Summary/Prompt: No matter how amazing their box weapons were, no matter how stronger they would and were, they can't stop death. Rather past or present, what is decided is decided.

A/N: Tsuna's death, been WAAY overdone in my opinion. Though, that doesn't mean that his death fics aren't any good. In fact I've read many that were amazing. Being as that is, I wanted to try my own hand as this idea has been bothering me. And I added a little twist.

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10 years in the future, he had saved himself. As he smiled brightly he could barely comprehend what had actually happened verses that he had simply won, and now they were all back and safe. Sawada Tsunayoshi sat there at his dining room table in almost complete darkness, save for the light of the waning moon spilling through the lone window, staring at his empty glass of milk. He had come down a couple of hours ago to drink some to help quell his insomnia.

What awaited him in fact, was his stomach turning in happiness, he supposed that was this emotion. Just a couple of hours ago the house had been almost turned upside down in excitement by the happy returnees. Though honestly it had to be his (which obviously meant Reborn's, but fear of his mind reading abilities made him blame it on himself) stupidest idea to have put all his guardians in one house. And when Mukuro had changed with Chrome and the sake had been pulled out by his useless father, well that would most likely be why everyone was passed out in different parts of his house. He knew for a fact Hibari and Mukuro where passed out in his room.

A chuckle floated out before he could stop, it was amazing that Mukuro couldn't hold his liquor. It was almost sad when Mukuro had challenged him to a drinking contest. Another chuckle escaped, funny enough it had been his mother that forced him into the battle despite his protests that he was a middle schooler. Tracing a finger around the rim of his glass, Tsuna smiled lightly. Having a mother with the genes holding the ability to drink like a fish was pretty useful. That and more times than he could count, when his parents got drunk they made him take small sips as well.

Which was why he stayed as far away as the nasty thing called alcohol as possible, and when needed could easily drink three cups without beginning to launch them self at their opponent. He frowned lightly and shook his head, if it hadn't been for Hibari and a drunk tonfa, he wasn't entirely sure which meaning Mukuro had with "I'm going to possess your body today."

Tsuna laughed now, he was not as stupid or oblivious as he was made out to be. Most likely due to his sharpening intuition he could easily tell that some of the threats of the night weren't as innocent, if bodily harm was innocent, as people tried to make him believe. His cheeks flushed as he closed a hand over his mouth laughing, so not to wake up anyone. Perhaps the three cups of sake had gotten to him in fact, after all he was rather small for his age or perhaps Reborn had really been pouring some more alcohol in his drinks when he hadn't paid attention.

Either way, he had won against Byakuran without any deaths and fixed everything. Byakuran would be a useful ally in the future, Reborn had said. The Byakuran they had left had spread himself out to each of his versions and would stop them from going bad. Then Uni had sealed their abilities to hop dimensions. Oh, life was good.

It also helped that Kyoko had been so sweet to him lately. She had even held his hand when they returned and as he reflected back. Everyone must have been so jealous as the boys had glared hard. Hmm, he thought, did they all have a crush on his Kyoko? But then, why had they glared at her versus himself? Maybe it was what Lal Mirch had told him during a break he had begged for. They had oddly had a rather serious talk during that two minute break.

"Everyone wants your attention. You're like the sky and everyone wants you." she raised an eyebrow, "Considering some of them, some want to be in you. And when you disappeared, it wasn't just like the sun had gone out. No," she looked far off then, "it was like having nothing but space. Empty and vast space that can fill nothing nor can be filled."

Aah, now he felt slightly...weird. Was he really that needed? He had never been particularly needed in his life and he was sure it was all because he had managed to win. For the first time. He had kind of sort of won with Xanxus. But he couldn't really count that. He hadn't won against Mukuro either since that situation had been a complete no win situation, well for him. For the first time, Tsuna felt like a hero.

It was addicting he decided as his finger fell from the glass. This feeling of being reliable. He closed his eyes and remembered the smiling faces. Perhaps that is why he liked Kyoko, her smiles made him feel like he was worth something. And now he had more than just her smile awaiting him each day. Even Hibari had grudgingly admitted his growth in strength and Mukuro's creepy smile still meant approval.

Tsuna stood up suddenly picking up the chair, still mindful of the sleeping people. He began to pace restlessly in front of the sink. These feelings of being approved and having people be proud of him was almost unbearable. He scratched his usually messy hair, while it brought a lot of good feelings at the same time despair over came him. Could he still be their hero? What happens if next time they weren't strong? What happens if next time he just wasn't strong enough? He took in a strangled breath as he leaned against the sink. He couldn't bare going back to being unneeded.

"Tsu-chan, what are you doing?" came the most familiar voice in his life, his mother. He turned and gave a shakey smile. Tsuna was pretty sure he was drunk at the moment. However, he put on a clear face, as well as drunk can, to his mother who stood there at the entrance with a soft smile.

Sawada Nana was not oblivious; well not as much as most people assumed she was. She took a few steps towards her son and held out her hands. When her son had returned, she didn't ask questions. That wasn't in her nature to do so, and that was why people adored her so much. She accepted and she loved as easy as she breathed.

Nevertheless, as Tsuna took steps towards her, stopping to grab her hands gently and holding them tightly in his own then bringing it to his face, she looked lost. If given a chance, and in complete privacy Tsuna would have easily accepted the hug. However when Tsu-chan, no Tsunayoshi, opened his eyes they held a kind of strength that had burned in Iemitsu's eyes since they were young.

"Mom, I'm needed." if she had been any other person, if she hadn't had changed his diapers when he was a child or nursed him each time he got a "booboo" she would have missed it. That slight uncertainty in his eyes that clashed with the confidence in his voice. She said the one and only thing a mother could.

"You are always needed." she said bringing their clasped hands together and placing a light kiss on her son's. When had his hands grown so big? Tears prickled at her eyes.

"I missed you." he said and she nodded in fear the sob would come out. He slowly let go of her hands and turned his back to look out the window again. She could tell he was the same Tsuna, after all a couple of hours ago he had been running in fear of Dino's lovely turtle. Nevertheless, as she stared at his back, she knew he would never be her baby Tsuna again.

"I think I'm going to take a walk. Just around the block." he said suddenly turning to give her a brighter smile. She looked her lips and swallowed the cry. Nana fixed him with one of her bright smiles.

"Itterashai." was all she managed as Tsuna picked up his jacket from the back of his chair and disappeared past her. Nana walked over and picked up the glass of her precious son.

"I'm not needed anymore though." she whispered hugging the glass to her. And even as sadness filled her senses, a sense of pride bloomed that moment.

Tsuna had a slight skip to his step as he walked out, the brisk air of early morning hit him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim item and glanced at the time. 5:27 it read. It would be dawn soon. The day he had left for the future, his mother had given him a cell phone. Unfortunately he had left it in the past when he had gone. Still he smiled as he fingered it walking out of his front yard. The cell phone had lots of numbers right now. He had always held off on getting one, feeling embarrassed he would only have his home number in it. But now he had lots of numbers and a sense of giddiness filled him as he reached his gate.

"Where are you going?" came the childish voice so familiar. Tsuna quickly looked up stifling the gasp that threatened to spill. He should have expected the unexpected from Reborn who sat there pointing his gun at Tsuna.

"Just for a walk." he said giving a nervous smile. The gun was lowered as was the hat.

"Hmph, don't be too long. They'll be worried." Reborn said his childish strong with his order, but Tsuna could hear the slight smile in his voice.

"Arigatou." Tsuna said looking up at his tutor before passing by and walking down the street with his hands in the pocket. The thank you wasn't for the sign of care but for the fact the baby had entered his life and gave him these feelings by making him strong.

Reborn looked up and watched him until he disappeared around the block, shoulders hunched to try to keep out the coldness. He was a smart man he knew perfectly well how much had been in that thank you. He allowed a small smile to crack his face as he leaned back and shook his head. That brat was shaping out to be a leader. And, damn right he knew it was because of him.

The brisk coldness bit at Tsuna and his heart felt free as he figured his cell phone in his pocket. His mother had been the person, who had shaped his life before, then it was just Reborn but now it was everyone. And slowly, ever so slowly, it was himself who was shaping his own life. He gripped the cellphone with a renowned excitement. He felt like he was really going to become that leader so acclaimed in the future. And he was going to live for it.

He licked his dry lips and breathed in the air. He had done the one thing no one could say they did, he had beat death with his own hands. Tsuna would grow up with the people he called his family and live he would live with them even if he had to be in the mafia. A sort of glint filled his eyes, but he would never let the mafia hurt people. He had accepted at the moment of the first punch from Byakuran that he would become Vongola Decimo.

Tsuna stood at the corner now breathing in deeply. Everything was waking up now, cars where beginning to drive past him. How far had he walked? He closed his eyes and tilted his face up to the sky. It was his first dawn as a hero, as the heir to become the leader of the Vongola (one who wanted to be) and the first one he had ever experienced in a long time where he didn't feel like he was completely worthless.

And it was beautiful. As he opened his eyes he could see the sun breaking the horizon. It was so like Ryohei-nii, always rising. Only falling to rise again. He let out a short laugh as he remembered the boxing fight Gokudera and Ryohei-nii had gotten in when Ryohei had pushed Gokudera into Yamamoto and they had accidentally kissed. Lambo had somehow managed to get into it and if it wasn't for Reborn practically kicking the bazooka out of the house they would have all probably been screwed again.

Images of the night passed before his eyes as he stood there. Sawada Tsunayoshi, for the first time since he was a mere child, was looking forward to the next day. It hadn't been like this since before he knew how inadequate he was in reality. Though, now he knew he was adequate. Adequate enough to be needed by people. He was a hero.

And those where the very thoughts in his head as he watched the twins of the corner's Vegetable shop owner. They had ran across the street chasing after their little brother's toy ball, completely oblivious to oncoming traffic. Tsuna's intuition knew, that the truck would hit, without even having to glance at the sleepy driver. He knew it, and knew he was a hero. It wasn't his best combination of thoughts.

"I'm a hero." echoed in his thoughts as he ran across the street and pushed the crying children. I'm a hero flashed through his mind even when his smarter conscious, which suspiciously sounded like Reborn, yelled at him "Why didn't you use your damn gloves?" which he always kept on him.

And he knew why as the horrified screams of children filled the air and the truck driver abruptly stopped after seeing he had just sent a mere teen skidding against the street, he had really thought he was invincible. For a split second, as he had imagined how much of a hero he would be when everyone found out he had saved more people before he realized that the redness in front of his eyes was his own blood.

The redness blurred when he heard screams for an ambulance. This wasn't how it was supposed to go? Hadn't he escaped death? He had helped everyone and assured Byakuran wouldn't be bad anymore. Hadn't he gotten stronger? Tsuna knew he didn't deserve this and bitter resentment filled his senses. But only for a split second.

Then regret flew in, only this wasn't because of a mere bullet. As he could feel his own life slipping away. He began to regret never doing certain things. Never telling Kyoko his feelings, never bothering to hang with his guardians more, never really playing with Lambo and not telling his parents how much they meant for him. Tears fell as blood pulled around him.

Damn it all. It wasn't fair.

This time, there was no resurrection. This time he wasn't going to come up stronger. He knew the ambulance would be backed up by morning traffic. He was going to die and he didn't want to. He wouldn't be able to tell his mom "Okaeri" nor do his morning exercises, that Reborn had assuredly planned, with the rest of his family.

Then again, he thought as his conscious faded. It was fitting that dameTsuna wouldn't die from something "cool" like a mafia gun shoot but from trying to be a hero. He should have known better then to play hero so soon after he got to be one. Fate tended to hate him and crash his dreams like that. However, he didn't regret saving those children. Never would he regret saving people. But...damn it, it wasn't fair.

The ambulance drew near but only the children near the struck boy heard the words. And as they grew up they lived by that for the boy that had sacrificed his future for them. Never truly understanding who he was or would have been.

"I want to live." he whispered as his eyes grew dim.

~*~*~*~*~

At 7:27 the Sawada household was awakened by a mother's screaming sobs. Because Nana knew her baby boy really was never going to come back.

Death was not to be beaten, even if it had to hit from a different time.

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A/N: I'm really suppose to be making curry right now O.o.

Btw, here's some clarification on Japanese.

Itterashai: Kind of like a way to say "Good Luck" or "Have a safe trip."

Arigatou: Thank You

Okaeri: I'm home.