Chapter 2

Tsuna knew it was definitely undeniable.

He was in a parallel world.

He was in an alternate universe.

And he was so going to murder someone.

Especially fate sice fate had always been coupled with Karma. The bitch.

Reborn casually strolled through the Vongola mansion, his nice crisp black suit remaining the same as it did day-to-day and his black fedora neatly placed on top of his head and casting an ominous shadow on his face. The smirk of confidence on his lips had did nothing to lighten up his dramatically murderous aura that had successfully compelled the maids and butlers to create a path for him as he strides down the corridor of the gazillion euro mansion.

What was he doing here again? Well, besides the annoying fact that he tutors a promiscuous blonde idiot and the espresso produced by the chefs were another thing that persuaded him to stay. However, that was besides the point.

Ah-That's right. The Ninth wishes to speak to him regarding the assassination of Vongola's most distinctly threatening enemy. Reborn wasn't too certain on which one; there was far too much that he had eventually lost count.

Well, if the Ninth had opted for his help, Reborn could understand how much of a threat his...victim would be. Victim was a nicer word than target. Reborn did not understand why he chose to refer to the target in a more sophisticated way.

Reaching the familiar mahogany doors, Reborn did not bother to knock, opening it and bowing politely to it's occupant. He straightened up.

"You wish to see me, Nono?"

From the desk in front of him sat an elderly man. Nono smiled gently, however Reborn could clearly see the strain in it. He beckoned for him to come closer and Reborn complied, closing the doors and approaching the said man.

"Reborn my old friend...I'm sincerely regretful to bother you, but you are needed" he declared, placing his elbows on the desk with hands clasped in front of his mouth.

Reborn raised an eyebrow, now in front of Nono's desk.

"Do not fret, I do not care for such things Nono. But onto the main task, I am to assassinate an enemy yes?" he responded.

If Reborn were to be honest, he was actually anticipating this mission. Having been cooped up in the mansion with nothing better to do than to make his student's life a living hell, Reborn could not deny how dull his life became. Not that he did not fully enjoy his student's suffering, but a little action once in a while wouldn't hurt.

Nono nodded his head grimly, and Reborn's curiosity was further piqued. If Nono could sport a look of apprehension, then his victim was going to be a hefty amount of trouble. And Reborn liked that thought, a lot.

"Yes. Yes you are Reborn" Nono shifted his hands, one reaching to one of the desk's drawers before handing Reborn the manila folder, a bright red stamp of 'SSS classified'

Nono cleared his throat. "Reborn, this is no one normal. And I'm giving you as long as you need to carefully devise a plan that would allow you to propitiously end this...boy"

Reborn tensed, feeling his gut churning at the word 'Boy' If his knowledge was correct, which it undeniably is, then this mission would be harder than he thought. Much harder, in which he'd have to pour a century of work into planning.

But he is Reborn, and he will succeed without fail.

Reaching into the folder, Reborn took the first content his hand touched and his face twitched into a slight grimace. He was right.

"I will try Nono, and do not worry. I will succeed" he announced, voice unwavering as he threw the photo on Nono's desk before turning his back and walking out of the room. Reborn did not want to look at the boy's face for any longer.

"Goodbye Nono" With that, Reborn was gone.

Nono's eyes softened. He reached for the photo, clutching it in a vice grip before breathing in and setting the item down on the table. Nono stared at it, switching his attention momentarily at the door where Reborn had left.

"Be careful...Reborn"

On his desk, a picture of a spiky haired brunet with the bloodiest amber eyes that glowed ferociously in crazed insanity smiled wildly. Blood splattered on his cheeks, some streaking his hair.

Behind him was a carnage, one that Nono would rather forget.

Leo...the most feared boy in mafia, even before Reborn.

After all, escaping the Vindice and easily creating pandemonium within the mafia at the age of eighteen was simply terrifying.

Reborn didn't know exactly what to do. He wasn't terrified, but he was apprehensive. Terrified was an overstatement, but Reborn suddenly felt like staying in the Vongola mansion with espresso in his hand and a gun in another as he satisfyingly makes Giotto's life a hell would have been much appreciated than doing this mission.

Reborn wasn't afraid. However, having known this boy for two years and having seen the apocalyptic mess the boy has done in two years of being known will have even Reborn concerned.

No one plays with the Vindice. Nobody.

Two weeks. Two weeks of carefully deducting a plan that would have the boy dead. Two weeks of attempting to track down the boy, only for him to disappear within his peripheral vision. And two weeks on restless nights and nerve wrecking situations created by his paranoid mind.

Reborn was rarely like this, and he abhors every single second of it. However, it was simply justified by the fact he was going against Leo; a boy that poses as a present threat to the Vindice, continuing with the image he had brought upon himself.

Hell, being imprisoned in the Vindice is more than enough to evoke fear within every mafioso. Escaping it with ease and never been tracked down was on another level.

And as Reborn chased the black clothed figure in front of him, giggling madly even after hours of fighting against him, Reborn could only curse.

"Hm...Mr. Reborn. My body is terribly sore from all the fighting we previously did. Couldn't you, I don't know? Give me a slight break? At this rate, you would catch up to me and eventually kill me. So would a breka suffice?" Leo creepily asked, jumping over the large fence using the wall as a boost. Reborn followed behind, jumping over it with little difficulty.

"Well, that would defeat the purpose of this chase" he gritted out of his teeth, feeling his nerves tingling in anger as Leo only laughed teasingly. What the fuck was wrong with this child? Making a casual conversation with Reborn knowing that he was in a life and death situation was baffling.

Reborn positioned his Leon Gun securely gripped by his right hand. Aiming it at the other's head, he pulled the trigger.

As expected, the other only titled to the left to avoid his bullet, another giggle leaving his mouth. Reborn dodged the trash cans that Leo had divertingly placed in his way, grimacing as a rotten banana peel grazed his face.

He swears, he wants to fucking castrate this boy so bad

"Mr. Reborn~ Shooting bullets at teenagers isn't very welcoming you know! Please refrain from trying to blow my head off~! It's mean!" The other chided, now skidding across the pavement and kicking the boxes and cans in its wake. He then straightened up before turning left at the corner.

Reborn had almost slipped under the mess Leo had created. A vein popped in his forehead and he growled, aiming another well aimed hit to Leo's head.

The bullet had missed the head again and shot the wall.

"Stop talking to me like a child" He rounded the corner and Reborn's Intution suddenly flared.

Above you

Reborn quickly placed his hands above him, blocking the kick that would not doubt crack his skull. He quickly twisted his left hand, attempting to grab the other's ankle, but failed as Leo had kicked him, using him as a leverage before flipping backwards creating distance between them.

A cheeky smile appeared on the brunet's face. If he wasn't an insane kid, Reborn would have liked him.

He clicked his tongue in irritation, glaring heatedly at the other who only laughed merrily.

That laugh was grating on his ears and Reborn wishes nothing but to permanently stitch the other's mouth.

Silence dawned upon them, both not moving for a moment. And Reborn had used this endeavour to quickly charge at the other, shooting at the pipes conveniently placed above the other's head.

The pipes fell under the force and Leo merely dodge before charging towards him. Reborn ducked underneath the roundhouse kick aimed to his face before sweeping underneath Leo's legs. The boy jumped, twisitng his body so that his other feet would spring upwards to make contact with Reborn's face.

Reborn scowled, blocking the kick as he felt the other move backwards to create a few meters distance between them.

Straightening up, he fired a barrage of bullets towards Leo, the other graciously and fluidly dodging with ease. Reborn thought it was weird that the other resembled a dancer in this situation.

This time, Leo initiated the battle, starting it off with another kick in which Reborn retorted by sending some of his own kicks and punches.

Both engaged themselves in a fist fight, the sounds of skin clashing with skin and a few passing gunshots from Reborn.

If one were to see them, they would only be left awe at the fiery dance both had absentmindedly displayed in this moment of heated fight. The loose bricks of the walls began to crumble at the stray bullets from Reborn, but both had paid it no heed.

Reborn had kept his eyes trained on Leo's body and notice how his movements were decreasing in speed and the forces of his attacks decreasing in strength. The other was weakening, and Reborn would have felt slightly reassured by that.

Nonetheless, despite this, an estatic grin played on Leo's lips. His eyes alive as he ducked, sweeped, jumped and kicked Reborn. Reborn retaliated with his own, dodging, swerving to the left and to the right, jumping and attempting to fully injure the other.

Never had he once involved himself in a hand to hand battle in such a long time. His hits having been much easier than stealing a candy from a baby, Reblrn had needed to use his gun and his gun only.

Flames, not so much helpful in a physical confrontation. He heals, but that does not necessarily mean he was weak.

And as time passed, Reborn was finally dominating the other, his punches finally hitting and with a particularly hard kick at Leo's abdomen, he sent the boy flying towards the wall.

The concrete cracked at the force of his kick, and Reborn wasted no time in pointing his gun at Leo again.

From his kick, he could register that Leo may find it hard to even move at all.

"Move and your head is gone"

Leo froze, his back tearing away from the wall as he shakily stood up in front of Reborn. A smile was what he had on his face and Reborn is seriously perturbed by this.

Leo's mouth moved, his hands clutching his abdomen as he backed up to the wall.

" ...I think you win this time. I cannot feel my body, and I do no think I would last any longer" the other had said, and Reborn could only seethe.

"You caused more trouble than all of the Mafia combined, and you are willingly allowing yourself to die? Please, I don't believe that" Reborn rolled his eyes, cocking his gun towards Leo's direction.

A wry smile appeared on the boy's face. He took his arms off his aching abdomen and raised his hands up in a surrendering fashion, before gazing at him with surprisingly honest yet devilish eyes.

"No, No, No. Please, believe me. My flames had been completed exhausted even before our fight! Really, couldn't you have chosen a better time in which I had to use more than half of my flame power to completely destroy the Estraneo Famgilia? You have terrible timing, Mr. Reborn"

Leo grinned his famous Cheshire Cat smirk, amber eyes blazing in amusement and Reborn gripped the gun's holder tightly in his hands.

"Well, Vongola partially thanks you for destroying them, seeing as he have been planning to do so. However, that does not change the fact you will die by my hands."

Reborn released the safety before speaking again.

"So, I hate to say this but; Any last words?"

Leo smirked, arms falling at the side of his body.

"Fino al nostro prossimo incontro..."

Reborn's hands tightened around the gun, Leo's words greatly bothering him. But he chose to put that thought away for now/

"I see" he dully replied, fingers nearing the trigger. "Well, this is goodbye"

And he shot.

Reborn didn't know why he was so anxious. He had killed Leo, shooting his head more than three times but less then ten. Anxiety was rationalized when dealing with Leo and Reborn resented having to feel exceedingly wary of a dead boy when he was absolutely certain he had racked more bullets in the other's head, point blank.

Looking back for the final time at the dead, unmoving corpse, Reborn turned his heel and began walking away. Fishing out the phone in his pocket, he dialed the Ninth's number- a private number surely as the Ninth may as well be the leader of all Mafia organisations.

A set of rings occurred before the line had been picked up.

Report

One word. A single command.

Reborn proceeded his way out of the alleyway, a smirk gracing his face.

"Done. Send in the others. The coordinates should now be available seeing as I had made it so."

Silence on the other line before Rebirn heard a relieved sigh. He rounded around the corner, dim light from the background reaching his eyes.

Well done, Reborn. I commend you...But for now, come back. Safe, Il mio vecchio amico

Reborn merely nodded, ending the call without any more words spoken. He pocketed his phone and tilted his fedora downwards, the smirk wiping completely off his face as the light from the distance began growing larger.

Leo's words still repeated themselves in his mind, like a broken cassette. It was simply agitating, and he is more than distraught.

Reborn should not be acting like this. He should have full confidence and faith within his skills, and Reborn fully knew he does. His gut feeling had given nothing uneasy about Leo's earlier words, yet as he walked out of the alleyway, the clear buzzing of people greeting his ears in all but muffled noises, Reborn is overwrought.

He's dead, He's dead. Stop this unnecessary worrying

He's dead, He's gone.

Dead

Gone

Reborn could feel his stomach churn sourly, walking aimlessly without a place in mind. He chose to ignored the looks of lust directed at him as he strolled confidently down the streets of Sicily.

(He would greatly appreciate it if both genders could offer him a day without being leered upon. Although it boosted his ego, Reborn was not in the fucking mood)

Leo is dead.

He's unmoving.

A corpse.

You shot him eight times.

Point blank.

No chance of survival.

Reborn reached for his fedora again, tugging it downwards to hide his menacing expression.

He's merely a dead body...

...So why was Reborn worried?

Leo, Vongola is announcing that you're dead! That the greatest hitman in the world Reborn, successfully assassinated you!

...

...

...

Well fuck him over sideways and dick toss that shit to hell's gate, this parallel world was more fucked him than he originally imagine.

See, sarcasm and change in his level of profanity with age and death. Tsuna was more than ready to die, to join his may great grandfathers within the blissful end known as death, and Tsuna is insane because he was slightly expecting to have the best time of his life watching as his own brother suffered under the tutelage of Reborn as he lets his sadism completely take over him. The man was over sixty, but still very very strong, so Tsubasa would prosper underneath Reborn's teachings.

(Not minding the fact he would gladly see his humiliated brother.)

But this was ridiculously absurd. Fate juts hates him to the core.

(Not as much as Tsuna, but the resentment is still present)

Tsunomichi's frantic voice had snapped him out of his depressing thoughts.

Leo...Are you okay? You are not actually dead, are you?

Surprisingly, Tsunomichi's voice had lost its usual demented tone and Tsuna felt oddly disturbed by this. Nonetheless, he chose to answer because not responding after minutes within the conversation is impolite.

And Tsuna is a polite person.

He smiled, although Tsunomichi could not see it, relaxing against the concrete wall of the abandoned building. There was nothing in the room except for the rotting furniture and scrappage, but Tsuna paid it no heed.

"I'm fine, Tsunomichi...I am clearly alive if it means I am directly having a conversation with you right at this moment."

He heard a sigh from the other side of the phone.

Good...Because I would personally mutilate your uneducated ass if you dare to die on me

Tsuna gulped. Technically, this Leo is dead and Tsuna is possessing his body right this very moment. He suddenly felt like he was invading somebody else's personal space.

"Uh...Yeah...I'm not dead" he reassured the other. Before Tsunomichi had went on a very long rant, Tsuna chose to add another comment.

"But, What do you mean? Reborn had assassinated me? Me?" He stretched out the 'me' emphasising on it strongly to express his disbelief.

Although he was voicing on his belief based on the fact that in his world, Reborn was his beloved tutor and he was his beloved apprentice. Their relationship mostly consisted of physical abuse and deranged comments from both of them, but it was a comfortable relationship nonetheless.

So, having found out that his own tutor-the one he had considered as part of his family despite the older man's protests- freely chose to assassinate him left Tsuna in shock.

This world was far too different from his. What's next, him being the enemy of all mafia especially the Vindice?

Please, that was an overstatement.

Slight shuffling from the other end of the phone had Tsuna focusing his attention on Tsunomichi once again.

Yeah...Yeah you are absolutely correct. There is no way Reborn could kill you. Besides, if escaping from the Vindice with ease isn't a well remembered fete, I doubt you would die from Reborn's hands.

Tsuna's jaws had slacked for the second time. Well, apparently his assumption about being Vindice's enemy was spot on. Fuck his life so much.

"Wait, I escaped from the Vindice? Hold on, what?" He breathed out, running a hand through his messy locks.

Tsuna knew he was more than capable of doing so, but the fact that he had been imprisoned in the most feared jailhouse of the Mafia for something this Leo had done had made Tsuna want to repeatedly shoot himself.

(There is no need, Reborn had gladly did it for you earlier on' Tsuna could hear the obnoxious voice in his mind and he really wanted to castrate someone's balls right now)

Leo, you had escaped the Vindice a year ago. If I remember correctly, it was your eighteenth birthday. Why do you sound so confuse?

Tsuna had pleaded relentlessly to the nonexistent gods in the sky.

Eighteen? He was a forty year old man stuck in the body of an eighteen year old boy? How fucking worse can this get?

"You can't be serious?" He refused to accept this. He denies everything, even if the hints were clearly pointing it out. Tsuna can choose to ignore many things, because he supposes that it was much handier to do so.

After all, Ignorance was a bliss.

There was silence again and Tsunomichi's voice had suddenly taken on a dangerous edge.

That's it, you have been acting weird child! I'm coming to collect you right now!

With that the line had ended and Tsuna was left unintentionally gaping at nothing in particular.

Tsunomichi had sounded like an overly protective mother and Tsuna would gladly let the ground swallow him whole right now because...What the fuck? As far as he knew, Tsunomichi gave no flying fucks about anything, and yet the man is panicking and openly concerned about him. Which by the way again...What. the. fuck?

However, onto more pressing matters. Tsunomichi was collecting him. Like any moment now and Tsuna doubts the man would be enthusiastic in finding out he is not Leo. Tsuna does not want his ass to be mutilated, thank you very much.

Well, if he had to really think about it, the life over here was actually interesting to say the least. If he was a hero in his world, then Tsuna must be the villain in this one. He would never admit it, but he had always wondered what it would feel like to be the one ln the receiving end of justice for once.

However, Tsuna still knows he cannot hurt any innocent bystanders or anyone unconnected to the mafia without an appropriate enough reason. So actively pretending to be the evil one will never work out. Maybe he should just confess the truth and allow his quote-unquote 'uneducated ass' to be mutilated.

(And Tsuna thought he excelled in this field after all Reborn had drilled into his head)

A portal opened right in front of him and Tsuna did not even have any time to collect his own thoughts before two hands grabbed his hips and hauled him over a shoulder as he was carried to the portal on what he presumes to be Tsunomichi's shoulder.

"Leo, what the hell is wrong with you. We are talking once we get home young man."

And Tsuna is apparently going to be having a burning lecture later on.

His face remained blank.

Stepping out of the portal and being let down to his feet, Tsuna's intuition immediately skyrocketed. He turned around, and Tsuna could only stare at the white haired man aiming a sharp knife at his throat, eyes glinting mercilessly underneath the large glasses.

He heard Tsunomichi's gasp of disbelief and demands for the other to let him go, but Kawahira did not comply.

The man's eyes were hard as he declared the next four words that completely changed the atmosphere in a 360 degree.

"You are not Leo"

Tsuna merely smiled. His own knife aligned to Kawahira's chest, right above his heart. Kawahira's eyes glinted in barely concealed interest.

"Indeed I am not"

A/N: Thank you for the favourites and follows this story has gotten! I greatly appreciate it as well as the reviews! Please do tell me about this chapter. And if there are any mistakes, Leave them. I'm too lazy.

Fino al nostro prossimo incontro- Until our next encounter

Il mio vecchio amico- My old friend