Author's note:

I can't believe I wrote this lmao- this was just a little idea I came up with and the inspiration is actually from one of my old fan fics back then (which is a Kuroshitsuji/Hitman Reborn crossover) Sorry if the introduction seems rushed but I was really eager to publish this.

Thank you to those who put this story in their favorites and follows, especially to those who reviewed, I appreciate it!

And you guessed it right, Louise is French. More stuff about her will be revealed in the future chapters and I promise to write longer ones.

"I'll double the price- no, TRIPLE!-" Louise holds up three of her fingers to show him how serious she was about this whole matter, contemplating about raising another finger to quadruple the pay, maybe then the hitman would finally agree to her terms. How much do hitmans cost anyway? The question was left unanswered when she pushed it at the back of her mind- desperate time calls for desperate measure.

"Please wait! Just hear me out!" Louise did make a mistake, flying to Japan without any notice and just suddenly asking the hitman to blast her fiancé's brains off was one. She owed him at least a short explanation before asking for such request. Louise was quite surprised though, she expected to see a seemingly abandoned building or a huge and expensive looking office as the hitman's hidden quarters, not a simple home with a woman who has a warm smile on her face as she opened the door for her. Maybe it was a part of his disguise?

"Am I at the right place or...?" Louise muttered to herself as she examined the house standing in front of her. She made sure that the information she gathered regarding the whereabouts of the infamous 'Hitman Reborn' came from a liable source, leading her straight to this small town in Japan called Namimori. It was much different than most of the spy movies she had watched beforehand, which wasn't much since her mother would always tell her that those kinds of films were full of violence and certainly not suited for a noble lady like her. Finding her mother's warnings ridiculous now, she ignored her growing feeling of doubt and softly knocked on the door.

'I guess assassins do prefer low profiles.'

"Are~? May I help you?" Inside revealed a young woman with short, brown hair, staring curiously at her with eyes of the same color. Louise immediately composes herself as she bends her knees forward and bows her head gracefully in front of her.

"Bonjour(1) madam," The woman was completely dumbfounded at her actions- the way she cocked her head to the side as she sent her a charming smile, Sawada Nana could only stand there speechless at the girl's rather captivating beauty. Everything about her just screamed royalty, leaving Nana blushing slightly at the title she just used to refer to her,

Madam.

"Does Mr. Reborn live here?" Tsuna's mom quickly smiled at her in acknowledgement, realizing that she was probably one of Reborn's friends who came from another foreign country too, just like that handsome fellow named Dino.

"Oh! You know Reborn-kun?"

"Well… sort of. Can I speak to him?" Nana only nodded as she welcomed the girl with open arms into their residence.

"He's upstairs- ah, would you like some tea?"

"Yes, that would be lovely." Louise smiled in delight at her generous offer. She heard that Japanese people were absolutely nice, excitement bubbling up inside of her for she would be able to experience their hospitality, even though she believed that everything here was just a stage with actors fulfilling their parts. She was very glad that she could finally put her language skills into use now, her hard work during those spiteful days and lessons might actually pay off. Being able to speak in different tongues doesn't just happen over the night, it took her years of learning and yet here she was, still not fluent enough and had a lot more to go. She even had this habit of mixing the languages together as she spoke back then,

"I'll just bring it in after it's done. He's in Tsuna's room, first one to your left." Nana told her, interrupting Louise from looking around before the young girl assessed her surroundings.

'Nothing's out of the ordinary, this woman plays the 'caring housewife' role perfectly well too. It wouldn't probably hurt to go along with it.'

"Thank you. I hope I'm not intruding." Nana shakes her head at her guest's words,

"Not at all, Reborn-kun's friends are always welcome here."

At that moment, Louise almost forgot how well trained this actress was because of that genuine smile of hers.

She did not really know what to expect out of the hitman—her imagination led her to a mysterious looking, young man dressed in fine clothes that hides beneath the shadows as he cautiously interacts with his clients. The said hitman is wearing a suit alright, but this..?

"Reborn! W-who is she?" The brown haired boy yelled towards the kid as he pointed a finger at her. Louise tilts her head as she got a closer view of the group,

'Are these his assistants too? They seem so young though. Wait-'

"Sir… please let me explain, I was wrong too." Louise pleaded as she focused back at Reborn, she came here all the way from France and she wasn't going to let a bunch of men stray her andthe hitman away from the subject.

"Did you just call Reborn sir?!"

Tsuna was clearly losing it the more he listened to the girl—her formality was just too much for him that it makes her seem like she straight up came out of the 19th century, well at least her attire looks decent and modern enough in his eyes.

"Yes, I did. Is there any problem with that?"

"Ahaha, isn't that too much for a baby?" Yamamoto's laugh caused the girl to flash him a confused look- it was like he's implying that she just said something stupid. Did she..?

This is obviously a set up right? No way that this child right here is the hitman Reborn. He must have used some kind of technology to have this dummy move and talk like a normal human being, to conduct his business for him. After all, hitmans are careful enough not to expose themselves right? Right.

"You're French?" Gokudera, who's leaning quite protectively near his tenth, asked when he finally figured out the language she used earlier. Louise faced him momentarily to nod before going back to Reborn again,

"I have my reasons why. I couldn't just hire any hitman, you're exceptional, as what I've been informed. That's what I need right now, someone who could do the job neat and precise."

"You mean killing your fiancé?! What is wrong with you?!" Tsuna clenched his hair tightly, suddenly having the urge to pull them out because another weird one appeared in his life, again. It was like he had this invisible magnet around him that attracted nut jobs all over the world—

"Eh? Why would you want to do that? Don't you love him?" It was really hard to tell if Yamamoto was, for once, serious with his question- especially when he had that usual idiotic look on, it was either he found the girl joking or he was just really curious.

Louise cast her eyes down as she turned her head away, a strained smile soon made its way on her face. She wanted to laugh at his statement,

'Love'

Now that she pondered over the thought, she never really had the chance to do what she wanted in life and decide for herself. It was always her mother who did that, if not, her father. Louise suddenly felt a sickening churn building in her stomach, it was like…

She was actually starting to dislike what her parents had chosen for her.

No.

She wouldn't.

She couldn't.

Everything they have done up to now was all for her, because they loved her, and she loved them back. She couldn't act like an ungrateful child now, it wasn't like she hated all those piano lessons and those tight corsets they forced her into to look more of a lady, it wasn't like she didn't enjoy those tiring parties that were held every week for the exposure of the Brienne family, it wasn't like she'd rather travel all around the globe to explore the world instead of settling in with a lunatic Russian man at an early age.

"Yamamoto's right! W-why… why would you want to hurt someone you love?!" Tsuna flailed his arms around, hoping to get his point across Louise's seemingly thick head. He didn't really want to judge the girl, it was just their first meeting after all, but hating on someone to the point that she'd hire another person to do the dirty work for her? It doesn't make any sense, Tsuna thought angrily as he pursed his lips together. They are talking about a real life human being here,

"I-I, um- I…" For the first time, Louise is actually having a lot of trouble trying to convey her feelings into proper words, especially with the accusing stare Tsuna gave her. She would be lying if she said she didn't want to poke those eyes out, it was starting to annoy her greatly.

"Tch, looks can be deceiving, Tenth." Gokudera snarled, slowly making his way towards Louise. Yamamoto can sometimes be a dumbass but he knew how to read the atmosphere, and it was definitely not getting good anytime soon,

"Gokudera, wait—" He placed a hand on Gokudera's shoulder but the silver haired youngster only brushed it away as he huffed in irritation,

"Don't touch me, this girl needs to go."

Louise is a calm and collected young noble lady, at least that's what she tells herself when her temper is at its breaking point. She has never really dealt with someone like Gokudera Hayato before, she was always surrounded by grown-ups and only a few selective children were able to make contact with her back in France- their attitudes weren't much of an issue for her or her parents. They were respected, looked up to, no one even talked bad about them nor spread any nasty rumors behind their backs, none that she ever heard of anyway, and it wasn't because of their title but it was how her parents treated everyone.

So having this… this arrogant bastard with the crappiest octopus shaped hair ever, talk to her like he knew everything about her and treat her less than what she deserved as a normal person, was enough to make her blood boil.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

...

..

.

Louise quickly gasps as she puts a hand over mouth, suddenly feeling quite ashamed for her outburst. She wasn't supposed to lose her cool like that, she was taught how to control herself when it comes to situations like these, but…

Louise clears her throat and glances at the hitman with furrowed eyebrows,

"Sorry for the bother, thank you for your time." She bows her head before quietly going for the door, Tsuna and his company gaping at the short girl as she left his room.

"Stupid—how dare he… that…" Louise mutters to herself all the while gritting her teeth, her fists balling up as she imagined punching the octopus boy in the face. She tried her very best not to let him get to her but Gokudera has this bad habit of being a douche to everyone around him, well except for his boss, and Reborn for that matter.

"Leaving already?" Nana asked in surprise when she saw Louise descending down the stairs, it was still too early and the tea wasn't even ready yet. Louise sends her an apologetic smile and says,

"I'm sorry, I forgot I still have a lot of things to take care of. Thank you very much for your hospitality though."

Louise hastily makes her way through the household, eager to get back to her hotel because of the frustration that was slowly building up inside of her and the anger that has yet subsided. Nana, oblivious to the girl's foul mood, smiles in a sweet manner,

"It's no problem! Come visit any time, ne? You're always welcome here."

Louise stops on her tracks, looking back at the woman as she carefully studies her face. She wasn't an expert when it comes to facial expressions but she couldn't detect any signs of deception, only pure kindness of a woman who was expecting her to come back like she was a child of her own. Louise silently chuckles at this, at this woman's amazing ability to act like the innocent person that she is, she almost wanted to believe that her words and actions towards her were real.

"I will."

"You're guilty." Reborn pointed out when he saw his student staring blankly at Louise's now empty spot,

"I'm not! I- It was just—"

"You don't need to feel sorry for that woman, tenth. She could be a hitman too for all we know." Gokudera instantly cuts him off, Tsuna only nodding in agreement that maybe his friend was right.

"I-I guess so…"

But something deep down was nudging at the young Vongola and his assumptions, that somehow Gokudera was wrong and that there was so much more to the girl's current situation that made her desperate.

"You don't know anything!"

The moment those words left her lips, the way she reacted and trembled when she tried to keep herself together, it was clear to him that her intentions were not that of a hitman. At least that was what his gut feeling was telling him.

"You had us worried!" Louise's mother grabbed her by the shoulders before squeezing her in a tight hug when the woman was sure that her daughter was back in one piece with zero scratches.

The sun was already setting when Louise arrived at the mansion, constantly blaming the hotel she was staying in for causing her delayed flight. She sighed at her mother's fussing,

"I'm fine, see?"

Honestly, her parents' overprotective behavior was starting to suffocate her, not that it didn't when she was just a child. Of course, she would never admit that in front of them. Providing them with information such as the hotel's exact location, her room number and what business she has at an Asian country still wasn't enough, Louise even thought that it was a miracle that they allowed her to go by herself. Luckily, they bought her lie that she only wanted to see another country one last time before living with Luka.

"It's been a long day, I'll be retiring for now."

"Alright dear, do tell us all about Japan tomorrow. I wish you the sweetest dreams."

After a quick kiss on her mother's cheek and a gentle pat on the head from her father as their usual nightly gestures, Louise proceeds to her own room where she immediately hits the covers, enveloping herself in the soft comfort of her large bed. Ignoring the messy state of her remaining luggage and forgetting to have a change of clothes, she finally drifts into a peaceful slumber.

It was in the middle of the night when Louise heard the shouts.

She wasn't a light sleeper, something just suddenly tugged at her being, bringing her back into reality and away from her good sleep. At first she thought that she was still dreaming as she unconsciously rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes, but the loud and persistent banging outside her door indicated that this was all really happening. Louise didn't even have the time to react when the door came crashing down and there stood an old, brawny man with two more guys behind him.

"There she is."

"W-who are you?!" Louise scrambled to the other side of the bed as she tried to fight off the intruders, but to no avail, they were larger and stronger than her.

"Let go!" She screeched when one of the men wrapped his muscular arms around her neck and waist, trapping her as she was forcefully dragged out of the room.

"Mother! Father! HELP!"

"Shut up!" The man bearing her captive growled as he tightened his clutch on her, making her gasp for air as she clawed at his arms, hoping to at least loosen his hold because he was obviously strangling her to death.

"Don't hurt her! Please!" Her father's pleas and the hopeless cries of the other residents in the mansion filled the whole place. Louise swore she could smell something burning but even then, she didn't want to find out.

"STOP!" A woman's deafening wail pierced through the silent night before a single gunshot caused it to stop. Dread was starting to consume Louise as soon as she realized whose voice it was,

"MOTHER!?"

"I said shut up!" The man roughly yanked her away together with the other two to god knows where and Louise could only kick her legs as she struggled for dear life. She needed to act fast,

"Yeouch!"

Okay, she was clearly not thinking and that was the stupidest thing she's ever done but hey, that was a fast way to escape the man's snake-like grip; by biting his arm like she was some crazy cannibal hungry for flesh. She tried to tear the skin apart but it only earned her a hard smack on the face,

"You piece of-!"

Everything happened in the blink of an eye- the man striking Louise in the face twice, the sheer brute of strength caused her to lose her footing and balance before she tumbled down from an open window. Louise could feel the chilly air against her skin on her way down before her body came in contact with the hard ground.

"Oh shit!"

"Why the hell did you do that?!"

"Bitch tried to eat me!"

"You'll get a whole lot worse than that if he finds out what you did."

"Just go fucking get her!"

Louise gazed at the stars in the clear, pitch black sky as she lied still in her place, her body refusing to move no matter how hard she tried to. She let out a loud whimper when she attempted to lift a hand, everything seemed to hurt so much that she wished she could just be numb all over. It was surprising that she was still alive, they were at the second floor of the mansion after all,

"Gh- ...H-h..."

"A- Haaa- H..."

She opened her mouth to try and scream for help but only heavy pants and sounds of painful breathing came out, making her choke badly as she rolled to her side.

"Where the fuck is she?!"

"Somewhere there! Keep looking!"

The frantic shouts of the men from earlier echoed in the cold evening.

What now? Is this what Luka has been talking about? Has the time come where he finally decides to execute his plans? They weren't even officially engaged yet, no party, no announcement, what the hell is he doing? Did he really think he could just casually snatch up whatever he wanted after getting rid of them? A noticeable grin slowly forms on Louise's face,

"W-wrong m-m-move…"

Louise coughed out, giggling a bit at her fiance's little mistake before she stopped because of the sudden twinge in her chest. She knew… that Luka somehow slipped up in moving his pawns across the board- he was an impatient man after all. He would always win in a match against her whenever they did play chess, but not before Louise manages to eat some of his pieces. She could say that she was still an amateur when it comes to games like these but at least she knew how to play them and keep up. And that was what she's going to do, turn the situation into her advantage.

But how..?

Soon enough, Louise caught sight of smoke erupting from the top of the mansion, before it grew into a massive cloud of gray that seemed to engulf the starry sky. The faint smell of burnt wood was getting stronger and Louise could only stare at the ablaze where her home stood as the fiery flames slowly devoured it.

"Have you seen her?!"

"Not yet, she couldn't have gone that far!"

Louise mentally screamed at herself to stand up and run but her whole body felt like it was on the verge of shutting down, her heavy lids threatening to completely close before they fluttered wide open when realization hits her like a truck.

It wasn't too late- she still had another option left and she decided that she'd take her chances, no matter how small and slim they may be. She forced herself to get up on her feet, paying no attention to the intense pain she was experiencing. Legs wobbling a bit, she managed to support herself using the trees as she made hushed and steady steps to her new destination.

That's right, there was still some hope for her.

"Come visit any time, ne? You're always welcome here."

(1) 'Hello'