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Chapter 2. Beginnings part 2: the Missing Half

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Kairi

Kairi Hibari is the second child of Hiroji Hibari and Nami Hibari. To some she would be seen as the princess of the yakuza. She was blessed with the guardianship of all the yakuza within her father's domain. To others she was just another version of her brother, something to be feared. But to her, Kairi was just another girl who wanted to live her own life.

For the past ten years of her life she had been molded into this perfect image of a daughter by her compelling father. A father who just so happens to be one of the largest yakuza bosses in Japan, the leader of the Black Dragon Society. A father that was never really there for most of her life.

Despite having all these rules, all these teachings, inflicted onto her, Kairi only ever saw her father three times a year: on her birthday, on her brother's birthday, and on Christmas. Sometimes she would see less of him when his oh-so-important meetings arise leaving a daughter sad that her father wasn't there for her fifth birthday.

It didn't take long for Kairi to realize that she had to grow up quickly. Being thrust in the world of the yakuza meant that she had to grow up quickly. Grow up to be something like her brother. Hibari Kyoya.

Kyoya had always been, in a sense, the golden child. Skilled in combat, intimidating attitude, having a growing army on his own; Kyoya was the ideal out of the two. And although she never said it made it official, Kairi always ended up comparing herself to her brother.

She loved her brother, dearly, that was the truth. They have a special connection with each other that no one within the Hibari compound could really understand. The siblings were there for each other—two parts of a greater whole. The two understood each other and what it meant to live as a Hibari. Being one of the few children within the estate made it easier for the two to get closer.

Despite the love she had for her brother, there was always the jealousy. The sin was always there taunting the youngest Hibari into thinking she wasn't good enough, that she will never measure up to the level that her brother was in. Kairi knew that her father favoured Kyoya more. It was obvious from the compliments and the amount of attention their father gave towards Kyoya that he was the favourite, and it didn't help that everyone in the yakuza preferred him over her.

But none of it mattered anymore. Things were changing—she was changing. Kairi will no longer be that timid girl that lets her father decide her fate. She takes a stand and the future for the better. She will be free.

The yearly festival was coming up and Kairi found her brother saying something unexpected.

"Do you want to go to the festival?"

Kairi eyed her brother. The very statement screamed suspicion. Her sibling was planning something and Kairi didn't want to be a part of it.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi answer. "No."

The male Hibari eyed his sibling. "I thought you would have wanted to go?"

"And have the whole yakuza swarming around me like some force field? No thanks." Kairi turned her attention back to her calligraphy. She was practicing for the day before she got rudely interrupted.

Kyoya sighed. "This is as much as I can do, Kairi. I have bargained a lot with father already. This is your only chance to get out and have some fun."

That's what you think. "I can assure you that I am having the appropriate amount of fun here at the estate."

"Really?" Kyoya raised and elegant brow. "That's not what you told me last week."

"That was then, this is now." Kairi raised her calligraphy brush and pointed it accusingly at her brother. "I can assure you that I am a new woman now."

Grey eyes narrowed from the older sibling. "If you're planning something…"

"I'm not." The younger sibling sent a reassuring smile to the eldest. "Have more faith in me, won't you?"

Kyoya didn't answer back. He left the room in even strides and shut the door with a loud slam!

He was angry, that, Kairi knew as much. She knew her brother tried his hardest to help her gain some sort of a childhood, but he was still on a tight leash with their father. Nothing was going to change, not yet at least.

In all honesty, Kairi couldn't wait to grow up and finally leave this place. It was hard enough growing up here, there would be a time where Kairi would have none of it.

But for now, Kairi stayed at the estate. There was a festival she had to plan sneaking out too.

It was around eight o'clock in the evening when Kairi decided to make her move. Her escorts were more or less drunk at this time, leaving the perfect opportunity for Kairi to slip from their grasp.

The female Hibari lifted a loose floorboard at the corner of her room. It was in this compartment that she hid all her essentials that were forbidden or otherwise frowned upon. All the manga, video games, and books were stashed neatly and ordered accordingly. Kairi was a bit of a neat freak and often found herself cleaning and organizing to her pleasure. It just makes more sense for her and allowed for easier access.

Between the midst of the Assassin Creed games and the Percy Jackson series displayed and elegant fox mask. The mask in itself was smooth to the finish. White painted overall with black paint lined around the eye holes, ears, and at three thin lines at each cheek.

It only covered the top half of her face, but it was beautiful. Kairi had studied her family history long ago and this specific mask was a pretty significant part in her heritage. It was the mask her ancestor wore during his assassinations. At that time the mask was complete—covering the whole face—but was later cut in half due to an unforgivable act. In her readings there wasn't much specific on what that act might have been. Kairi could only guess it was too sinful to mention.

But upon seeing the mask for the first time all those months ago hidden in the attic, Kairi couldn't help but be mesmerized. It called to her in whispers and when she tried it on there was a deep realization of history and a deep sense of legacy. The young girl felt like she needed to wear this mask and continue on the persona of the fox. By wearing it, she became someone else and provided the escape from her house that she had yearned for.

With determination, Kairi took the mask and placed the board back in its place. She placed the mask delicately on her futon and proceeded to change into her outfit for the evening. It was simple enough; a white yukata with a cherry blossom pattern. Nothing too fancy to gain everyone's attention, but nothing too plain as well. It was the perfect outfit to help her blend in the background.

When she finished dressing up, Kairi started with her hair. It was long—almost reaching her hips—black, and sleek allowing for easy handling. She was too excited to style her hair into something too spontaneous and settled with leaving it as it is. With one final look at the mirror, Kairi put on her fox mask and quickly snuck out of the Hibari compound.

When she first saw him it was late at night. The moon was at its highest, but the cloudy sky left little light for the rest. Kairi was at the temple hiding from her brother. She saw her sibling alongside his own personal goons crawling their way near one of the stalls.

Kairi almost got a heart attack seeing her brother's face, but she was quick and stealthy—something her brother lacked. Although both sibling were light on their feet, Kairi's presence was silent, at times almost non-existent, compared to her brother's whose whole persona demanded to be noticed, to intimidate those beneath him. So it wasn't hard to drift among the mass amount of people or to hide amongst the shadows. For Kairi, it was almost second nature to have her presence entirely disappear.

It's not like she minded, disappearing for a while that is. It seemed like everyone's attention were on the girl. Whether if she was keeping up with studies or where she was at the moment, the Hibari estate always kept their attention on the girl.

They had a rational reason for their over-protectiveness. At a young age Kairi was kidnapped by a rival group, the same rival group that killed her mother. She doesn't remember much of what happened, but the end result was clear. From that moment onward Kairi was constantly being watched. From the smallest things like going to the convenience store or to going to the mall, Kairi was constantly being watched, being followed. She was put on a strict schedule that demanded the supervision of at least one of the elite fighters in the family. The girl wasn't even allowed to go to school due to the constant paranoia.

It was the restrictions that drove Kairi insane. The rules that made life harder. The suffocation that made Kairi want to leave her home.

As much as she did appreciate the attention, it is entirely unneeded. She was trained as hard as her brother, learning all the similar concepts as the eldest sibling, and more so, yet her father deemed all the protection as a necessary action of protection. It was annoying on so many levels. Kairi hated it. Her so called body guards hated it (they, apparently, had better things to do than to watch the "Hibari Princess"). It was just a nuisance towards everybody. The only attention she wanted was from her father, and even something trivial as that was impossible at most times.

Kairi knew better. Her father never really cared for her on a personal level, but more on an objective level. She was a pawn, easy to use and easier to dispose. Kairi felt no love from her father and the girl was starting to feel that she never will. She was an asset. She was a liability. She was Kairi: a girl who wants to live.

It was during the night Kairi found her home. The shadows welcomed her and brought security. It was in the night that Kairi could breathe a little. She would often find herself putting on the fox mask and running away from home temporarily. It wasn't that hard to escape during this time. Kairi's so called "bodyguards" were practically in rest mode by this time making the escape even sweeter.

The black haired beauty sat behind the temple and simply enjoyed the snacks she had bought. The cooks at the compound followed the strict diet that the Hibari's have been following for generations which lead to her being deprived of anything too sugary or salty. Taking one bite of the choco banana lead to the young girl to submit to a form of euphoric heaven.

Hearing the bushes rustle, Kairi immediately hid in the shadows. She was wary and hostile, and ended up taking a defensive stance in case anyone were to attack. Kairi knew the odds of any attacker following her here were quite slim, but it didn't mean the paranoia went away. She assumed that this unfortunate trait was a familial one.

A few seconds after the initial sound. Someone reared around the corner. The figure was breathing quite hard and was leaning over, hands over their knees. Kairi was curious to say the least.

She took a risk and crept closer to the figure. Upon closer inspection, the girl noticed that it was just a boy, perhaps around her age, who looked just as frightened as she was. The boy had a lanky figure that looked as intimidating as a baby hamster. His brown eyes were big and wary, as if something scary was going to pop out any moment, and his hair was tousled so much that it was practically standing up (or maybe it was, Kairi couldn't tell).

The boy looked approachable enough and if he did turn out to be an assassin like Kairi thought, than she was sure she would be able to handle herself considering how unfit the boy seemed.

"Are you hiding too?"

The boy shrieked loudly, causing the Hibari heiress' ears to ring. Was this some type of fighting technique or something?

The brunette in front of her look even more frightened than before and suddenly stood rigid. He pointed an accusing figure Kairi's way "G-ghost!"

Kairi found herself blinking in surprise. There was a ghost? She knew that believing the supernatural and any other anomalies was beyond childish, but those stories seemed so intriguing—so real! The girl couldn't help but research the kind of stories involving the unexplained, even if it scared the shit out of her.

Feeling rather disturbed, Kairi made her way to her only companion at the moment. She clutched on the end of his blue hoodie in preparation to bolt with him when whatever threat arises. "Where?!"

"You! You're the ghost!"

Kairi had to hold her thought process in possible escape scenarios. "Me? I'm was the ghost?" She couldn't help but look at the stranger in front of her oddly. She supposed that her getup may have been weird (the mask practically radiated the feeling), but she was no ghost, not by a long shot.

The boy in front of her nodded rapidly, his spiky long hair following his movements. "Yes!"

"I am not a ghost. I am human, thank you very much."

"Prove it," challenged the boy.

"How do you suppose that I prove myself?" How indeed. She could tell there a good display of distrust on his part, but how in the world was she going to prove it? It's not like there were any big differences (besides supernatural powers) between spirits and humans. They pretty much looked similar. "Should I strip a little?"

There was a great amount of red creeping up on the boy's face. Kairi knew what she said was entirely inappropriate, but his reaction was simply priceless. "No! No."

Kairi felt a grin make its way on her face. "I guess we're at a stalemate, huh?"

There was a heavy silence that seemed to hold onto the air. It was a bit uncomfortable for Kairi and she felt the need to break it before it broke her.

"My name is Kairi. What's yours?" she grabbed the pouched filled cookies on her side and offered it to the stranger. It may have been seen bribery to get the boy to open up, but Kairi liked to think of it as an icebreaker.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"That's a mouthful." The girl tested the name in her head and ended up getting a tongue twister out of it. It was unique just like their first meeting.

"Don't I know it? Just call me Tsuna."

Kairi's mind wandered. This was the first real conversation she has had with someone outside of Hibari estate and she wanted to make it a memorable one. She decided that a nickname was needed. "I know! I'll call you Yoshi!"

"No." The answer was immediate sending Kairi in a pout.

"Come on! You'll be like the coolest dinosaur around."

Staying firm in his answer, Tsuna replied. "No."

"What about Yo-kun?"

"No!"

"Tuna?"

The brunette raised his arms out in exasperation. "That one's even worse!"

Kairi sat down already feeling tired from the spat. She rested her chin on her knees, still pouting at the boy in front of her. "You're no fun."

The awkwardness left as quickly as it came and Kairi found herself generally enjoying Tsuna's company. She minded her actions in fear that her sudden excitement may scare off her new companion, but she couldn't help but feel so giddy from the encounter.

The feeling quickly vanished when Tsuna broke the news that he was being bullied. It was weird to hear at first. Tsuna, her new amazing friend, was being bullied. It was unthinkable! All of a sudden, the girl was overcome with an intense feeling of rage. She just couldn't believe it. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? Why would anyone try?

"Impossible," exclaimed Kairi.

Tsuna responded with his own look of confusion. "What's impossible?"

"I refuse to think that people would bully you!"

"It's not that hard to believe. I mean, just look at me!"

Kairi stared at Tsuna with all of her resolve. "Yes! That is exactly what I did! I looked at you and saw a great person." Kairi didn't understand why Tsuna pitied himself, why he would ever think so lowly. The boy had so much potential and Kairi was not going allow the first person she ever truly enjoyed her time with to succumb to such vile thoughts.

The Hibari watched Tsuna clear his throat and attempt to change the topic. "So why are you wearing a mask?"

Tagging along with the conversation, Kairi unconsciously touched her beloved mask. "Oh, this old thing? I actually forgot I even had it on." She gave a forced smile, which worked on Tsuna.

The girl debated on whether to tell him the truth or not. Sure she liked the boy, but was she willing to tell him everything? She settled with being mysterious. "Well, I'm hiding you see. My family is protective of me. They don't like me going out a lot, so I snuck out with this mask to go to the festival." Kairi grinned, shining her pearly whites towards Tsuna. "It's a pretty good disguise, isn't it?"

"I guess."

Kairi felt her smile tug downwards. The loneliness of living the Hibari lifestyle creeping onto her. "I don't have a lot of friends—or any friends, really—because of my family. I love them a lot, but I get lonely, ya know?"

The pair settled into a comfortable silence. There was a sense of understanding between them that the two cherished greatly.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi continued. "I'm glad to escape though! I got to have my first friend!"

Tsuna grinned at the girl in front of him. "Yeah. Friends."

"And because we're friends, I think it's only right to take this silly thing off." Feeling a boost of confidence and reassurance, Kairi swiftly took off the mask that concealed a portion of her face.

Tsuna's reaction was late to say the least. He spent of amount of time staring at Kairi's face, which unsettled her. She knew she wasn't ugly, per say, but there was something in Tsuna's gaze that made her feel self-conscious.

"You're pretty."

Kairi couldn't help but stare at Tsuna in shock. Her face heated up in an unfamiliar way and there were knots in her stomach that she couldn't possibly explain. This is not natural!

The female Hibari swallowed and forced herself to reply back. "Thanks."

Barely a second later, Kairi felt a large hand grasp her shoulder. Her mind instantly went on alert and her body tensed in panic. She forced her muscles to relax as she prepared herself to strike the attacker who was stupid enough to touch her.

Elbows locked in an offensive position, Kairi turned around, and ready to attack only to see the familiar scowl on her older brother's face. "Ah, Kyo-ni. You found me already." From her peripheral view she could see Tsuna turn white. Oh course, her brother had to ruin everything.

"Kairi. You have been misbehaving."

The girl in the spotlight felt her anger slowly rising. "Misbehaving?! Excuse me—"

"You are excused."

You're excused! The audacity of her older sibling! He was the one interrupting. He has no right to say that to Kairi. "Don't tell me to 'be excused'! If anything, you should be excused"

Kyoya looked at her in a familiar gaze. They both knew the circumstances, and yet, there wasn't much any of them could really do in the situation. "You know my orders. You know the rules."

"Yes. You and father seem to constantly want to repeat it to my face."

"We will stop once you actually start to listen."

"'We'? Don't joke Kyo-ni! It's always father deciding what to do. It's always father restricts me from seeing the world!"

The argument started to escalate. The siblings continued to butt heads, the tension clearly rising. It went as far as to switch into Mandarin—their mother's native language—which involved some cursing in Kairi's part.

Kairi knew her brother's argument was valid, but it didn't excuse how mistreated she felt. All she wanted was a little bit of freedom. All she wanted was to be normal. There was no escaping, no matter how much Kairi tried. She knew what normality looked like. She watched children act like with their parents and vice versa. This wasn't normal. She was restrained beyond belief and it was killing her mentally, emotionally.

"It's time to leave, Kairi."

The girl was left speechless. In the end, no matter how many times Kyoya tried for her, no matter how many times he was on her side, she will always end up being some lapdog to her father. No matter how much her sibling denied it, it was true. It was as if he was the only exception that Kyoya would ever be willing to submit to.

Finding her resolve, Kairi answered. "No."

"What did you say?"

"I said no." No more. "I'm done doing what father says."

In an instant, the ground was no longer beneath her feet. Kairi recognized the broad shoulders of her brother as she seemed to be trapped by his firm hold.

To say that she was angry was an understatement. She was beyond just a single emotion. Kairi was sad, betrayed, livid, annoyed. Just this once, was it so hard to have something she wanted. Just this once, couldn't Kyoya disobey her father. Just this once.

"Let me go!"It wasn't fair! Why her? Why now?!

"We are going home." His voice was so familiar just then. It sounded so far from emotion and so cold that the hair on the back of her head stood up instinctively. It sounded just like their father's voice.

Kairi felt her body work fall limp on impulse. Her eyes seemed to fall dull and she felt so lost and destroyed. Kyoya was just like her father, and Kairi thinks that she can never forgive him for becoming like that. The tears that threatened to fall, came out quickly.

The rest of the events felt like a blur and Kairi soon found herself crying into exhaustion.

A/N: There goes chapter 2.

I usually don't like repeat chapter's (they're kind of like those anime episodes that talk about what's been happening in the last 10 episodes. It's quite annoying actually), but I felt like it's necessary in terms of introducing Kairi and her motivations. For Tsuna, we already get a sense of where he is and what he stands for, but for Kairi we don't which is why this chapter is so necessary.

I'll get the 3rd chapter done in a jiffy, although I would appreciate if people can submit some friendship promts in the reviews to help further build Tsuna and Kairi's relationship. I have a lot of ideas but they're mostly for the romance part of it.

As an apology for the repeat chapter, here's an extra for all of you!

-Angelic Bliss

Omake

Kyoya

Kyoya loves his sister. She was the only good thing in his life in the moment. Growing up, his father left no censorship in the life he would inherit. He saw the man slay another, cheat politicians, and eliminate any person that comes in his way. He was a liar, a murderer, a villain. He was their father and the only thing that tied Kyoya to him was some paternal loyalty that most children had with their parents, and the sheer fact that they shared the same DNA.

There was a certain respect Kyoya had with his father. He was powerful, logical, cunning. Kyoya had to admire him for that. But he was also very selfish. The man always thought with a goal in mind and often left the insignificant things out of the picture. Things like Kairi.

Kyoya knows better. He knows that the world is not a forgiving one. Unlike Kairi, Kyoya was thrust into the world of the Yakuza the hard way. He did not get the protection and the innocence that Kairi has. Instead he got bloodshed and corruption. He doesn't want that life for her. She doesn't need it. Kairi was an untainted flower. So beautiful. So miraculous. She was everything he lacked and then some. Kyoya can't let the world take that away.

She was so much like her mother. The smile. The way her eyes would twinkle. The way she said his name. She was a living sentiment of her and Kyoya isn't sure whether to be happy or sad about it. He knows Kairi can barely remember her, and he knows that he shouldn't replace Kairi's existence with his mother's, but he missed his mom. He missed the way she would sing his nightmares away, or when she tended his wounds from father's training, or the times she would caress his forehead and tell him that she loved him.

The Hibari heir was not optimistic towards the world. He saw the world as it is: a chaotic state that needed to be corrected. If Kairi were to live in a world happily—safely—then he needed to change it. Kyoya knew that his father brought no good in Nanimori. He brought crime in a place that was supposed to be a safe haven for his sister.

Kyoya will protect his sister. Kairi is the only thing he has of his mother and he's not ready to see her taken away. He saw how far people would go for power, money, some sort of satisfaction. They were relentless for the prize, and for the cost? War. Massacres. His mother.

He would not let his sister enter this life. He will not let his sister have her hands soaked in blood like his ancestors generations before him. He will not let his sister die in such a pitiful way.

No. Kyoya will do everything and anything to make Nanimori a safer place. His father currently held the reign now, but it won't be long before he leaves to Tokyo where the yakuza home base was. Once he leaves, Kyoya will reform everything

For now he will listen. He will watch and will wait until Nanimori is within his grasp. Only then can he change it. Only then can he offer the freedom Kairi desires.