lunch, he had forgotten his own at home and was starving, even for some human food.

As he passed by the last wall of the school, he was startled to a stop to see the loud boy from his class, Mochida, and a young child –probably about Lambo's age –together, the boy pressed against the wall, crying out, and Mochida laughing his loud, terrible laugh. There were other boys too, all watching and laughing, but Tsuna only saw Mochida laying his foot into the boy.

Tsuna tried to walk past, head down, eyes away, pushing that roaring fury down into his gut where his shame lived.

But then the screeching rattled through him, that youkai screech of desperation. The screech only youkai could hear, and the heat was back with the tranquil lull. And Tsuna can't ignore it anymore.

He puts his next actions down to already being hyped on adrenaline after the confrontation with his bake-neko classmate.

"Mochida, I think he's had enough." Tsuna's voice warbled, in a strange half-emotive kind of way. Tsuna's own voice startled him, and apparently it startled the other boys too.

"W-What….oh it's Dame-Tsuna. Move along wimp. We're just teaching this youkai that he can't walk on the same street as us." Mochida grinned.

"I don't care." Tsuna was surprised at the own strength in his voice, and the heat of his wildfire blood burned happily, bolstering him even as he was still desperate to walk away. "He has no lesson to learn; so leave him alone."

Mochida's entire character changed, as did the boys around him as they turned around to face Tsuna. Tsuna –in a stupid fit of protective instinct –look to the young youkai and motioned away; the child didn't need telling twice.

"What is this?" Mochida snarled, "Is Dame-Tsuna a youkai-lover?" He purred, grinning as he and the boys circled Tsuna.

"Not only a pathetic lose, but you love youkai too?" another boy chanted, they all sounded feral.

People said that youkai were the cruel, bloodthirsty rapists; but human children were crueler than any wrathful spirit Tsuna had ever known, and the thought brought a snarl onto his lips.

"I don't like watching children get beaten; especially by pathetic excuses for humans." Tsuna snarled, eyes flickering in colour and startling the boys.

"Oh, so you are a youkai-lover? Kyoko-chan had said as much." Mochida tried, but the taunt was getting old, and he was losing face against a usually pacifist Tsuna. "Should we teach you a lesson? Should we teach you that disgusting little youkai-lovers have no right to talk to Kyoko-chan, or even breathe in our air?" Mochida chanted.

"A lesson like we taught your little youkai friend, maybe?"

Tsuna's knees hit the ground as one of the boys kicked him from behind.

His head hit the ground as another slammed into his shoulders.

Tsuna spun and kicked, but he received more blows and jabs, he heard a bottle break and barely dodged out of the way when Mochida tried to slam it into his gut.

"Oho- we found what Dame-Tsuna is good at boys."

"Yeah, dodging like the weakling he is." They cackled.

There was something horrifyingly familiar about the way they were laughing, about the echo and the rumble, about the terror and the evil lurking in their tone.

But Tsuna was too busy trying to avoid the feet, the fists, the bottles, the pain-

"You're disturbing the peace of my town. Back away, kami-korosu."

Ah, and then the reigning demon of Namimori appeared. He flashed in like lightning, which was rumoured to be where he was birthed from; lightning and terror. Because he flashed in and out of the people who threatened Tsuna, quick to dismiss them and lay them down.

This was the reason why youkai frequented Namimori in a much thicker density than other areas; there was a single non-corrupt officer of the law there. A man with his own rules, and the strength of a hundred to enforce them.

Kyouya was a Hibari, a secluded but enormous family that had lived in Namimori and other small towns for at least ten generations; rumours had it that one of his ancestors was a god-men with Giotto's group. But that was all farce to humans.

In their eyes, no youkai –or god-blood in this case –would dare to threaten a human in the way Hibari did; and only human prosecuted youkai to them of course. So humans believed completely that Kyouya was a human, a strong, violent, insane one; but human none the less. Youkai knew the truth of course, Kyouya was a mixed blood. His family had kept the shrine pure and clear for the past sixty odd years, a sanctuary for good youkai who wanted to keep the peace, and that was where Kyouya ran his operation from.

But he was one man.

"Kyouya." Tsuna exhaled, not bothering to use the man's last name as Kyouya preferred. Tsuna and Kyouya had run in before. "I see you made it in time."

"I see you still lack your fangs." Kyouya was but one man, and thus couldn't be everywhere; he had turned up many a time just as Tsuna's beatings had ended. Without 'proof' past knowing Kyouya could punish no one. "How disappointing."

And apparently Kyouya believed that Tsuna had fangs as large and vicious as his own in hiding. Tsuna couldn't see it. But he could see strength, and Kyouya had just protected him.

"Thanks." Therefore Tsuna respected the strong man. Tsuna bowed, flinched at the pounding in his head and ribs and left Kyouya and his men to clean up the mess.

Just as Tsuna was limping away, the young youkai who had disappeared suddenly popped up beside him, and a rush of coldicywarmbubbly rushed over him and the pains eased some. They were still there, but much less insistent.

"Thank you, sir. I didn't know what to do." The young youkai, speaking in youkai tongue, blinked with big blue eyes at Tsuna and smiled lightly. "I am sorry that this is all I can do to thank."

Tsuna smiled gently and laid a hand on the boy's head. Lull washed through the child and he smiled a more relaxed grin. "It is enough, sweet youkai. Now go home and be safe."

The youkai bowed and ran off, and Tsuna didn't notice the intrigued, shocked look on the Hibari's face as he watched the interaction and felt the wave of tranquil heat that had hit him after the interaction.

"That damn boy….he's hiding more than he's letting on."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The rest of the lessons that day passed uneventfully. Maths, Science –which both amused and intrigued youkai usually –and finally study period; one of Tsuna's favourite days since there was nothing really there to trip him up. Except maths, it wasn't in his nature, he was a Ho-o and god-blood maths was not in his nature. He naturally knew of values but had no need to write it down.

But Tsuna was still exhausted by the end of the day.

Between using what he expected was the most backbone he had ever used (twice in a day!), a run in with bullies and Kyouya, and watching another youkai child beaten Tsuna was past caring, so no one could really blame him when he went mad at the next scene before him.

He doesn't hear the youkai screeching –at first

He doesn't hear the human laughter –right away

He doesn't even see humans antagonising and wounding youkai –again

First Tsuna is totally aware of Lambo, face down, screaming his heart out while throwing around bursts of lightning as he tried to fend off attackers.

Attackers. Some idiots were harming what was part of Tsuna's brood.

Some idiots were harming the only thing Tsuna had ever claimed as part of himself and his own.

All that Tsuna was aware of after that was pure, raging heat course through him, and unlike usual, the heat was not followed by clashing and crashing lull; no, this time the lul was internal.

It swept through him like wildfire in brush, unstoppable; but unlike wildfire this was more like ocean waves. It was cold, it was steady, it was powerful; it was cool and calm and doused the fire within him so the pressure built up but the heat was gone and his mind was clear of smoke.

Before he knows what's happening, fire roars around him –burning bright and hot, but burning nothing all the same –and knocks two of the boys away from Lambo, they hit the wall before they know what's happened.

"Who is that?"

"Is that Dame-Tsuna?!" one screeches, trying to backpedal.

"No way, it must be a youkai!" another scrambles. "Dame-Tsuna's human."

But Tsuna is there, hand around their throat, eyes brandishing a polished copper colour as his wildfire and god-blood poured into them and overwhelmed his inner tranquility.

"You will stop this."

"Fuck we will." It's a screeching, not quite youkai but not human. A mixed blood.

A pitiful kind, yes Kyouya was one –not that the humans admitted it –but no one in the area would be insane enough to challenge and outcast a Hibari, half-blood or not.

But even in this time where humans and youkai are supposed to love and live unconditionally and without fear, half-blood children are the most hated and outcast of them all. Youkai do not like the human blood, the idea that even a half-blood will look at them as if they are superior; humans hate the tainted youkai blood within them, not fit to be human.

Half-bloods are the most pitiful, and Tsuna watches this one with open pity, but the fury is there, especially when the screeching child grabs Lambo and has a youkai-knife –a poisoned one as most were –pressed to Tsuna's sobbing brother's throat.

"You will." Tsuna explained, his voice echoed and rumbling.

"No! He thinks he's so good, because he's a full youkai. He chants and chants at how blessed he is. He wouldn't be so pleased as a pig if people knew who he was. I know though, I smell the youkai bleeding out of him. I'll show them all. I will. I'll carve youkai into him."

"You're going to let him go now, or I will burn you." Tsuna's eyes darted around, and to his horror, the other boys, half or quarter bloods, he couldn't tell, grew more and more confident as their leader harped on in a disgustingly tainted way.

Tsuna couldn't attack them all. He was already feeling light-headed. The heat coursed through him and he could feel himself wavering.

"You could never burn me." The man's hand twitched and Tsuna's eyes honed in on it.

"Nii-san." Lambo whimpered, trying not to move, not to breathe too heavily. His eyes were watery and Tsuna could see the terror there.

A million plans coursed through Tsuna's head, and not one ended well for Lambo, he couldn't do anything; he couldn't save his brother; he had endangered them both and now he couldn't save them.

Smoke filled the area and laughter drifted through the sudden sounds of screams and uncertainty. Tsuna wavered, the fire on his hands flickering and fading out; spots started dancing in his vision, and as the anxiety build Tsuna charged forward.

Only to come out on the other side of the smoke; meeting no resistance.

"Nii-san!" Suddenly Lambo was in his arms and the last of the smoke dissipated to leave a scene of carnage and defeat. The boys scattered the floor all unconscious and a few sporting bruises and burns. As Tsuna took it all in the last of the fire faded from around him and from his eyes and Tsuna almost collapsed completely against Lambo, much to the boy's panic.

"Well well, the fabled Dame-Tsuna is a youkai; just like I thought." Out of the shadow to the left, the silver haired, smoke tailed classmate who had cornered Tsuna earlier appeared, eyes calculating, and his usual smirk not to be seen.

Tsuna spun on the class mate, Gokudera Hayato, as he shoved Lambo behind him protectively, the boy from class with green eyes saw too much, and was all too confident in himself and his youkai powers for Tsuna's taste. After all the boy cared less about when the class found out about his status as Youkai than he did when they mocked the fact that he was a bake-cat.

"What do you want?" Tsuna hissed, fire sparking around him as his emotions roiled. "Why would you help me? You better not think of telling anyone who I am."

"Don't worry, boss. I won't tell a soul who you really are. Besides these idiot humans would never believe you're a youkai. You're too pathetic; too fleshie. Even I was shocked." Hayato's grin was sharp, and Tsuna could see why humans would be wary of a bake-neko. They were feisty, mischievous and most of all powerful.

"Then why would you help? It doesn't give you anything to hide my identity."

"Oh, but it does." Hayato smirked, pulling out a packet of youkai cigarettes and letting the smoke curl around his head, his tail swished happily, like a pleased cat. "You are his descendent, and you're the key to the end of this farce of a treaty. I want to be there to help you when you change it; besides you're most interesting. All the other youkai are cowards and think of nothing but themselves."

Something flashes through Tsuna, the same call that led him to Lambo, and got his mother to keep him close. Hayato was not a vicious creature, but he was alone. From what Tsuna had heard, he had been kicked out of his clan for his desire to learn the human ways, and Tsuna had never seen the boy with anyone else.

But….

"There isn't going to be a war, and I'm not going to be a part of one if there is." Tsuna snapped, turning and stalking away. He shoved Lambo in front of him to protect him from Hayato is he attacked, but put no more effort into getting rid of the silver-haired, cat-youkai when he started following.

"You say that now, but I know of Feronia and Ho-o, and the mix you have won't let you stand by for long. I'm going to be there to help you when your blood finally gets its call, boss."

Tsuna tried not to think on it as they walked home, or even as Hayato –caught completely off guard by Nana's insistence on him staying for dinner and the night –smiled and looked truly relaxed.

Tsuna tried not to think about the way the world was going and how his fellow Youkai were treated.

He tried not to get an adrenaline rush when his fires burned away his peace-loving aura at the thought of righting the wrongs against his kin.

He tried, but he didn't know if he could, not with Lambo, and now Hayato, on the line.

Xxxxxxxxxx

When Tsuna wakes up in the morning his entire body is a thrum of pain. His arms, his legs, his back, and especially his head and eyes ignite in a dull, constant squeeze of pain that almost leaves Tsuna whimpering. His aura fluctuates to the extent that the lull that had been washing over Lambo –who refused to leave Tsuna that night –and Hayato –the reason Lambo wouldn't leave –throughout the night suddenly cut off and the two boys were awake almost instantly.

"Boss?"

"Tsuna-nii!"

Tsuna's vision filled with images of two very worried faces, both scanning his body for any signs of the injury or illness causing the fluctuation in his aura so suddenly.

"Sto' calling me boss." Tsuna grunted, pressing his face into his pillow, but that only seemed to make the pressure worse in his head. He whimpered again and Hayato quickly stood and retrieved a cold compress from the bathroom for Tsuna.

"I'll call you Boss as long as you are my boss." Hayato smirked, but it softened when Tsuna's whimpering calmed down.

"I'm not your boss though."

Hayato pursed his lips at that and his tail swished, "I decide who I follow, and even though you hid for so long, there's something about you, and I want to help you." Hayato crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. "Usually I call youkai who hide themselves cowards, but you're not one."

"I'm not doing anything I need help with, why is everyone pushing-."

The door opened suddenly and Nana appeared, frowning. "Ara, Tsu-kun, you and Haya-kun are going to be late for school! Why are you still in bed?"

Tsuna's eyes darted to the clock and he tried not to whimper more. A headache he could deal with, but Kyouya after arriving late for school after walking away from him the day before Tsuna couldn't deal with.

And so he pulled his trump card.

"I don't feel so good today, Mama. So can I stay home, please?" The waft of anesthetic that washed the words made Hayato want to laugh.

"I don't either!" Lambo piped up, if Tsuna was getting a day off, than so was he, even if Tsuna did actually look sick.

"Oh no, are you alright Tsu-kun Lamb-chan, should I call the doctor?" Nana fussed, after all it was unusual for her sons –well for Tsuna –to ask for a day off school. Even when he was affected by the moon cycles as a child he went to school. So it concerned Nana like nothing else that he was asking now, but Tsuna shook his head and told his mother that sleeping it off would be fine, though he shot a look at a smug Lambo and the child did look a bit ashamed of himself after that. "Ka, but I was going to meet with some friends, I guess I'll call to cancel."

Tsuna felt like such a jerk. His mother didn't go out often, especially with her youkai friends and here he was making her cancel just because he was a coward with a headache.

"Wait Mom-."

"Don't worry, Ma'am. I'll stay home and look after both of them." Hayato smiled kindly as he cut off his Boss, and Nana fell for that smile hook line and sinker, especially when he tacked on, "Oh don't worry about me getting sick too Ma'am. I have a healthy body, I wouldn't catch this."

"Oh thank you, Haya-kun. I'll leave Tsu-kun and Lamb-chan in your capable hands." Nana kissed Tsuna's and Lambo's head and pet Hayato before grabbing her things and leaving for the day.

So that left Hayato, Lambo, and Tsuna home alone.

"You're a crafty one, do you know that?" Tsuna muttered under his breath as he tried to shove his face deeper into the pillow.

"I wouldn't be a bake-neko if I wasn't. It's in our breed. Just like not being able to sit still while creatures suffer is a part of yours." Hayato tacked on, grinning ear to ear.

"I'm not joining this war everyone seems to want to wage."

"If you say so, Boss."

"Call Lambo boss too! He's just as awesome as Nii-san!"

"Shut-up, haku-baka."

"Its haku-taku you baka-neko!"

"What di- you brat, you're dead! Have some respect."

Tsuna watched the two fight, Hayato grabbing and tickling the cow while Lambo shot off smoke and tried to pull some of his more curious tricks, they rolled around Tsuna's room and the teen just snuggled into his pillows and watched; more than a little amused.

An hour of arguments and laughter –on Tsuna's side –found Tsuna sat at the dining room table, sipping tea and herbs while watching Hayato cook with nervous eyes. Hayato had insisted on it being lunch time once the arguments and laughter had finished, and had ushered Tsuna and Lambo downstairs so he could make it.

"No offence, Hayato…but don't Bake-neko's only cook poisonous food," When Hayato turned around surprised Tsuna hastily tacked on, "Not that I don't really appreciate it but….."

The mix-blood youkai was surprised when Hayato started laughing, having to let go of the spoon he was stirring to hold his stomach while his other hand gripped the counter and balanced him so he didn't land on the floor.

"What did Lambo miss!? I missed something, Nii-san what's so funny!" Lambo whined from the table, having been too preoccupied with his book to really understand what was so funny about not wanting to be poisoned by mischievous bake-nekos.

"Ah, Boss, that's a misconception….though not really too far off I guess." Hayato wiped his eyes before continuing to stir the food. "We nekos are very intelligent, we strive for knowledge and absorb it almost as well as Hakutaku adults. I know twelve different languages and can disguise myself as anything I'd like. But I love cooking." Hayato explained. "I love cooking any meal from any culture….but as for poisonous foods….I leave that to my sister; it's her speciality."

Tsuna watched Hayato and couldn't help but dissolve into laughter, it seemed so strange, he had through Hayato was a dangerous, evil being who liked to torment people and was too big for himself not two days ago. But….that was very human thinking, and he knew then why his gut was so angry with wildfire when he refused to know and show his true nature. He had missed out on a good friendship by hiding so long; he wondered how many more he'd missed.

The three spent the rest of the day lazing around in the living room. Lambo stayed secure in Tsuna's embrace and Hayato say beside them both, all under a blanket while they tried various Youkai treatments to alleviate Tsuna's headache, but nothing seemed to work.

But Tsuna had never enjoyed himself so much.

"Ne, Hayato." Tsuna asked softly after Nana arrived home and started making dinner. She had fussed over them for a little while, but when all three of them assured her they could just sit there while she cooked, she smiled softly and walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Boss?"

Tsuna pouted, "It's Tsuna." But he continued regardless, Bake-neko were stubborn. "I don't know about being your boss, and I don't know anything about fighting a war. But I certainly want a friend by my side, and I'm sure mom wouldn't mind a new addition to the family."

Tsuna's smile was bright and wide and Hayato's heart dropped at both the offer of a home, and a family. Tsuna's usual lull, the one that settled storms and brought about peace was warm and wrapped around Hayato with a hold that told him 'you are precious now, and are mine' and Hayato couldn't think to fight it.

"That….that would be great…Tsuna-sama."

Tsuna smiled, it wasn't quite there, but it was definitely better than being called boss by the strange cat.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hayato ended up spending the night again, and though it wasn't obvious for a while, he would spend many more and in fact all his time at Tsuna's house, for now though, the boys were happy to have a small group; a family.

In the morning, Hayato woke Tsuna and Lambo –the latter one, none-too-kindly –before heading down to pack his and Tsuna's bento's to give Tsuna's mother a break, Tsuna shoved Lambo towards the shower before getting himself dressed.

He felt marginally better, the herbs that their neighbor had given them when Nana had mentioned Tsuna feeling ill had worked wonders on his muscles but his heat was still a flurry. Still, Tsuna couldn't miss two days of school.

"Alright Mom, we're leaving now." Tsuna called once Lambo was ready and at the door. Nana greeted them from the kitchen and Tsuna smiled before he and his two family members made their way to school.

Their first stop was to drop Lambo off at the school next door, which was rather tense as the young youkai flinched at every shadow, and when they rounded the corner the boys from the day before glared at them.

"Oh look, if it isn't Dame-Tsuna and his stupid little brother." The one boy taunted.

"And look at that, the little bastard is a youkai-lover. He's hanging out with Temedera after all; careful, he might have been cursed by the Neko."

Hayato and Lambo flinched besides Tsuna and something overwhelms his mind. The calm from the other day, not called up by Tsuna or any of his emotions, suddenly floods his mind and rids it of the headache that had been afflicting him, his eyes burn again, and though a part of him is in a panic from the words and thoughts and actions whirring in his head, another part of grinning. Finally.

"If you badmouth my brothers one more time, or even think about touching either of them again I will burn you."

Unsure of what to make of this Tsuna, the boys startled and backed away, and when they were sure Tsuna wasn't going to follow, they turned tail and sprinted towards Namimori high.

And with a blink, the calm rush is gone and the headache made itself known again.

"Tsuna-sama….what was that?" Hayato had blinked and one second these boys were vicious and grated Hayato's last nerve, and the next they were gone, a raging yet tranquil hear rushing off of Tsuna beside him.

"I-I don't kn-know." Tsuna stuttered, completely terrified by the emotions, the power that washed him, the strange vindictive pleasure he had when the boys ran. "I…I've just…I just didn't want them to say those things not to either of you."

Tsuna pushed Lambo, who was wide eyed and shocked at what he had seen, off to school and he and Hayato continued to their own class; both boys had a bad feeling about the day and what it would bring.

The pair of boys continued to walk, Hayato quiet and offering his own two-sense about what it could possibly be that would make Tsuna so vindictive all of a sudden. Nothing seemed to fit, but Tsuna smiled regardless.

"It's alright, Hayato." The boy explained, "I appreciate it anyway."

The bake-neko frowned, but it softened when Tsuna clasped his shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Tsuna-sama. I'm here 'til the end, after all."

"Thank you, Hayato." Tsuna said with sheer sincerity before he grabbed the silver-haired boy's wrist. "Now, let's get to class before Kyouya bites us."

"Che," Hayato scoffed, "That stupid youkai shouldn't let everyone know about his fetishes so openly."

It was hard pressed for Tsuna to hold back the laughter bubbling on his tongue, as it was he was choking on it as they entered the classroom.

As the door slid shut the sound, the laughter, the chattering students all fell silent, eyes boring into Tsuna and rising the wave of serenity in him on instinct. Tsuna wanted with every fibre to let it lash out, let it put everyone to sleep; let it get the eyes off of him. He itched to let it go, but Hayato's knuckles brushed against his and something slotted into place in Tsuna's spine.

"He's a youkai."

"Did you hear?"

"He was on fire."

"Yah, right. If Dame-Tsuna is a youkai he isn't a strong one."

The words, he had heard many times, towards other youkai and towards him in another form, so they didn't bother Tsuna as much as they should have. He had been completely and utterly whipped by the humans, Tsuna sometimes believed that youkai were bad. But they weren't, he wasn't.

"I mean he's hanging out with Gokudera surely he can't be that powerful."

But then they badmouthed Hayato, just as they separated ways to take their seats. Hayato looked about ready to snap at them, prove his worth, but Tsuna didn't let it happen.

"You can bad mouth me all you like." His voice carried and sent shivers down every student in the room besides Hayato. "I hid my nature because you disgusting humans made me believe it. But you won't let me hear you bad mouth Hayato."

"Oh, and what will you do about it, Dame-Tsuna." Mochida stood, eyes watching Tsuna ferally, and Tsuna buckled almost immediately. "What could you, a dirty youkai, do if I wanted to beat that little brother of yours, or Hayato?"

And the heat was back, and the disgust, and the sheer exhaustion. "Don't you touch-."

"Alright class, sit down, we're not slacking off today as well as every other day."

Nezu strolled in and both Mochida and Tsuna sat down, but the glares didn't stop throughout the entire lesson, everyone could feel the hate and anger rolling from their shoulders. Hayato sent anxious and concerned glances at Tsuna for the rest of the day, unsure of what advice to give, or even why something like this was happening to the boy.

It was like his bloods were fighting.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Eyes. Tsuna could feel eyes and hear whispers all day. From the minute lesson started to the moment the break bell rang. He knew they were watching him, keeping tabs on his actions, waiting for him to let the façade slip and show that he really was a youkai.

Tsuna felt like an amusement and it made him bristle.

But mostly it made him sadder than ever. Because he hadn't noticed it, and he hadn't felt for it, even though he was in the middle of it all along.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Tsuna isn't ready, never was, when a fist collides with the back of his head when he headed to check on Lambo at first break. He's on the floor before he can blink, the headache that seems to just keep thrumming on and on suddenly become a shooting pain. The brunet was on his feet, the lull pouring into his mind and bleaching his eyes golden, but there were already feet and fists and leers and taunts.

Hayato rounded the corner, screaming and roaring, and he had his bombs and smoke out and separating the crowd around his boss before any more damage could be done.

"Tsuna!"

But then there's a roaring as fire bursts into life all around the group, the young men who had attacked Tsuna quickly backpedalled as Hayato sprinted into the smoke, following the string of warm tranquility that Tsuna naturally gave off.

"Tsuna, are you alright?" But Hayato can see that Tsuna isn't, there's blood dribbling out of his nose, and the fire that exploded out is more of a deterrent than anything.

So Hayato pushes Tsuna with his back, covering as much of the boy as he can and pulls out the various tricks he can. He wanted to use the dynamite that were his and his sister's speciality, but they were close range, and that was more dangerous than letting the humans smack them around.

Though, Hayato noticed, there was a quiet whisper of youkai mutterings almost below hearing range. Which meant, as disgusting as it was, that these horrid humans weren't the only ones beating youkai.

"You'll back off, Mochida. I don't care for your pitiful biased; you'll leave."

"Oh will I?" The human taunted, rolling his shoulder in preparation. "What makes you think that? I've had it with your haughty hissing, cat. I'll put you in your place, and then if I'm feeling charitable I'll make you my house cat. I'm sure my little sister would love a new pet."

Mochida went spinning into the wall behind him and Tsuna stood before him, hands out in a shoving motion, fire swirled around his ankles and his chest heaved, eyes wild with fury and justice.

But Kyouya was there when Tsuna's lull died down and the headache started again, catching the brunette by the scruff of his shirt before he hit the ground.

"Thanks' Kyou'." Tsuna muttered as he stood; ashamed that he was falling so easily. That even when he let his youkai powers free he wasn't strong enough to protect his friend, or himself, from the discriminate humans who liked to beat their prey.

"I thought you were weak-hearted, I was disappointed in the waste of Vongola blood. But it seems your fangs have come through little beast."

Tsuna only managed to blink before Kyouya was gone, jumping to the roof and strolling off towards the shrine, to do whatever it was he did up there.

"Tsuna." Hayato goes to his friend, looking over him with rushed movements and wide eyes. He pulls out a leaf from his pocket and shoves it into Tsuna's mouth, instantly the taste of bitter green fills Tsuna's mouth, but the pain dulls. "I am sorry, I failed you. I didn't manage to get to you in time."

But the boy was already leaning against Hayato and waving it off. "You got here in plenty of time. Let's get back to class before there are questions asked."

Hayato nodded and the pair walked towards class, avoiding the main crowd of students, and when class was finally over, they made sure to stop by the infirmary to patch themselves up some before they headed home. What they didn't notice was the shadow, eyes glinting with malice slink away from the alley way, if they had they might have been able to prepare for the following weeks and the torment that would follow them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

It was almost a week later, things had settled somewhat but Tsuna couldn't help but feel constantly watched and it terrified him and made his blood boil, Tsuna was coming back from lunch when he noticed someone calling his attention. Brown eyes met darker brown and Tsuna was surprised to see the school's prized baseball star grinning at him, breaking through the crowds of his friends. Hayato was currently in the teachers' office having a dressing down for skipping out on more homework that semester, otherwise Tsuna was sure the youkai would have had a hiss over the boy's intrusion.

"Oi, Yamamoto, don't get too close. He'll curse you or something." One of the boys, a popular but quiet boy Tsuna didn't know well, suddenly exclaimed, a hand on the boy in question.

"Maa maa, don't say that like you know it's true. I'll be fine."

Yamamoto Takeshi was a popular, loud, but overall kind boy. He tried his best to be civil with everyone, but there was something weird about the way he held himself.

It was as if he were constantly fighting the strongest flight-instinct that Tsuna had ever seen. Which was odd, because where Kyoko was the star of the class, Yamamoto Takeshi was the sun. No one could be angry at him for long and he was never blamed for anything wrong.

"Yo, Tsuna." His smiled was bright, but his eyes for once were not afraid, they were narrowed and sharp. "Mind if we have a word?"

Tsuna looked at the tall teen with distrust, but there was no sign of deception within the boy's eyes, and the lull within the burnet's chest didn't seem too bothered by the interaction; unlike when Mochida appeared, so Tsuna nodded as Takeshi lead him towards the roof where Kyouya was a usual sight.

When they arrived on the roof, Takeshi stood across from Tsuna, not nervous, but not relaxed, watching the way Tsuna moved and how he held himself. The class certainly wasn't wrong; it was as if Tsuna was possessed all of a sudden. He held people's eye contact, he didn't shy away from conflict, and most of all he hadn't ducked his head once.

In fact, he had his chest puffed out and shoulders squared, and Takeshi couldn't help but feel completely captivated by the boy.

"Are you really a youkai, Tsuna?" Takeshi's eyes were serious, and they seemed to bore into Tsuna with malicious intent.

"Yes." And for once, Tsuna wasn't even nervous about telling the boy, in fact, the heat rose and the red feathers brushed with fire enveloped him as he glanced at Takeshi with golden eyes.

"You're a Ho-o….you're not?"

Tsuna sighed to release the pent up energy of transforming before looking at Takeshi with a bashful expression, feeling a little awkward about transforming and showing his youkai form, though still not nervous. Proud of himself and his heritage for, really, the first time. "I am Tsunayoshi Sawada, but my Dad's name is Vongola; and so is mine."

A huff came from Takeshi and his eyes stared wide at Tsuna, making the brunet feel even more awkward as he shifted from foot to food, but as he was about to ask both why Takeshi cared, and to keep this revelation a secret a rush of cold, water-like air rushed over him and Tsuna was treated to the most amazing sight.

Tsuna could only stare, completely amazed at the show of both trust and beauty. Ao-sagi-ba were the shyest creatures in the youkai world, but Tsuna could attest that their true beauty hadn't even been touched by the words of humans or youkai.

Blue flames cascaded around the twittering, soaring birds as they swooped and glided around Tsuna. With a blink, Takeshi was standing before Tsuna again, looking a little surprised, and shyer than Tsuna had ever seen the classroom star.

"You…." Tsuna didn't know why, but something about Takeshi coming to him, showing him his true nature, trusting him to protect the secret burnt through Tsuna and his flames and lull bucked wildly. "Why would you tell me?"

Takeshi looked ashamed, and rubbed his head. "Ah, it just….felt right. You and Hayato seem happy even through you only started hanging out with each other….I just feel like I can trust you."

Tsuna was taken aback. He knew Hayato felt the same, the way he watched Tsuna and guarded his back told him as much, but Takeshi was the first to say so and the fire and lull thrummed in his chest. As if telling him 'I told you all would be well' and Tsuna had to take a breath, but he knew from then on he would have to trust that fire and lull with his life.

"Thank you, Takeshi. Now, shall we go back to class? I'm sure Hayato is having a heart-attack wondering where we went."

The smile was back, but this time there was no skittering fear there, just a blind trust that Tsuna could only put down to being of youkai blood.

"Aha, that sounds about right, Tsuna."

It was the strangest, most instinctual friendship that started from there. It had started with Hayato within the third night of him staying, but Takeshi's addition to their small group made everyone, from Lambo to Takeshi, feel like they had finally found a small place of tranquility. Tsuna still felt like things were missing, or not quite right, but it was better.

Hayato and Takeshi of course got off like…well… a cat and bird really. It was amusing to watch, especially when they flickered in and out of their human masks to run around Tsuna's room.

Lambo tried to chase them, but after he got tangled in Tsuna's bed sheets by his horns he opted to stay looking like a human, despite the lack of power behind him when he tackled Takeshi to the floor.

Kyouya even appeared from time to time, he never stayed long, and he always tried to goad Tsuna into fighting him with that strange power he had, but he always left with a small smile.

Tsuna thought, even with school a chaotic mess of prejudice and assault, with his little group he could be happy.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Iemitsu would admit, he wasn't the best father there was out there. He wasn't there to teach his boy how to talk to girls, or to talk to him at all. He wasn't there when his boy took his first steps, or even when he started to shift from his human form to youkai form.

Iemitsu wasn't there for any of that. He wasn't even there when Tsuna started asking about his strange heritage, not really.

But, when Iemitsu walked into the house for the first visit in years, greeting his wife and asking after his son, he was shocked to stillness when he felt the energy coursing through the house. It was hot and calm, and his own blood rose forward in a powerful, uncharacteristic display of possessiveness.

He could feel how much Tsuna had suddenly grown, and how vulnerable he currently was in his growth. He knew instantly that Tsuna had awakened his blood and that it was wreaking havoc in his body.

And Iemitsu hadn't been there for his boy, but he was going to be there for him now, sort of.

After greeting his wife and being told that his boy was currently studying with some friends –his boy had friends –Iemitsu excused himself to make a call.

"My boss is such a worrier, he asked that I give him a quick call when I arrived. To make sure I got home safe."

Nana fell for it, she was so sweet, and purely Ho-o with her inherit trust and lack of suspicion. "Oh, what a sweet man. You must invite him over again one day."

Iemitsu smiled again before heading out the back yard, the phone only rang twice before an old voice traveled across it. "Iemitsu, I wasn't expecting to hear from you until your vacation was over. How can I help you my boy?"

Iemitsu's face lost its carelessly goofy grin, and in its stead a hardened glaze took over. "You need to send that tutor we've been talking about. Tsuna's matured."

And whereas Nono had sounded much like a grandfather talking to his son after much too long, his next words were terse and took a darker rattle. "Are you sure?"

"Completely, the house is burning up, and I know it's not Nana."

Iemitsu thought he imagined a feral purr on the other side, but he knew better than anyone that Nono was completely human. So he disregarded it.

"Reborn is on his way. Prepare your boy, I can't imagine how lost he will feel." The Ninth explained, and Iemitsu could hear him grinning some.

"No worries, Ninth. Tsuna won't be alone again, he has our family."

The Ninth didn't make another sound just a quick click met Iemitsu's ears and he grinned grimly. He didn't know exactly how he was going to explain this entire thing to his son. Tsuna knew he worked in Italy, what Tsuna didn't know was that Iemitsu worked for the people who kept the treaty in Japan in place.

Iemitsu had been found by the current boss when he was just a boy, orphaned and nearing the point where his blood would take over without direction. It wasn't the youkai blood that was the problem, never was, that was something born and grown in a youkai; it was the demi-god blood that suddenly starts around fourteen that was Iemitsu's problem. Demi-god blood, like youkai, was always a part of the characteristics and life of a child, but its true power, its pull and its development didn't start until at least twelve, but usually fifteen. So there Iemitsu was, a boy of almost fifteen when his youkai blood could no longer fend off the urges and the fire that were born from the Vongola demi-god blood.

Which is when the Ninth found him, as if called to the blood, and he took Iemitsu into his family, taught him, guided him, and made sure he knew exactly what the contract that Giotto had written stated.

So that Iemitsu would uphold it with his life.

And Iemitsu did. And he was certain that his son would too once he knew what happened and why things were the way they were.

Which was why Iemitsu was not even going to hesitate. When Tsuna walked into the kitchen, trailed by three very mean looking boys, Iemitsu grabbed him, hugged him tight and told him point-blank: "I've got you a tutor so you can learn to control that Vongola blood of ours, and when you're done, I'm taking you back to Italy with me. To join the family!"

Iemitsu didn't miss the horrified look on his son's face, or the shocked, possessive looks on the boys behind him. Especially when the one wearing the black jacket –was that a Hibari? –forcibly separated Iemitsu and Tsuna, and the other two, a silver-haired cat and a boy that felt all too much like rain, surrounded him.

"Oi, teme! What do you think you're doing to Tsuna-sama!" The cat bristled, and Iemitsu felt threatened simply by the way his tail slashed.

"Brats, back away from my son. This is family business."

"Maa maa, Tsuna doesn't look like he wants to join this business."

Iemitsu's eyes narrowed on the boys, feeling the youkai blood coursing through them. And then he spied his son, standing in the back with eyes so golden they were glittering, and the rush of heat that bashed its way past Iemitsu had him brining up a barrier to protect himself.

From his son.

There was something so wrong about it, and it made his heat –which was a lot colder than Tsuna's apparently –roar in his ears. "Tsuna is my son. My family. And also the Vongola's family; he belongs in Italy."

And another wave of heat followed his words, but this time Tsuna stepped forward and a lull threatened to drag Iemitsu under; except he had experience with this kind of reflex, and so he could only grin.

His boy was growing so strong. He'll be a great addition to the family.

"You only want me now because you know I have Vongola traits." Tsuna growled, and Iemitsu felt cold. "You never wanted me in Italy before; wouldn't even tell me about it."

"That's because I wanted you to grow. You weren't ready."

Tsuna, his little boy, the boy who he heard was bullied relentlessly and wanted to deny his heritage with every fibre of his being, stared him down. His eyes were so much colder, so much more feral, and so much more than Iemitsu ever thought they would be.

"You may want me in your family now, but I don't have a need for the Vongola."

With that Tsuna spin on his heel and stormed out of the house, and the three other boys, all brooding and ready to kill to protect their friend, starteds to follow without a single look at Iemitsu. Except for the Hibari, he turned and grinned with eyes that glinted like some of the Demi-gods Iemitsu knew.

"If you disturb the peace of this town, or your son. I will not hesitate to bite you."

And then the group of boys was gone, and Iemitsu was certain that his other son –one that had just turned up –Lambo was screaming and laughing after them, and out the door.

"Damnit. This is going to be difficult."

Xxxxxxx

Reborn could tell right away that Iemitsu had made a big mistake not calling him earlier; not noticing earlier. Tsuna's body was radiating a level of heat that most Ho-o (or so Reborn had researched) gave off, but it was uncontrolled, and his emotions swayed the temperature and temperament of the waves rapidly.

Reborn watched the child running and saw the imbalance in his limbs.

Reborn watched as Tsuna's temper soared as his bloods clashed and he cursed the idiotic leader of Vongola's branch family. He was ruining his child.

Reborn had only been there, watching Tsuna and his small gathering of youkai, for less than a week. He had been hired by the Ninth to train and prepare Tsunayoshi to join the Vongola, to be a part of the political game, to join the fight against unruly youkai and humans. Reborn was hired to train the boy to accept and use his blood to his advantage; for the Vongola.

The hired guard knew next to nothing about youkai though, past the training he had to undergo to work for the inner workings of Vongola. Much youkai blood ran in their histories so all the people working for the company went through a crash course of youkai history and the workings of the Ho-o.

Greek mythology, that was Reborn's specialty though.

He knew more about Feronia than perhaps even Nono, and combined with his knowledge of the Ho-o, Tsuna knew that Tsuna was rapidly coming into his own and his body wasn't coping.

He needed forging; his mind and body.

Reborn grinned from his perch outside the school. He had accepted this task after the Ninth had taken him to the side to truly explain how dire their situation was, but now Reborn knew he was going to have some fun.

He saw potential.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm Reborn, I've been hired by the Ninth Vongola to be your new tutor." Reborn grinned. He knew he was arrogant and he knew he was strong.

He also knew that he was the best tutor there was out there, and that this student would make him proud.

"I told that no good father of mine that I didn't want a tutor." Tsuna grunted when he walked out of the house.

Tsuna would make him proud, Reborn knew it, even if Tsuna didn't know it yet.

"I'm not about to leave you like that, Dame-Tsuna. I'm not the Ninth's strongest for nothing." Reborn grinned.

Reborn followed Tsuna the rest of the day, he was there during his lessons, and when he met up with his friends for lunch. It was fair to say that Reborn was surprised by the loyalty in his friends, so early into their relationship especially.

But he supposed it was the Ho-o blood in Tsuna. He had heard that in times when the Ho-o was around they attracted all and everyone to themselves, both for protection, and to ensure the peace and quiet that they gave off. If everyone was saturated in that lull then there was no way a war could break out, no way that the peace wouldn't last. Of course, Reborn thought, Tsuna wasn't just Ho-o and his blood, with the affinity to wildfire, was possessive and did not like discord.

It made for an interesting and infuriating mix. One that was overwhelming Tsuna.

"You'll give in eventually." Reborn muttered, watching Tsuna sit down with his homework that evening. The boy was struggling with the Human maths, like most youkai.

Tsuna closed his eyes to temper his temper before he sighed through his nose. "I won't. I don't want training to join my father. I don't want to join the Vongola or be involved with the treaty at all."

"As soon as you were born you were involved."

"Only because I'm a youkai." Tsuna insisted, eyes stubborn. Reborn could only sigh.

He took a seat on the table in front of Tsuna's work, eyes flickering across the equations; Tsuna almost had it, he was just missing the base understanding that most human children grew up with.

"If you do this," Reborn explained, taking the pencil and drawing a grid on the side, "you'll be able to keep track of your multiplication better."

Reborn was almost sad to see the boy blink, and then widen his eyes in amazement as he watched Reborn's trick. But he smiled as he worked through the homework sheet.

"That one's wrong." A smack, "But here's your problem." Again, Reborn went through different tricks, where Tsuna was missing marks out for forgetting to carry a two, or for not showing all the workings that he could obviously do in his head.

This cycle continued for another hour. Tsuna trying to complete an equation, Reborn looking over it, Reborn scolding, Reborn showing the correct way to work out the problem, Tsuna trying it, Reborn mildly praising.

It was the cycle, and it was strange. But Tsuna certainly appreciated it, and he told Reborn as much.

"Ah, thanks Reborn. Nezu never really takes notice." Tsuna chuckled once they had finished the maths worksheet, Reborn made a casual gesture and Tsuna pulled out the next sheet; social studies.

Another smack, "Dame-Tsuna, that's because he's an idiot and I'm the greatest tutor there is. You're lucky the Ninth hired me; I'm the only one who could teach a dame like you."

It was the weirdest thing, the way Reborn taught. It was violent, there was smacking and yelling and reprimand, but Tsuna hadn't felt like this in school. This was tailored learning, and Tsuna had never felt more like learning ever.

"Dame-Tsuna, stop day dreaming. You can't expect to join the Ninth's family doing that."

Even if his tutor was determined to shove Tsuna unto a life he had no interest in living.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

People had been whispering all day and it was making not only Tsuna, but his two classmates bristle when they'd pass. Hayato had snapped at various people twice, and Takeshi had to fend off his friends multiple times.

"They keep telling me that a human shouldn't be hanging around Tsuna's type." The baseball star –because Tsuna refused to ostracize Takeshi from the human friends he'd managed to make, even if Takeshi spent less and less time with them, to their horror- explained one break when the three youkai all sat together around Tsuna's seat.

"His type?" Hayato raised a brow, "What the hell does that mea-."

The door to the classroom banged open and a big, blonde, upperclassman stormed in, his eyes found Tsuna immediately and had him by the shoulders before anyone knew any better.

"You. You're the EXTREME heir right? That's what everyone's saying!" His voice was loud and brash and his eyes were full of this great power.

The whole room descended into silence, and Tsuna knew all the eyes in the room were on him. He can see Takeshi's eyes widen and Hayato's face twist and snarl.

"How do you know that, teme? Who told you? Who are you?!" Hayato was in between Tsuna and this blonde man in an instant, pushing them apart and making sure Tsuna was away from him.

But the damage had been done, because everyone was whispering, and the youkai had this glaze in their eyes, the kind of look that someone gazed upon their savior with. Tsuna's gut clenched and clenched and his breathing threatened to overwhelm him.

"I'm Sasagawa Ryohei, you're the boy. The heir. You have to do something, EXTREMELY SOON, there's a gang of humans going around attacking youkai."

The boy was relentless, big eyes and this aura that just seemed to want to crush you. He looked so much bigger than he was and Hayato felt small as he protected his friend from the man. But Ryohei was no thick skulled idiot, his eyes roved around the room and a scowl folded his eyebrows. In an instant he had Tsuna's arm in his hand and was out of the room.

Hayato and Takeshi barely kept up by the time he stopped in the hall way outside the music rooms –which weren't being used that morning.

"What did you do?" Tsuna snarled, and Ryohei flinched back under the scrutiny, but another voice answered before long.

"I didn't do anything, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn explained, looking more frustrated than anything as he appeared from a corner. "I want you to make your own choice, as inevitable as it is. I wouldn't do this."

"How can I trust you?! You've come in and force my hand, how can I be sure." Tsuna snarled, looking more like a demon than the Ho-o of his blood.

"Mochida's telling everyone." Ryohei suddenly piped up, looking for the need to separate the strange infant and the heir. "He's got a video of your fire. No one can deny it."

Takeshi didn't know about Hayato or Tsuna, but he felt his insides roar; the birds that made up his entire form rushing around, he knew that blue flames were surrounding his form. For the first time in his life, Takeshi wanted to slaughter a human.

For the first time, Takeshi felt threatened for something other than himself.

Tsuna on the other hand was trying vainly to control both his breathing, and the fury that rose in him; it was like an earthquake, like a volcano and Tsuna wasn't sure he was going to be able to control it. The images of all these youkai, searching him out, dying for an ideal Tsuna wasn't sure would ever be.

All the images disappeared suddenly, leaving behind the usual lull that Tsuna had lived with for sixteen years of his life. His eyes met Ryohei and he realised then what the boy was.

Firstly, he was Kyoko's brother –and how the hell did Kyoko not end up a youkai when her brother was obviously so powerful? They were almost impossible odds –and also a Baku, the most sacred and holy of human protectors. A youkai of luck and good fortune.

It explained a lot about the boy and Kyoko, actually. Kyoko was sheltered and always favoured with luck and prosperity, and the various clubs Ryohei or Kyoko were in always won awards. It made sense, Ryohei's very presence, and Kyoko's constant coating in that aura of the Haku would affect things like that.

Tsuna blinked, sleepy suddenly, but glad for the calm. Haku ate bad dreams, and negative thoughts and panic constituted as such. Tsuna nodded and Ryohei returned the favour before he explained more.

"He's been going around all day. I thought, you know, with all the whispering, that you EXTREMELY told people."

In his defence, Tsuna managed a choked, "No, I didn't." before Hayato raged at Ryohei, demanding to know what else he knew and why the hell he was here.

"Enough, Hayato." Kyouya appeared, called by the broken rules. He did not like students out of place, or intruders in the school without a visitors pass. "Herbivore, tell me what you're doing here."

"There's been a group of humans going around beating everyone!" Ryohei explained again. "They're merciless, humans and youkai are getting EXTREMELY targeted."

"Che, and what do you want Tsuna-sama to do about it?"

"He's the heir, it's his EXTREME duty." Ryohei didn't understand the stony look Tsuna gave him, nor did he understand why everyone's shoulders seemed to suddenly stiffen; but he knew that somehow he had overstepped his boundaries.

"Maa maa, if Tsuna doesn't want to, he doesn't have to." Takeshi cut in smoothly, his smile smooth like the sharpest blade. Ryohei stepped back.

Reborn was glad that Tsuna had these friends to give him motivation and to protect him, he would need it in the future when unruly youkai or humans wanted to end his life because of their disagreements with the treaty and his ancestors' actions. But they were also acting as a reinforcement for Tsuna's aversion to joining the cause, which wouldn't do at all. Reborn would gladly remove them all, or else force them to agree with him if he had to.

"He has a point Tsuna. These humans are out of line, because of a treaty you have a responsibility to uphold." Reborn could see Tsuna's spine slotting down, if there was one thing that Reborn knew about Tsuna it was the fact that Tsuna had a very strong sense of responsibility. It was dangerous, and would lead Tsuna into dangerous places, but Reborn was willing to use anything he could to get Tsuna to the Ninth. "Dame-Tsuna you're too easy to read."

"You're just too damn good." Tsuna got a smack for that grumble, but he knew that Reborn had a point. Not one of Tsuna's friends could deny that Tsuna wanted to help everyone. The problem was, no one knew whether or not that was a characteristic of Ho-o blood, Feronia blood, or Tsuna's innate characteristics that made him, him.

Ryohei had been quiet, but he could see the fight in the boy's eyes. "Just see it with your own EXTREME eyes."

And Tsuna couldn't really argue with that. "Alright. I'll go see. You stay h-."

"If you think you can order me around, kami Korosu."

"Don't be such a jerk! We'll follow Tsuna-sama til the end!"

"It seems like a party, count me in Tsuna."

The brunet could only throw his hands in the air with frustration, but a fond smile still lifted his lips and a wave happiness left his core; the smiles around him resulting from the wave were the softest Reborn had seen.

When the group arrived at the scene, Tsuna fully willing to leave if the youkai seemed to be handling themselves, he was disgusted to see a child against the wall, human hands around his throat; the truly disgusting part was that Tsuna couldn't tell if the child was a youkai or a human.

Kyouya stopped for all of two seconds before he was coursing through the people, almost twenty of them all gathering and hording and beating humans and youkai alike.

It was disgusting.

It was feral.

It made no sense.

And it was exhausting to see everyone hating each other.

Tsuna barely manages to get through the fight, as do Hayato and Takeshi. Ryohei ran the boxing club so he breezed through the fight and Kyouya barely broke a sweat. It was humiliating, he had Vongola power but he could barely use it. They were all exhausted, but Tsuna would bet that it was an emotional exhaustion. Ryohei searched through the group, and when he couldn't find who he was looking for he bid the group a quick farewell and disappeared. His shouts were heard for a while longer though.

It was a time like this when Tsuna wanted to take Reborn's offer.

"Sir, you saved us." A preach here.

"You'll save us all." A coo there.

"You need to slaughter the humans." A hissed laughter from behind him.

"The ones who want to slave uss." The awe and hope that Tsuna didn't want directed at him.

It was a tempting offer, until things like this happened. Tsuna didn't want to join Vongola, to be the saviour of them all. He didn't want to admit his heritage for this very reason.

He didn't want the hope of all the youkai on his shoulders. He didn't want to give into the primal desire to protect all the creatures that Feronia could put into his hands.

But he couldn't not do it at the same time. "Leave, before the humans come back."

Especially when they smiled at him and thanked him and made him feel like he had the power to help everyone. Hayato, Kyouya, and Takeshi escorted them away while Kyouya worked to get these human removed and taken to a hospital for treatment before further punishment was given.

But when the youkai had cleared, Tsuna was left with Reborn. He avoided eye contact as much as he could, he was feeling vulnerable and unsatisfactory in the eyes of a man much stronger than him; a man who was human.

"Look Dame-Tsuna." Reborn's voice rumbles, and Tsuna's Ho-o instincts to avoid conflict trill in alarm. "The number of your precious people has grown. Rapidly, and the youkai know that you are the descendent of the treaty writer. Your only option is to accept the Ninth's protection and become his successor."

Tsuna watches the man, the human who seems as blind as all the rest, and the fire in his blood that came from his Grandpa-Giotto's blood takes over, rushing and roaring in his ears even as the words came to his lips and crow out of his moth.

"I am not about to join the group who started all this trouble!" His eyes blazed and Reborn felt fear of the supernatural power. "All the humans in that damnable famiglia are corrupt and being a Vongola heir or not, I am not about to put my family in danger by joining the fucking Vongola!" Tsuna is panting but he doesn't seem done, Tsuna didn't know where this anger really came from but the rush had opened his eyes and he was finally seeing, "The Ninth is trying to corner me so that the treaty cannot be changed, and I am not about to play fool."

"The Ninth would never try that, I won't allow you to continue to badmouth a decent men." Reborn retorted, but his voice was less convinced now.

"Find yourself a new heir, Reborn." Tsuna growled, "I am not your sacrifice, especially not for a blind cause."

With that Tsuna stormed off, and Reborn was left watching his student's retreating back, confused, and for the first time questioning why exactly, instead of leaving a boy who had no desire to even talk about the youkai treaty, the Ninth and his counsel was trying to force the boy into their ranks.

For the first time, Reborn realised how out of character it was for his boss to force a fate onto anyone, even a distant relative, but especially a child.

Meanwhile, Tsuna had met up with Takeshi, Hayato, and Kyouya and they all had grim lines in their brows. "What's wrong?"

"Lambo and Ipin were attacked on their way home from school." Takeshi grit out, smiling in that painfully fake way, even though Tsuna could feel the birds within him cawing and clawing and swooping in turmoil.

Tsuna's gut clenched and Hayato had to grab his arm to ground him. "Kyouya got to them, the children who attacked have been dealt with and you brother and Ipin are back with Ipin's sensei. He promised to protect them for you." Hayato's words were stern but steady and it righted Tsuna.

Emotion's settled, just barely, Tsuna closed his eyes, waving off the nausea at the situation. He wanted to know what was changing and why so rapidly, but he realised that perhaps it had always been this bad, and he was just too preoccupied with hiding himself and his heritage to notice.

Both cases made Tsuna feel bile rise in his throat.

"We need information." Tsuna explained, a frown marring his face. "And soon. Are you all free tonight?"

"Of course, Tsuna." Takeshi grinned, "What are we doing?"

The Ho-o frowned before he started walking towards the town to buy the supplies they'd need for that night, "We're summoning an Ao-andon and his sister."

Hayato choked on the drink he had pulled from his pocket and had been sipping on while they walked, making Kyouya turn with a raised eyebrow. "I hope you don't mean the Ao-andon I think you mean?"

"Who is this youkai?" Kyouya growled out, he had tabs on everyone in the area, but this youkai wasn't familiar to him.

"I am. Mukuro is the only one who'll know the information we need."

"Are you sure, Tsuna?" Takeshi muttered, hand on his sword and looking uncertain.

"Who is this herbivore?!" Kyouya grunted suddenly, annoyed at being out of the loop.

"Mukuro and Chrome, they transferred to the school years ago….but they were chased out."

"Why don't I remember this?"

"Because they didn't last a week, they left as soon as they appeared and it was like they were smoke."

Hayato grumbled under his breathe; helping Tsuna gather the one hundred candles from the store when they arrived regardless of his own opinions of this plan. "That's because Mukuro is."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That evening found the group of teenage youkai –minus Lambo who was neither a teenager nor old enough to meet the youkai they were summoning –sitting in one of the lesser used halls of the shrine in Namimori –much to Kyouya's displeasure –surrounded by a hundred burning candles, telling scary stories.

"I feel like we're in some teenage girl drama." Hayato muttered after he had lit the last candle and joined the circle.

Takeshi was grinning like a loon, bouncing in excitement to the point that Hayato swore he could hear 'twittering' coming from the boy youkai. He was still surprised that the boy was an Ao-sagi-ba; he was just too confident for that. But, Hayato supposed, that was the nature vs nurture argument in the flesh. Youkai were being raised human now, and things were changing.

Kyouya, on the other hand, was merely fuming at having to summon a youkai he didn't know into what was quite obviously his sanctuary, especially in such a youkai way. After all Kyouya was mostly human, though he pulled all the best of his youkai blood to the surface when he wanted to.

Tsuna, Hayato observed, was neither nervous nor frustrated as he was earlier. It was a bad side of the Ho-o to Hayato. Their blood forced them into this lulled confidence and made sure nothing stopped them, but it was forced and sometimes the emotions came out ten-fold later on. A relapse that so far had only hurt Tsuna.

That, Hayato didn't like. But he was so happy to see Tsuna growing confident, and when he wasn't going to push Tsuna into changing anything –because he knew and cared for Tsuna now –the way things were going, Hayato knew they had to prepare for war.

"Alright, so who has the first scary story?" Tsuna asked, suddenly awkward.

"Um…..I have a story about a takunai."

"Baka! That's a children's song. Not a scary story!"

"You do better then, neko-head!" Ryohei grinned as he laughed, happy to be invited to the group even if he didn't exactly understand what they were doing.

"Heh, I have one." And he did, it lasted almost half an hour, a story about a youkai who liked to play tricks on humans, who would steal away the children when they got too close. He was more monstrous looking than a Haku and had jaws as big as a mount fuji.

By the end of the story Ryohei was a little green, but all the boys were surprised by how little it had affected Tsuna.

After Kyouya was Takeshi, and Hayato after that, Ryohei had the least terrifying story of the lot, and the four continued to take turns until they finished the ninety-ninth story. The room smelt like blown-out candles and it had grown darker as they went out, the four youkai had run out of stories and so, coughing slightly into his hand, Tsuna grinned.

"I have one."

"Go on Tsuna-sama! I'd be honoured to hear it."

"Go on, Tsuna!"

"EXTREME!"

"Che, it better be scary, little beast."

Tsuna just laughed, "I can't guarantee is any good. But it's about humans."

"So my mom knew this little girl when she was younger, and she always used to talk about this old woman, nice enough, who used to come into her room and stroke her hair at night to help her go to sleep."

"Che, this is creepy already." Hayato muttered.

"Shhh, Haya." Takeshi hissed.

"Now, everyone who knew this girl, my mom, her parents, everyone though she was imagining things, some relatives said it must be a ghost. But mostly everyone just commented on the little girl's overactive imagination." Tsuna laughed at his audiences' raptured attention but continued, "Then, the babysitter was checking on the girl one last time that night before she left for the evening and found a woman leaving the room. A real old woman, in her eighties who was very, very confused."

Takeshi and Ryohei looked horrified, and Kyouya looked annoyed.

"It turned out that the woman used to live in the house, and since the locks hadn't been changed, the woman just kept letting herself in. When she visited the room and saw the little girl she thought it was her own daughter and couldn't miss a night. She had to make sure she could sleep through the night."

Everyone looked thoroughly disturbed at the end, even Ryohei and Kyouya, Hayato had his nose wrinkled and shivered even as Tsuna tried to hide his grin and walked over to the last remaining candle.

"Humans are twisted." Hayato muttered.

"Oi, I EXTREMELY live with humans! They're not all that….weird."

"Remind me to change the locks when I have my own home." Takeshi looked the most disturbed by the whole thing.

Laughter descended around them as Tsuna stood by the final candle, the smoke rising up from it. Darkness descended on them all, the laughter slithered through them, but Tsuna only sighed through his nose.

"Kufufufu, did you really end with that old tale, Tsunayoshi? I was expecting something much more extravagant for someone like you." A voice and body moved beside Tsuna, coming from the smoke of the final candle. He was tall, long haired and dark voiced. His eyes glowed red and blue, and he spun a trident in his hands.

Tsuna just smiled, "Ah, but I didn't want to use my best stories, what would happen if I needed to summon you again?"

The banter continued, Mukuro and Tsuna trading quips until Hayato finally hissed at the pair and demanded to know why they were so friendly and where Mukuro got the idea he had any right to act so friendly with Tsuna.

"Kufufu, you got yourself a little guard dog."

"I'm a cat you piece of shit smoke-ghost."

"I take offense to that, puppy."

"I'm a NEKO!"

"Mukuro, really."

"I'm sorry dear Tsunayoshi." The man purred, loving the look on the bake-neko's face at his familiarity. "What is it you called me for, you don't usually bother?"

Tsuna hummed, "I need information, from you and Chrome."

Mukuro, for his part, barely frowned, but the group could feel his distaste. Still, he waved his hand and another smoke cloud appeared, from it a young girl, who looked strikingly similar to Mukuro –blue hair, slight form, tall –except that Mukuro had hetero chromatic eyes and Chrome only had one.

"Who is she, TO THE EXTREME?"

"She is a Hashi-hime, Ryohei." The brunet turned to the new addition, and Mukuro, and introduced them to the group. "I helped Chrome out when she was bullied last year, I gave Mukuro some tips about where he and Chrome could go and hide and he promised to give me any information he had if I needed it."

"What information?" Kyouya looked intrigued for the first time, eyeing up the pair with the tridents with something akin to disgust.

"All of it." Tsuna grinned sheepishly. "Mukuro and Chrome, travel from smoke to smoke and bridge to bridge, so as you can imagine they pick up information as they go. They simply promised me, that if I needed it, they'd give it to me."

"So we can only assume you need something, Tsuna?" Chrome's voice was delicate, but she had the temper of a thousand youkai when she wanted to use it.

"Yeah, I need to know what Vongola are up to. Reborn's come to drag me into the family and humans are attacking youkai all around me suddenly."

"You think the Vongola are playing foul?" Takeshi's mouth dropped into a stern frown and Tsuna could only reply with a grim frown.

"I'm not putting it past them. I may have been ignorant, but it's only suddenly that Mochida and the others are targeting known youkai; I would have noticed this amount of violence, and I don't like it."

"Kufufu, you finally show your fire."

"Wao, you sharpen your fangs, little beast."

Mukuro and Kyouya glared at each other, but Tsuna put a stop to it before they could go any further with their primal desires.

"Mukuro, please, have you and Chrome found anything out?"

The smoke youkai sighed through his nose, crossing his arms and looking over the gathered youkai with distaste. He hadn't expected the Vongola heir to gather such a group. But perhaps that was why he was acting so quickly; after all, once you had a group under your wing you reacted much quicker than usual.

"The Vongola," he spat that word, "hasn't been right for years. The Ninth, he is quickly falling into insanity and your father is no better."

"What do you mean?" Hayato flinched, he had known and followed the Vongola and its movements for years, trying to figure out where the fault started. Apparently he hadn't been wrong.

"Well, dear cat, do you know the Cerevello? Ah you do, well they have been growing closer and closer to the heads of the family, reaching hands into their minds and destroying them."

The Cerevello were a once human family in Italy, or else, they were a lesser demi-god chosen for experimentation by the Vongola to test the boundaries of youkai and human. It was an inhumane practice that was quickly stopped once the world realised what was happening, of course the results were already there to bear.

Tsuna wasn't sure what happened to them after, but if Mukuro was right –which he usually was –then the Cerevello were obviously brought into the Vongola fold. From there it was obvious that they had overstepped their boundaries and made themselves more than they were.

The question was how.

"They're the ones who've been pushing to find the blood of Vongola and bringing them into the fold." Chrome explained, "Because once the heirs were in-"

"The Vongola is able to watch them and make sure they don't try to change things." Kyouya growled, "That is an herbivorous way to live."

"Kufufu, oh dear, someone had his pride in a knot." Mukuro grinned "The Vongola are Herbivorous, or else, they've become more so since they let the Cerevello in."

Of course, half way through his argument with Reborn, Tsuna had his eyes opened to this fact, he knew this. But there was more.

"Alright, so the Ninth isn't right. What does that have to do with the youkai attacks?" Takeshi cut in, his eyes narrowed; Tsuna could almost hear the crows from his core as his brain worked over and over.

"The Vongola is desperate, if they can get Tsuna under hand they can control the rest of his life. They didn't manage with Iemitsu, but they think the man has leverage over Tsuna and they think that will mean the end to their worries." Mukuro started.

"All these fights, this turmoil, they know it will force Tsuna into action, and towards the closest thing to a family that will help him fight this turmoil; the Vongola." Chrome finished.

The gathering chewed on this for the longest time, Tsuna's temper burning, but Reborn's lessons had been helping some. His friends wondered how everyone was so blind to this happening, but they supposed that humans wouldn't want to notice it, and youkai wouldn't be able to get close enough to get proof.

Or at least, youkai any less powerful than Mukuro and Chrome.

"Well, it's a good thing that that idiot has no hold over you, little beast."

"And you have us."

"EXTREMELY!"

"We're here, Tsuna-sama. They won't touch you."

Tsuna smiled, hopeful. "Thank you, Mukuro, Chrome. Would you keep me updated, when you can?"

The two youkai smiled, though Mukuro's looked more like a grin and they started to fade away in the smoke their arrived in.

"Don't worry, this is too interesting to avoid. We'll talk to you later, Tsunayoshi."

And as quickly as they appeared they were gone, and Tsuna could only sigh fondly as he lead his friends back towards their homes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, how was your meeting?" Reborn had tried earlier to get information out of Tsuna and the boys about what had happened while he was having a revelation, but nothing had come out of it.

It frustrated him to no end, but he had to just wait it out.

"I was just getting information, Reborn."

"And what did it do?"

The boy paused, and Reborn hoped that it was a step forward. He needed the boy to trust him, because now Reborn was looking for truth, truth from both sides.

"It gave me enough to move."

Reborn didn't even try to hide the grin with his fedora.

"Right then, better get ready. I'm not going to hold back. You need to make your great-grandfather proud."

Though a shiver of fear rattled through Tsuna at the promise of that training he couldn't help but grin. After all, he had finally made a decision for himself and he wasn't going to be half-assed when his friends were involved.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chrome appeared not long after their meeting, pale and shaking, eyes flashing to every shadow even as she pulled Tsuna away from the group. The boys were suspicious, but when they saw the look in Chrome's eyes they acted as if they hadn't seen her, though their eyes roamed the area. They were more alert than before, waiting for someone to strike.

"I've got news that the Varia are heading to Namimori."

"Who?"

"The Vongola's task force, the violence and strength behind the Vongola that keeps those who dare to go against the treaty in check."

Tsuna paled, mind whirring. "Why, do you know?"

But Chrome was already shaking her head, uncertain and terrified. "I didn't managed to find out. Only that there were problems between them and the Ninth before they left."

"So they could be on our side?"

Chrome was shaking her head again and Tsuna sucked his teeth. "No guarantee, I can't tell if the Cerevello are involved, or if Varia is covering their bases."

"Alright, thank you Chrome. Please keep me posted if you find anything else out?"

"Of course, Boss." Chrome was as bad as Hayato, but Tsuna knew this nickname wasn't going to change any time soon. "Mukuro-sama wanted me to tell you that regardless of where this goes, he's ready for your war."

"There's not going to be one." Tsuna grit out.

"Mukuro-sama doesn't think so, he's waiting for the new tales he'll see you make."

Before Tsuna could argue, or dissuade Chrome from that ides she was gone, faded into the shadows and back to her bridges as she protected herself, and her new family in the only way that she could.

The Varia, they were a new problem, Tsuna wasn't even sure what to do. He could ask Reborn, since he would obviously know more about them. But Tsuna wasn't sure if he could trust him yet, not after their argument, not after putting his foot down and uprooting the Hitman's intentions.

But he had to try, if not for anything else but protecting his friends. Besides, the training had been harsh and violent, but Tsuna was starting to understand. He and Hayato had word game battles, and he and Kyouya fought to protect themselves. Takeshi and Ryohei joined, and Lambo often watched the proceedings, drawing in the information, and when his emotions ran high he added his two sense.

So after all that time, all the trust, Tsuna thought that perhaps he could trust Reborn to give him the information that he needed.

"Reborn."

"What is it, Dame-Tsuna?"

"How strong are the Varia?"

When Reborn froze and started at him like he was crazy or dead, Tsuna wasn't sure whether to be frightened or intrigued, because obviously this group was strong if Reborn was so concerned about them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Reborn gave an order, only knowing him a short while or not, Tsuna and the others followed him. The instant after Reborn's voice had washed over them, the three boys had already scattered, and as their feet touched ground an explosion shook the area they had just stood.

Takeshi paled, eyes searching for an escape, but Tsuna noticed how they flashed to him, making sure he was alright. Hayato was flickering in an out as he posed and propped up his traps and tricks, his eyes searching for Tsuna too.

"Don't get split up!" He tried, but it was already too late.

Three shapes had sprinted after Tsuna's friends, and the explosions and attacks were already searching to separate them from each other.

"You two stay together, I'll be fine." Tsuna tired, already hitting the ground as a solid wave of air struck him from the side.

He rolled, gathering fire and air in his hands and shooting into the sky, using his momentum to travel from roof to roof, just like Reborn had taught him. The explosions grew farther and farther away ad he ran, and he could only hope that his friends were alright. Reborn was nowhere to be found, and the lack of protection had Tsuna's mind buzzing and the lull was forced into his skull.

"TSUNA."

Without hesitation Tsuna was on his feet, barely managing to dodge a fireball that aimed to take his head from his shoulders, his fire roared up around his feet, ready to shield and throw him out of the way, he broached the air with his Lull even as Reborn appeared on his shoulder.

A man, slinking in from the darkness, appeared on the roof before Tsuna, red eyes and scars, he was a demi-god. Probably more powerful than Tsuna was.

Tsuna felt the fire rise in him again, but this time it wasn't feral and dire. This wasn't a run or a reprimand, this was a soothing warmth, the feeling he imagined a pack mate might feel when he was home; both his great-grandfather's demigod blood and the Ho-o blood soothed and Tsuna felt like trilling when this man's red eyes held his in a determined and steady gaze.

But still, Tsuna felt the threat, he smelt the blood on this man's coat tails and could feel the buzz of demigod –or at least part –from the man before him.

He was a hunter, but for whatever reason, Tsuna knew that he was not after Tsuna's pelts.

"You're his grandson."

It wasn't a question, and Tsuna knew what the man meant. This time, unlike so many others before, Tsuna knew not to deny the claim.

This man, with red eyes and scarred limbs, was looking for Tsuna, and not to maim; this man was testing Tsuna's spine, and the past few months had shown Tsuna exactly what kind of spine he possessed.

He was about ready to test it out.

"I am Giotto's last descendent, Tsunayoshi Sawada-Vongola. Who are you and what do you need with me?"

The man, all red and scars smirked, throwing his guns back into his pockets and letting the bloodlust stop away. Tsuna was surprised by the wafts of youkai and god-blood off the man.

"I am Xanxus, of Secondo blood." He explained, and Tsuna's hackles bristled at the mention of mutt Vongola blood. "The only thing I want from you, child of Giotto, is an end to this farce and true peace amongst human and youkai."

Tsuna stepped back, eyes molten, "What would you want with that, you're of the blood that caused this rift."

Xanxus looked sad, but not surprised. "So you think child." he breathed, breathe like a smokestack and like insanity and fire and emotion. "But you have been lied to. My blood did not ruin this truce alone, and your blood will not fix it alone."

"Why do you want to help me?" Tsuna crowed, chest puffed and feathers dancing around him as he toyed with the idea of transforming and getting out of this confrontation.

He never noticed his admittance to fighting this war.

"Because I've had enough of watching our family fucking crumble; I'm sick of seeing my boys suffer for some fucked up treaty that was corrupted from the start."

"And if I say no?" Tsuna asked, though with the way Xanxus spoke and the way Tsuna's mind ran with the idea he knew it probably would not come to the extreme.

"I will bleed you dry and use your blood myself."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Hayato never panicked. He had been raised by his mother to be calm, to trust his instincts and the power he was born to wield. His mind was the sharpest of all the bake-neko from his home, and he was told he resembled his ancestors in mind and body.

Even with Lavina gone now Hayato tried to remember what she taught him.

But Hayato had never had to face a creature who wanted him dead. He could feel the heat at his back; eyes he couldn't see staring at him.

This beast was a human, but like no human he had ever know. He was absolutely, terrifyingly insane. Hayato had met a lot of youkai, had researched them and devoured all the information he could.

But not even the strongest, most brutal youkai would ever give off the pure blood lust that the man breathing down Hayato's neck did. He could feel the man's breathe and smell the blood coating his hands and the blades he slashed through the air.

But he was human.

"Bastard, what. Don't get too close!" Explosions and nets and illusions surrounded Hayato, but the man seemed to glide through them, only leaving a mess of wires and dynamite in his wake.

"Ushishishishis, the prince like the kitten." The man cackled, ignoring the wounds he barely missed receiving, "He jumps around so much; gives me a challenge."

"Bastard! I'm not your play thing." Hayat's hackles bristled up as he spun around and caught the man in the stomach with his foot, halting the assault.

Only to yowl when the man stabbed him in the thigh.

They were dancing, running, jumping. The man was either a genius or insane, or both the way he danced and dodged and saw through all the poisons and traps Hayato set.

Hayato was strong, he trained and once he met Tsuna he had a purpose past just wanting to see the Vongola fall for killing his mother's family. Hayato was strong in his own right, but he wasn't perfect. A single mistake had him cornered with the blonde human grinning at him like he had a new pet.

When a sudden pain assaulted his skull, Hayato barely managed to see a tall, frowning form behind him before he hit the floor.

"Too bad boss said not to kill them yet, the kitten is fun to mess with.

"Mou, you know he wouldn't like being called that, Bel. Let's get him to bossu."

"Ushishihi, you're no fun."

But Hayato blacked out before he heard more, he wondered how Takeshi was doing, the idiot couldn't keep his head on right sometimes. It amazed Hayato that he'd hidden his nature for so long.

Takeshi on that note, was staring down a man, he had long hair and a shark grin, and Takeshi couldn't get a single read on him. He looked human, but there was an edge of power to him that meant so much more.

The man was either of another world –youkai or gods-blood –or he was close to a very powerful creature that washed him with his power and presence.

Either were likely, and either were dangerous to Takeshi.

"Maa maa, it's a good thing I've been learning Pop's techniques, hmm?" He smiled, lightly, and the man before him scowled.

In a flash of blue two blades pressed against each other and both men grinned violently, ruthlessly.

Takeshi was made up of birds, the Ao-sagi-ba were a mix of the tiniest birds that flinched and scurried away, and usually Takeshi's core followed this norm, telling him to flee at the nearest sign of trouble; but he hated that part of himself. He worked hard to change it, to overcome the shy and timid side of himself. After all, his father was made of birds of prey, his core was a buzzing, roaring swarm of eagles and hawks and creatures who could hold their own.

Takeshi was a swarm of swallows. What could swallows do against this beastly man with rage in his sword?

"Voooiiii! What are you doing, birdie?" The man grinned, teeth sharp like small fangs, "You won't be able to defeat me."

"Oh? I think I might?"

Takeshi's flames licked and guided him, they blinded the man, and they tripped him up. For all his effort, Takeshi's sword met flesh, but his opponent met flesh three times each time Takeshi did.

"You've put up a good fight, boy." The man spoke softly, right next to Takeshi's ear as his fist connected with Takeshi's gut. "But boss wants you alive and at his feet."

"t's Yamamoto Takeshi." Grunted out the brown-eyes boy as his eyes dimmed.

"Is that so? I am Superbi Squalo."

As Takeshi hit the ground, groaning and in more pain than he had ever experienced, he realised that swallows, while tiny and stream-line, were possessive and tough. Takeshi had found his nest, and now he knew he would have the strength to defend them ruthlessly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tsuna was halfway between intrigued and relieved when Takeshi and Hayato were unceremoniously dumped at his feet, and was astonished when not only Ryohei, but Kyouya were herded to the roof looking grim and frustrated. The two latter boys were completely uninjured, and though Hayato and Takeshi were covered in injuries, Tsuna could see the bandages and ointments covering them visible flesh.

When they had all gathered, looking more like warriors than Reborn had ever seen, Tsuna spoke up.

"What exactly do you want with all of us?" His eyes glowed like a volcanic eruption and even the Varia were amazed by the power behind them.

Why hasn't this child acted before? This would have been over by now.

"Would you have preferred we slaughtered you all and ended this?" the silver-haired man who had downed Takeshi mused openly, the nauseous looks were enough to answer him.

"Pfft. You're really pathetic. But we need you so you'll live for now." Xanxus muttered, watching the way the children moved together

As if by his words, there was a shift in the air, Tsuna shivered and smoke gathered on the grasses burning at his feet.

"Kufufufu, it seems I'm a little late to the party, dear Chrome." Mukuro stepped from the smoke with Chrome at his side, their eyes scanned the Varia and then the boys on the floor. "Tsunayoshi, what are your boys doing? So pathetic."

"Mukuro-sama, that's rude." Chrome whispered, but even as she said it she and Ryohei were standing Hayato and Takeshi up, letting them lean against them as they tried to bring them around.

Ryohei shook them awake roughly despite Chrome's quiet and scared look. He needed to make that they were there to listen, the more who knew what was happening the better change they had to get out alive, the more minds there were to plan.

"What game are you playing, Xanxus?" Reborn growled out, his gun glowing in a way that made all of his brood wonder why he wasn't a god-blood.

The man with the red eyes, the raging god-blood who seemed kin to Tsuna, looked at Reborn, but his eyes were hollow, burning like the centre of the sun, and Tsuna could feel those around him flinch back. But he knew that rage, it wasn't something the man let take over him, it was his blood.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Who are the Varia, Reborn?" Tsuna wasn't holding back, Reborn was going to tell him, and if he did than Tsuna knew Reborn was in this for them now, and not the Ninth. "Will we be able to withstand them if they come after us?"

Had his student not just asked about his own death warrant, Reborn would have been proud of the growth. Yes it was bolstered by his own maturing blood, but Tsuna was starting to consciously follow the desires he had to protect, and Reborn wouldn't argue about it.

Or at least he wouldn't normally.

"Where did you hear that name?"

A staring contest ensued between the infant tutor and Tsuna, the latter having never seen Reborn so solemn nor serious with him. His jokes, and abuse, and forced threats, they were all gone from Reborn's eyes. It almost terrified Tsuna to see.

"I just know it. Reborn, do we stand a chance."

"I don't know where you found out that information, but I will find out." Reborn paused. "What do you want to know?"

"Are they youkai?"

"No. Or not entirely." Reborn started, with a sigh the man-in-infant-body sat on the desk and gestured for Tsuna to do the same. It was a long story after all. "The Varia are an elite group led by Xanxus who act as both the police and persuasion force for the Vongola."

"Xanxus being?"

"Let me finish, Dame-Tsuna. Xanxus is the Ninth's son, a god-blood apparently."

"So he's Secondo's blood."

"Yes, and his group of five are all a mix of human, youkai, and gods-blood. But no one knows exactly who is youkai and who is god-blood and who is human. The Varia have made sure that for the most part, no one can be sure of their abilities."

"Most of them? You said Xanxus is gods-blood." Tsuna was confused, all this information, it made no sense why the Varia would be after them, especially when Tsuna hadn't done anything against Vongola yet. It made him think that something else was going on, after all, Chrome had told him that there was dissonance between the two groups.

"Xanxus is a special type. I've met him twice, but one thing I know is that he is a gods-blood of first generation. There are rumours that his mother was the god of rage, for he wields fire as well as your blood. He doesn't care what people think about him, or who knows his blood and not. He's confident."

Lyssa….Tsuna knew of that god, a god of rage and rabies. She was related to the god of insanity. To know that he was being hunted by a man of such hated made Tsuna's blood run cold; but Reborn had said that Xanxus was the leader of group that was not only successful but thriving.

Tsuna might have a shot, especially if Xanxus could be reasoned with. Or distracted.

"Do we have a chance?" Tsuna asked, yet again, because Reborn kept avoiding the question.

"When are they coming?"

"I don't know."

Reborn was quiet, eyes shaded, mind whirring. "If you work, Dame-Tsuna, you might live to know why they're hunting you. Let's just hope I have a month to work with you first."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm not playing any game." Xanxus explained, aware that his boys were uncomfortable with such a long, civil, exchange. "I have told your boy what I want from him."

All eyes turned to Tsuna, still burning with fire, as he turned to Xanxus and his followers. He was sweating, panting, and exhausted. He was exhausted. He wanted nothing more to do away with the Vongola or youkai or gods-men or humans. He wanted to leave right now.

But this would follow him, everywhere, for the rest of his life, he knew it would. His father would find him, and he could never leave his mother and Lambo to fend for themselves.

It wasn't in his nature.

But neither was fighting.

"I don't want to fight." Tsuna growled out, looking at Xanxus and pleading him to see.

Don't get him wrong, Xanxus had been raised with the rage in his chest, he was born from the god of rage and had learnt to harness it for himself.

No one and nothing could tip him over if he didn't want to tip over the edge. Rage was his bones, and rage was his breath.

His mother, Lyssa, had handed him over to the Ninth before the man knew what was happening. The Ninth liked to deny their blood connection, but even if the Ninth hadn't bedded the Greek god in a fit of lust, Xanxus had more right to the name of Vongola than even the Ninth with a direct link of relation to Secondo; Lyssa's son and Xanxus' brother. But before handing him over, Lyssa made sure that Xanxus understood his bones and and breathe and could use it to protect himself.

"My children are never lucky and are never greeted with crowns and jewels. Your brother was the same, Xanxusaki mou, but he was too consumed by human emotion and could not control it. You will, for I have raised you."

Xanxus' mother always taught him well, and Xanxus used her teaching to get his own way, making everyone think him too far gone to understand reason. It was the only way that Xanxus and his boys had avoided the pull of the Cerevello thus far.

Xanxus and Tsuna were kin, even by the broadest and smallest of ties between their Greek parentages. But Xanxus was possessive of kin and he would pass on the knowledge of his mother to his brother.

"But you will, paidi mou." Xanxus' sigh didn't question the boy, he knew the boy would fight, knew the boy had decided long before Xanxus pushed the issue. After all Tsuna's eyes hadn't lost their volcanic explosion of power, and of anyone, Xanxus could direct his magma.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tsuna was realising that his life was becoming nothing more than a constant cycle of surprise and strangeness. He had gone into his meeting with Xanxus expecting the man to hunt him down, drag him to the ninth, and ensure that his movement was properly tired.

But the man hadn't done any of that. Instead Xanxus had given Tsuna the final push, the proof that Vongola could be changed, or else it could be pushed.

Because people inside were suffering just as much as the youkai and humans outside.

It made the whole situation even more exhausting. It made Tsuna wonder why someone hadn't done something about the whole thing sooner, he wondered why someone hadn't seen all the turmoil and pain and suffering, and taken action before him.

But that was the point, wasn't it?

Tsuna was someone, someone who had decided to turn a blind eye to the suffering of his own species and tried to assimilate with another in an attempt at his own peace.

Tsuna was someone who was waiting for someone else.

Giotto too, was Someone, but he was one who took action into his own hands and told the world that he was ready for change. He saw suffering in two group whom he loved; youkai and human; gods-blood and human; and he had decided that it needed to change.

Tsuna had never looked up to Giotto. He had never wanted the expectation on his shoulders, hadn't liked the way his bloodline was cursed but at the same time put on the pedestal of 'holier-than-thou' as if they weren't normal from Giotto all the way to Tsuna; the brunet had hated it with every fibre of his being. He didn't blame his great grandfather, per se, but he certainly didn't look up to the man.

But he was a Someone who had decided to be the person who took action; the one all the other someones were waiting for, and suddenly Tsuna realised how spectacular that was in their world; how spectacular and brave and strong Giotto had to have been to decide to make a change.

Giotto was still normal though, and Tsuna thought that that was perhaps the reason no one wanted to make a change; how could they live up to a god like Giotto. Or at least a god like he was made out to be.

Xanxus had helped open Tsunas eyes, but it didn't mean that he didn't terrify Tsuna at the same time. He was all feral and large teeth.

"Right, you little trash." Xanxus prowled in from of them all. It had been a week since the Varia arrived, and the enforcers had grown bored, deciding in the end that Tsuna and his friends needed training. "If you're going to stand up to the Ninth and the Cerevello you need shaping up."

"Oi, bastards! Don't you dare badmouth Tsuna-sama. He's stronger than you all can hope to be." Hayato had taken a personal offense to the Varia and their insistence on training Tsuna alongside a very amused Reborn.

"Voooiiii! You little runts know nothing. We had you floored within minutes."

"Only because we weren't EXTREMELY a team!" Ryohei had stuck around, interested in these men from a different world the Namimori, and also decided not to attract attention to his family with his involvement.

"Che, the Vongola will not stop because you haven't gathered together, time is money." There was another infant like Reborn there, and Tsuna knew –like he had with Reborn –that they were not quite as they seemed.

A strange mix of youkai powered humans, and god-like mortals. It was strange and cursed and it made Tsuna –and his friends' –skin crawl to think of such a half-life.

"These little beasts might not hold up, but the old bones of the Vongola would stand for less than a minute against me." While Mukuro and Chrome had decided to keep tabs in the dark, Kyouya had been intrigued by the strange men.

Tsuna knew of course, as did the Varia, that Kyouya was more attracted to the opportunity to fight strong opponents full-out, than perhaps the knowledge they were trying to give.

"Che, these trashes aren't worth out time. I say bleed the Ho-o and be done, boss." This man words were ignored, but Tsuna knew a rare-game hunter when he saw one; this man loved his youkai pelts above all else.

Wasn't it disgusting? Like humans could traffic humans, youkai were still hunted in regions of the world where they were not considered 'humans' and through the trade was supposed to be illegal in japan, this man didn't seem to care.

It made Tsuna sick to think that the Vongola didn't care either. Even though, by upholding the treaty in Japan, the humans from Italy were also supposed to uphold the treaty.

"All of you trash need to shut up." Xanxus stood with a lethal grace and a glowing body of the deim-god, his eyes ran over them and Tsuna felt a draw. Felt that this man could understand what he wanted and would help him in the future. "Ya got things to learn, and you got to learn them fast. I'm still undecided whether or not to bleed your baby-boss or not."

"Oi, bastard that isn't a funny joke."

"So learn, and learn fast." Xanxus stood and walked out with Squalo, gesturing for the others to follow.

Reborn's lessons had been harsh, and unwanted. He had trained them all, personally and together. But he was one man. The Varia each chose a boy or two and were ruthless. After all if they were going to follow the brats making the change, the brats had to be strong.

Xanxus' lessons were one on one with Tsuna, and they weren't battle focused. Tsuna had a natural fighting style that would not work with the scarred man. Instead, Xanxus and Tsuna sat together for hours, working out their new treaty, what they wanted, and what to do if they weren't going to get it.

It was exhausting in its own way, but Xanxus was a good teacher, if not a little rough around the edges.

"You're not bad, paidi mou." Xanxus' affection had been a little unnerving, but Tsuna understood that kin called to kin. Even distant relatives. "Once you forget that the humans don't understand your kind and kin."

Tsuna grinned as he shifted in his seat.

"But for fuck's sake. Stop it with the sugar smiles, it's embarrassing."

Yeah, Xanxus and the Varia weren't half as terrifying as they had been at first, once they realised that Tsuna and his friends had finally decided to do something about their society's injustices.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

No one knew how long they'd get before the Cerevello and the brain-washed Ninth grew tired of Reborn's lack of reports, and decided to come and get Tsuna themselves. However, they all thought they'd have more time than this.

Because not only Chrome, but Mukuro arrived in the morning, exploding out of smoke that burned from nowhere, panting.

"Vongola will arrive tonight, and they're ready to do anything to bring Tsuna back to their side."

And like that, as simple as that, Tsuna and his friends witnessed the ferocity of the Varia. It was like a shield slotting into place around a castle. It was battlements and it was grace. Their eyes took on this eerie glow, and it made Tsuna wonder if being amongst a god-blood –a first generation like Xanxus –day in and day out made mortals take on characteristics of the gods of their own. Because these men didn't look like simple men.

"Come on brats. Our fight starts now."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reborn was the one who decided to take the fight to the Ninth. They wouldn't let themselves be caught unawares, and so once they knew where the man would be entering Namimori they set themselves up there, ready for him to arrive.

Xanxus and Tsuna stood off to the side, speaking over the contingencies and readying themselves for war. It was by no means easy for Tsuna to do all this; even after making the decision to make a change.

He wondered, for not the first time, how Giotto managed to do it, not once but twice and in two different countries for two different groups of warring people.

Of course, if it wasn't easy for Tsuna, it was harder for his friends, who were children, but who had never had this expectation upon them or their blood.

"Does it get easier?"

"What now, boy?" Xanxus' eyebrow raised up, looking at the cool, Vongola calm that settled in the boy's eyes and bones.

"Does fighting for laws and treaties get easier? Because no matter what, it seems like someone won't be happy with how things are."

The scarred man –Tsuna hadn't had the heart to ask the man how he got them –puffed up his chest and grinned, the expression was a little softer than usual, before he spoke. "Looks like you've taken in some lessons after all." Xanxus purred, his wrath flames roiling again at the thought of having this child under his wing. "You will never please everyone. There will always be a need for majority rule. But," and he continued after pause to look over his people, "it goes get easier to make that choice. Especially when you have something to protect."

"But how will I know? How will I make sure I don't become as bad as the Cerevello and your father?" Tsuna growled, the wildfire building in his chest and resonating with Xanxus, the scarred man cooled his own fire and was pleased to see Tsuna's respond.

"Keep asking yourself that." Xanxus wanted to imprint that into Tsuna, the Ninth had done so to him as a child, and had not heeded his own words, "Keep asking yourself if the majority is actually happy, and if they are, move closer to home."

"Closer to home?"

Xanxus' eyes rounded on Tsuna's friends, and his own, Tsuna blinked as he watched them shift and talk and jitter. It was like a family, they leant on and bolstered each other. But he saw what Xanxus meant. Tsuna's friends were inwardly frantic, determined to do right, but desperate to prove themselves.

"If you can keep your family happy, keep their dreams and determination close, if you can make their hopes and dreams reality, then aren't you already doing well, paidi mou."

Tsuna smiled, both at the affection becoming more familiar and also at the words and promises Xanxus spoke of.

"Yeah, I guess it does."

Xanxus smirked again. "Besides, if you get too big for your britches, or go off the fucking deep end, I will bleed you and be done with the whole clusterfuck."

Tsuna really couldn't help it, he couldn't, laughter bubbled from his chest, and the resulting wave of calm from deep inside him instantly unknotted the tension in the shoulders of all their gathered allies. He smiled, tears clinging to his eyelashes when he finally managed to calm down. "That sounds like a plan, Xanxus. I'll hold you to that."

"Fucking right you will." Xanxus grin seemed less feral as his own fury purred in peace.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

When the Vongola did arrive, it was not alone. The Ninth was easy to spot amongst the crowd of men, most of which were older than Tsuna expected; but the Ninth, old and grey, with a cane to fool the audience and a smile as soft as silk, was a memory Tsuna remembered well from his childhood. It was a time when Tsuna would have happily joined the Vongola, thinking it was really a family rather than a dictatorship.

The Ninth was followed by a group of guards, and four Cerevello; all women as they were, pink and creepy and unhappy by the presence of Reborn and Xanxus on Tsuna's side.

The first thing that Tsuna couldn't shake off while looking upon the Ninth, was the trill of fire in his gut that only appeared when he was amongst kin, be that youkai or gods-men. His eyes shifted between his father and the Ninth.

Could it be his father giving him that feeling? Afterall he hadn't seen his father in a while and he couldn't exactly remember if he had that thrill before.

"Tsunayoshi, what are you doing?" Iemitsu's voice carried, along with the thrum of calm that came when a Ho-o wanted their way.

"Reborn, I am most disappointed, and you Xanxus; my ally and my own son, both joining a traitor instead of helping me save him." The ninth's eyes were so sad and true, and Tsuna felt pulled to them when he knew no human man should have that power over him. "I'm ashamed."

"Che, you're a piece of trash to think that I am the traitor." Xanxus snarled, but there was a snap in his voice; he certainly didn't want to be a traitor to his blood.

But with Tsuna beside him, Xanxus wasn't entirely.

"You will stand down, Sawada Tsunayoshi. We the Vongola will forgive your treason if you bow to the Ninth and pledge loyalty." The way they spoke was like anesthetic, tasting like copper and begging for acceptance. But there was a tang to their words, the youkai language hidden in their strange monotone. Pledging loyalty? Tsuna knew that signed over all right to make a change. It made him nothing more than a way to continue the bloodline.

"I will never."

Standing before the Ninth, Cerevello and his father, regardless of the allies he had in Xanxus and the Varia, Tsuna still felt naked and bare. He felt cold for the first time, an unnatural cold that left the Ho-o-Feronia cross feeling hollow and dead.

Golden eyes flickered around and noticed a tension in Xanxus' neck and a glaze to Tsuna's friends' eyes. Realisation dragged Tsuna's eyes to the Cerevello, and he noticed for the first time the echo in their voices.

Only youkai could produce an echo like that, for it was their secret communications when they grew too close to humans. Only youkai could produce it, and only those with youkai blood could hear it.

Which was why the Cerevello had control. Tsuna could see the glaze in the men and women across from him, by the Ninth's side; even in his own father's eyes. Tsuna could feel his limbs going numb and could smell the will in his friends dying under the hypnotic thrum in the Cerevello words. Tsuna finally realised that the Ninth, for all his assurance that he was nothing but human, couldn't even see when a creation of his own family's torment knew the truth and was using it to their advantage.

"You will stop this." Tsuna's words were backed up by a wave of heat and peace that burned away all the anesthetic from Tsuna's half of the field. Though Iemitsu blinked and shook his head, it was the only sign that Tsuna's efforts may save them.

"Tsunayoshi, child." The Ninth smiled again, and Tsuna felt instantly scolded, like he should apologize. "We want you safe, the youkai around you, you've seen their aggression, and I've opened my family to you, why don't you join me?"

"Don't you dare try to sway Tsuna-sama." Hayato was in front of Tsuna in an instant, eyes furious and hands full of his signature explosives that his mother had taught him to make.

"Maa maa, Tsuna doesn't want in on your family." Takeshi hummed, standing beside Mukuro and Chrome, his blue fire dancing at his feet and around the blade he carried.

"Kufufufu, I never though the Vongola fell so far, even when I heard of the Ninth being tricked."

"Oi, trash. The Vongola have fallen, but that's still my family." Xanxus muttered, his presence bolstering Tsuna's fire as their gods-blood resonated.

Tsuna watched the Ninth as these words flew around him, and he could see the old man growing more and more enraged. But whether or not that was the Ninth's real emotion, or the youkai blood deep in him growing tainted by the Cerevello's siren song Tsuna didn't know.

"Boys, you will both be punished severely for this betrayal of trust," He began, voice echoing across the street. "But come now and your friends might live through theirs."

Tsuna's eyes darted to the Ninths, the man who wanted him as an heir, the man his father respected above all else, but Tsuna only felt pity. The man was being used, led by the nose because of blood he didn't even know he had, it was pitiful.

But the women beside the Ninth, they were the truly pitiful ones. Genetics a mess because of some fools drive to make humans that were youkai without any of the 'negatives' that came with being once mythical creatures; and the beasts bit the hand that fed.

They thought that their intellect, their drive, their…oddity would save them. They thought they could run the world in revenge for the twisted blood they were left with, but Tsuna only felt a desire to destroy them, and put them on rights again.

Tsuna was a Ho-o in truth, his blood searched for sanctuary and peace, but when something threatened him and his, well Tsuna was not part God for nothing.

"I've had enough of this." Tsuna roared, his voice coming out like crackling fire and a caw warbling together. "I've had enough of this damn fight. I've had enough of this discrimination and this messed up system."

"Tsuna?" Takeshi, and each and every one of those that Tsuna gathered to his side stand, watching the heat and fury roll off of the young man's shoulders.

"I've had enough." Tsuna's voice is loud, booming, silencing all around him; the Varia; the Ninth generation; and the Cerevello. "I'm ending this. Right now."

As if called by his blood, the charter appeared in a burst of wildfire and wind. Tsuna grabbed it in his hands and tore the seal wide open.

Without ceremony, without a call to words Tsuna opens his hand and a stone from some distance flies at him slicing cleanly across his hand before falling to the floor, and as the blood started to flow until it coated Tsuna's hand, he swiped it across the parchment.

No one even had the chance to stop him, and as the contract burn and screeched as youkai word and tradition destroyed itself Tsuna's eyes landed on the Ninths.

"You will sit here and write the treaty, or so help me I will take the right to my family back from you and write it all myself."

"You cannot, the treaty-!"

"You stupid women," Hayato laughed, loudly and from his belly, a car-like snigger ending his bellow. "the treaty of old is done! Boss is the last heir and he has total rite to write the whole thing himself; feel yourselves lucky he is being so kind."

Tsuna just grinned, watching the Cerevello flutter worriedly, "Just watch me."

---

So there you have it, my attempt at SkyGem's prompt and challenge to me, you have over 25k (almost 27K) words, and about three or four days of straight research, plus a month and a half of writing. I know it's an abrupt end, and that's for many reasons, one being that it leaves it open for me to do spin-offs. Which if you follow my 'Afterlife' series, you know I love.

Again, I want to apologize to any/all Japanese/Chinese/Italian readers I have, or any readers with a vast knowledge of youkai/demi-gods and legends from those areas of the world. I have none of that knowledge and I've tried my best to fit our main characters with Youkai/demi-gods I thought fit, and tried to keep these legends as IC as I possible could. But I'm only human, and have a little too much enthusiasm about this stuff, so I truly apologize. If something is terribly terribly wrong, please PM me, if I can't change the story then I would like to know so I can put a disclaimer and perhaps make better in the future.

So thank you so much. Be sure to check out SkyGem's story to see how different we handled this Prompt, when I have the link I shall put it in my profile, and thank her for giving me the opportunity.

Thank you again, love you all

~~Bleach-ed-Natsu :3

On a final note I am looking for a new beta. My past one –the wonderfully patient mercyn –had other commitments and we decided it was best we go our separate ways. So if anyone is interested, PM me and we'll chat about the possibility.