1 – What?! I'm A Tenth-Generation Mafia Boss?!
As Hitori woke up that early spring morning, something snapped in excitement, purring loudly as her emerald eyes cracked open. Her features remained blank; eyes bored as she looked out the window.
She blinked lazily, mouth opening in a small yawn as she stretched. As her back arched, her long, honey hair curled around her, bouncing energetically as she did so. She gazed down at the not so average lumps on her chest blankly, unaffected at how not so average they were. She kept getting asked when they started to grow, what her secrets were and so on.
She responded with her usual blank, lazy look. "Half-Irish." She answered slowly. "God did not make me so blank without making me look so untouchable. Go away, you show ponies." At least, her sarcastic wit was her strong point.
Slipping out of the cot, rearranging her comfy blankets with a longing glance, she walked to her wardrobe and grabbed her uniform with a sigh. What she wouldn't give to sleep in until noon, basking in her wonderful naptime, however…
She sighed, buttoning up her shirt and tying the bow on. Those sheeple that continuously picked on her adorable cousin would be much worse when she wasn't hovering around. She paused, blinking in wonder. Did she hover too much? 'I'll ask mama.' She thought resolutely, walking out of her room and past her cousin's closed door.
She shrugged as she walked past, intending to find her aunt. Tsuna could get up when Nana got him, less exercise for her to do.
Nana's warm, sparkling honey eyes brightened at the sight of her beautiful niece. "Hi-chan!" She smiled sweetly, walking over to her and hugging her. "Can you take over making breakfast and the bento's while I get the newspaper?"
Hitori nodded robotically, easily going with the normal routine for the weekdays. "Hai, mama." She answered bluntly, before blinking in realisation. "Do I hover Tsu-nii?"
"Ara?" Nana laughed charmingly. "Hi-chan looks after our no-good Tsu-kun just enough." She walked away lightly, preparing to go wake her son before he was late.
Hitori, on the other hand, frowned at her aunts' comment. It wasn't unusual, but it always rubbed her the wrong way whenever she joked about it. In a way, she understood, but sometimes her aunt really was airheaded. She shrugged, tying her hair up and nimble fingers placed the apron on without a hassle. As she chopped the onions efficiently, she relaxed, eyes softening as her lips curled into a miniscule smile.
Cooking always helped her relax, the continuous movement one would think she'd moan about, was perhaps the only activity she didn't mind getting physical in. Unaware of the lock she had long forgotten about turning, her instincts whispered to her.
Her narrowed eyes snapped to the window, shoulders tensing as her eyes flashed purple and orange. Someone was out there; someone she didn't know and their intentions unknown.
"Hi-chan!" Chirped Nana, walking in with the paper and a flyer. "Could you get Tsu-kun up? You're going to be late again."
"Yes, mama." She replied blankly, untying the apron and walking u the stairs, forgetting the presence she had felt. She sighed as she walked up the stairs and opened her cousin's door, footsteps light as she blinked. Her cousin never really was a graceful sleeper. Even his room was as messy as always.
She eyed the drawer where his failed tests were. 'Tsu-nii better find somewhere else to hide them.' She thought lazily, shrugging boredly before kneeling and placing her mouth next to his ear. Where her aunt used the failed tests to wake him, she had something much more useful in mind.
"Oi, Tsu-nii!" She shouted monotonously. "Kyoko is ready at the altar! She's wondering where you, her fiancée, is!"
Tsuna shot up quickly, face red, eyes wide. It took him a few seconds to realise it was a lie, pouting at his standing cousin who looked at him with a deadpan. "Nani?! Why would you lie?"
Her head tilted to the side, eyes flashing with mischief as she shrugged. "Maa, it got you up." She answered with a lazy wave, closing her eyes and pointing to the drawer. "Better me than mama where she would have found your newest failed test."
He shot out of his bed, tripping and flailing as his legs twisted with the covers, falling onto his face with a whine. Hitori shot him a deadpan, tugging his failed maths test out and blinking. "15?" She whistled lazily. "That's a new record, even for you. Anyway, hurry up downstairs, mama is calling a tutor for you."
Tsuna blinked once, then twice before his jaw dropped. "Eh?! What about you?!"
She shrugged. "My scores let me pass. I'd ace them if I wanted, but it's boring." She answered, much to his chagrin. "I doubt mama would call them for me too." She brushed her knees, turning around before stopping and looking over her shoulder. "Better hurry, mama already called them by now."
"Stop narrating!" He shouted in despair.
"Eh? But narrating your life is fun." She replied in boredom. "Until something happens, like a baby coming to tutor you to become a Mafia Don and me, your external advisor, I'll continue narrating."
"That won't happen!" He denied loudly, horrified at the thought of it happening.
She hummed, a brief smirk lighting her face at his whimpers and denials, walking down the stairs and sitting at her place, quietly eating her breakfast. "He's up." She stated bluntly. "I told him about the tutor you called for him."
"You too." Nana informed with a beaming smile, unaware of the crisis happening with her niece.
Her chopsticks fell to the table with a dull thud, her eyes widened in caught off surprise. "Eh?"
Nana nodded. "Your grades could use work too." She answered easily. "Plus, they'll teach twenty-four hours a day, free of charge, as long as they get room and board."
"Sounds like a scam…" Hitori muttered, resuming her eating.
Nana smiled cheerfully. "I'll get Tsu-kun's breakfast." She stood from her chair and walked away without a second's hesitation, not that Hitori minded. Her ears picked up the footfalls of her clumsy cousin, barely wincing as he slipped and tumbled like a chew toy.
She did, however, notice the presence of someone she noticed before. Her eyes narrowed, burning darkly as they glared at the tiny intruder. She wasn't fooled by his innocent appearance, something about him screamed danger and she, for some damned reason, hardly felt suspicious at all!
"Ciao-su." Greeted the tiny intruder cheerfully. "Are you Tsuna and Hitori?"
She moved from the table, standing next to Tsuna who carefully sat Indian style. "Ts-Tsuna?" He echoed.
"Are you not Tsuna?" Hitori questioned blankly.
"I'll be instructing you two from today on." He ignored the duo easily, wide eyes staring at them.
"Uh, what's with this baby?" Tsuna wondered, leaning forward and staring at the baby with furrowed brows.
Hitori knelt, knees touching the ground as she too stared at the baby in front of them. She blinked. "The flyer wasn't lying when they said young and handsome."
Tsuna shot her a look, questioning her sanity. "Hi-chan! Not what you're meant to say!"
She tilted her head, looking more like a lost puppy to Tsuna than ever before. "I was just stating the flyer wasn't lying."
"Don't worry, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn contradicted.
That got both their attention quickly. "Hey, how do you know my nickname?"
"How do you know that sheeple of a word?" Hitori interrupted, her eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't be a hitman coming to tutor Tsu-nii to be a Mafia Don and me as an External Advisor at someone's behest, would you?"
Tsuna sighed, hanging his head. "Hi-chan, that's never going to happen to us."
She shook her head. "Your denial is bigger than the DE Nile. Tsu-nii."
Unnoticed, Reborn switched his stare to Hitori with calculating eyes. She was a Sky, that he already knew without having to look at her profile he was given, but he hadn't expected her Cloud flames to be just as strong and not bonded to Tsuna, even with sealed flames. And yet, for her to be so accurate with why he was here, needed some investigating.
"Gathering information is all part of the job, Tsuna." He answered.
"Stop calling me Tsuna!" He demanded. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi!"
"Does that mean I have to stop calling you Tsu-nii?" Questioned Hitori with her hand in the air like a school child with a question.
"You wouldn't stop." Tsuna admitted. "I don't want a baby like you calling me Tsuna!"
Hitori held a score of five, blankly cheering him on. "Good insult, try to make him worse so he cries."
He shot her a look. "You like kids."
She blinked. "Ones that I like." She pointed to Reborn who side kicked him in the face, giving him a thumbs up and a score of ten. "Like him. Good score, excellent timing too. Do you this all the time when tutoring?"
Reborn nodded. "All my students had the same."
"Equality for punishment?" She wondered, looking at Tsuna who had a swelling cheek she knew would go down soon. "Lovely."
"What was that for?" Tsuna demanded, holding her cheek with tears in his eyes.
Nana, hearing the commotion from the kitchen, walked out with curious eyes. "Ara, who might you be, little fella?" She wondered.
"I'm the home tutor, Reborn." He introduced calmly, reaching for his identification card from his suit pocket.
"The home tutor…" She echoed.
"Reborn?"
Green eyes locked onto the chameleon sitting peacefully on his fedora. "Chameleon?"
Mother and son started laughing, much to the confusion of Hitori who tilted her head to the side. Her instincts were telling her Reborn was truthful, so why were they laughing?
"Don't make me laugh!" Tsuna chortled, tears in his eyes as he and Nana continued laughing. "You're just a baby. My stomach hurts!"
Truthfully, she thought Tsuna deserved that high kick from their tutor. She looked down at her cousin with bored eyes. "If I'm right, you owe me pizza."
"M-My face hurts more than my stomach…" He muttered into the boards of the floor.
"Are you okay, Tsu-kun?" Nana wondered worriedly, before realising the time. "Oh! Hurry up or you'll be late."
"Th-That's right!" He shouted, forgetting the painful thumping of his red face. "I don't have time to waste on this weird baby!"
Hitori hummed, grabbing her bag as Tsuna raced up to his room to change. Her eyes strayed to the baby standing in front of her. She blinked. "Will you need a ride with us?"
Reborn shook his head. "I have my own way."
She believed him, so she nodded. "Offers there when you want it." She shrugged, peering up the stairs. "Oi! Tsu-nii! Hurry up!" She quirked a brow as he tumbled down the stairs, wincing in pain as every step nudged him harder in the ribs as he fell. She stood next to him, face peering above his. "The crowd screams in joy at Tsu-nii's latest run down. We're late, hurry up."
Tsuna grabbed her hand, tugging her with him as they ran out the door. "We're off!" He shouted as they jogged around the corner to their middle school. "What was with him?"
"Actually, I'm a hitman." Reborn's tiny voice squeaked from behind them.
Tsuna laughed, smiling widely as his eyes closed. "A hitman? Yeah, right…" He stopped, his eyes snapping to his head as Reborn sat in his hair. "Hieeeee! When did you?" He trailed off when he noticed he stepped on a dog's tail.
Hitori blinked. "Ara? A dog?"
The tiny dog growled something that Hitori found extremely funny even if she didn't show it, only tilting her head once the dog stood and pushed the gates open.
"Hieeeee!" Tsuna whimpered, shuffling back and hiding behind his cousin. "His leash… His leash isn't on!"
She watched as her cousin twisted on his heel, prepared to run away only to fall flat on his face. While she knelt, poking him with a stick she had found next to him, Reborn jumped off Tsuna, rolling in the air and landing in front of the growling dog. Her growling subsided as Reborn easily pet her head, smiling at her blankly.
Reborn turned around calmly, large eyes staring at his students. "You're even worse than I heard." He stated bluntly. "You're probably the only middle-school student in the world who's scared of a Chihuahua."
"He got a fifteen on our maths test." Hitori piped up monotonously, leaning away from Tsuna's smack on the arm. She blinked at his betrayed pout. "It's true, Tsu-nii. I even have the test to prove it." She whipped out the test, showcasing it to a calm Reborn who only stared at them.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, landing on the figure peering around the corner, green eyes darkening. She did not like this girl; she would do something to her Tsu-nii given the chance. Hitori looked at the dog, throwing a treat she always kept in her bag towards the young girls hiding place.
"Fetch." She ordered blankly, smirking briefly as the young girl ran away with a scream. That specific treat she threw wouldn't just start with the little chihuahua; it would get every dog's attention with its unnaturally good scent. "Bye doggy, have fun!"
Tsuna ignored the screams and his cousin, he was used to her actions.
"Wow, he's so cute." Sasagawa Kyoko cheered, walking to Reborn and kneeling.
"Ciao-su." He greeted with his squeaky voice.
Hitori and Tsuna watched on, the younger cousin barely acknowledging the newcomer and focused on her Tsu-nii. "Tsu-nii, the dog didn't bite you, did it?" She quired worriedly, her blank eyes shining with emotion. "I don't need to go after it?"
Tsuna paled at the thought. When one met his cousin, they would assume she was a blank canvas, unable to function properly in society and being bland. When something happened to her family, she'd transform into a normal person, prepared to make them suffer horrible punishments. "N-No, Hi-chan." He assured quickly, stuttering at her considering look before she nodded.
"Good morning." Kyoko, cheeks flushing at his adorable greeting.
At her voice, Tsuna's cheeks flushed red as he stared at her. 'Namimori Middle School's idol, Sasagawa Kyoko!'
As the unidentified young girl stumbled back, chest heaving and uniform messy, Hitori appeared behind her, eyes dark and lips thinning with annoyance, much to Reborn's amusement. He had seen what she'd done to the girl and was quite impressed with her instincts. He'd have quite the time expanding her instincts.
"Oi." She calmly stated, her eyes closing as flowers appeared behind, betraying her friendliness to her true intentions. "Isn't your school on the other side of town?" She didn't wait for the puffing girl to answer, turning her around and pushing her away, waving cheerfully. "Don't be late!"
Tsuna watched with confused eyes as Kyoko turned around to smile cheerfully at Hitori. "You're so nice, Hitori-chan!"
Hitori, now returned to her blank canvas, stared at her lazily and shrugged. "Maa, she attends the all-girl school over town. It wouldn't be good for her if she got there late."
Kyoko returned her attention to Reborn, honey eyes wide at his cuteness. Even his sideburns were adorable, being so curly. "Why are you wearing a suit, little guy?"
"Cause I'm with the Mafia." He answered truthfully.
'The Mafia?' Tsuna thought confused, before turning to look at his cousin. 'Don't tell me she's right?!'
Kyoko clapped her hands together, smiling widely at the baby. "Wow, so cool!" She stood, brushing the dirt off her knees. "I'm going to be late for school, so see you later, little guy."
"Ciao, ciao." He waved at her retreating figure. "Tsuna, you've got the hots for that chick, right?"
Hitori shrugged carelessly. "Tsu-nii has weird taste in girls." She offered, tapping her chin. "She sounds like mama."
He pouted at his cousin before looking down at Reborn. "That chick is Sasagawa Kyoko." He interrupted. "She's the coolest girl in school. And it's none of your business."
"He's our tutor, Tsu-nii." Hitori deadpanned bluntly. "He's supposed to know."
"As your tutor, I have to know about your relationships." Reborn rebuffed, somewhat pleased one of his students understood that.
"I don't remember ever hiring you!" Tsuna retorted loudly.
Hitori held her hand in the air. "Mama did."
"Just leave us alone already!" He continued, ignoring his cousin.
Reborn touched his fist lightly. "I can't do that." He casually twisted his arm behind his back, ignoring the painful winces of Tsuna.
Hitori, on the other hand, didn't appreciate it. She swung her leg out, intending to kick the tiny body away from her cousin, only for Reborn to land on her leg and stare at purple eyes. He could see the wisps of orange curling at the edges, prepared to engulf her eyes. "Leave Tsu-nii alone." She growled, her voice no longer blank, but angry. Her peaceful face narrowed, lips twisting into a snarl.
She hadn't felt this angry in a long time, even preparing to injure a baby. 'He's not a normal baby.' She reminded herself instantly. 'He's something, but a baby is something he's not.'
"How can a baby be so strong?" Tsuna muttered, cradling his bruising wrist gently, all the while his cousin shook Reborn off her leg.
"Didn't I tell you? I'm actually a hitman."
"Don't mess with me." Tsuna snapped. "The Hitman and Mafia stuff couldn't be true."
"Tsuna." They stopped, turning their heads to Hitori who was glaring at the baby. "We're late, I don't want to deal with Hibari again." Her attention never wavered as she knelt to the floor, barely caring about the dirt no doubt covering her skirt as her glare intensified. "I can't hurt you. But I won't make it easy."
Her flames caressed his, purring gently and provocatively, their intentions clear as his eyes went dark. This teenager had the strength to pull his flames in for temptation, intending on making him hers without a doubt. He needed to stop this immediately, he wasn't interested in being a guardian, let alone to someone who was going to become part of the Vongola.
"Have you told Sasagawa Kyoko how you feel already?" He questioned, though his focus never left the girl who stared right back at him with a challenging glint.
"D-Don't be stupid." Tsuna denied uneasily, writing a mental note about their weird behaviour.
"Why haven't you?"
Hitori interrupted. "Tsu-nii doesn't think he has a chance with her."
"Kyoko-chan is our school's idol."
"He doesn't stand a chance, so he says." She finished. "She'd be lucky to have Tsu-nii, the other boys are idiots who fawn over her or obsessed with sports."
"Your average test score is 17.5." He deadpanned, holding the sheet with the maths score, something he had snatched from Hitori's back when she wasn't looking. "You can only vault over three boxes. You can't do a full chin-up. A Dame-Tsuna, who sucks at everything. That why?"
"Yeah." The duo agreed instantly. "Hey! Why do you know so much about me?!"
"Mind reader." Hitori stated bluntly.
"Your eyes tell me everything." Reborn answered, magnifying glass in hand as he stared at Tsuna with it.
"Like hell they do!"
Hitori peeked, brows quirking. "They do."
"Hi-chan!" He shouted, pouting at her before standing up. "Anyway, just forget about Kyoko-chan. Sure, if I had the opportunity to go out with such a cute girl, I could die happy. But it'd be a waste of time to try."
Her heart hurt at hearing Tsuna admit something like that. He rarely ever shared things like this with anyone, but to hear it from him like it was an actual statement, twisted the knife in her heart. "Tsu-nii." She muttered softly, eyes softening as she stared at his lonesome figure.
"You really think like a loser." Reborn stated bluntly.
"Shut up!" He snapped, glaring at the baby.
"I guess this is where I come in." The magnifying glass retraced and transformed into the little chameleon he had sitting on his fedora. "Just die once." The creature transformed into a green gun, much to the horror of Tsuna and the confusion of Hitori.
"Huh? Huh?" He demanded.
"When you die, you'll understand."
"Huh? Just what are you –"
Everything went into slow motion for the duo, their eyes widening in horror as Reborn shot Tsuna, the bullet glowing before hitting and disappearing in his forehead. Hitori's face went white, as she watched her cousin fall over. She dropped to her knees, crawling over to him hastily as she shook him.
Tsuna's eyes, still wide, staring at the sky in disbelief. His cousin next to him tears swimming in her eyes as she fought them not to drop. 'In that instant, I was filled with regret.' He thought hollowly to himself. 'I'm leaving this world. What a waste… If my life depended on it, I could've told Kyoko-chan how I felt…'
"What did you do?" She snapped harshly, her eyes glowing orange as she glared furiously at the smug baby. Her flames crackled in the air, dangerously flickering between the duo, prepared to eviscerate him.
What happened next, both confused her and wanted to make her cry. Her eyes snapped to her cousin, staring at his glowing body and the flame hovering his forehead. Reborn's smug smirk, infuriated her as he casually held the Leon gun.
"It's Deathperation Time." He stated with his squeaky voice.
His clothes shredded as he stood, the flame burning brighter as his pupils dilated. "Re-Born!" He shouted. "I'll tell Sasagawa Kyoko how I feel, even if it kills me! Where is Sasagawa Kyoko?!" He ran off, a cloud of dust appearing at how quick he ran away.
Hitori blinked, stunned at the change of events. "Y-You didn't…" She trailed off, unaware of her flames calming down and purring gently. Her brows furrowed in confusion, eyes straying to the young baby. "Why?"
"Dame-Tsuna needed it." He stated simply.
"Will I need –" A bullet whizzed past her cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood, much to her astonishment. Her eyes narrowed, eyes lighting orange as her flames responded to the challenge.
He kept his flames tightly within him, determined not to let this adolescent get the better of him and turn him into her guardian. Though, with how pure her flames were and how they seemed determined to make him hers, he'd need to find a guardian for her promptly to save his own. "Lazy-Hitori, move it."
The emotions that were once so hard to find, came to her as easily to breathe the air in the sky. Her eyes slid halfway, mouth curling into a teasing grin, her eyes still pure orange that he was struggling not to join in with the harmony. "Maa, Reborn, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you can't use them on me."
"Try me."
She hesitated, searching those wide onyx eyes for an answer he was unwilling to give. She inclined her head, conceding to his point. "You want a ride?"
He didn't answer, jumping into her arms and leaning against her comfy chest. He relaxed unwittingly, her flames surrounding the air as it challenged him to continue refusing to allow his flames to harmonise with hers. He shouldn't have been surprised with how stubborn they were, or perhaps he should have been. This was nothing like he'd ever felt before, they were calm, peaceful, accepting.
"I hope he doesn't run into Mochida-baka." She hummed under her breathe, content to somewhat ignore the weirdness of the situation. "I don't want to be annoyed by his comments."
This piqued his interest, onyx eyes snapping to her face. "What comments would they be?"
She smiled softly, much to his amusement. "He's rather interested in the blank canvas and school idol, Tanaka Hitori and Sasagawa Kyoko." She explained, turning the corner and continuing to walk the normal path to her middle school. "Kyoko-san for her innocence and kindness and me for my bluntness and attitude. Mama and Tsu-nii can't really do much with how interested he is, but his comments aren't always the best way to flirt."
"He flirts?" He quired, his flames snapping and snarling to show this little delinquent who she was with.
She nodded, shrugging. "It's something I've gotten used to." She replied. "It only got worse when I hit puberty and mother's genetics came through." She looked down at him with scrutinising eyes. "I doubt papa, Iemitsu and gramps told you my mother was Irish and quite a prominent figure."
"Sorsha Clementine." He parroted. "Daughter of an influential family and disappeared fourteen years ago before resurfacing only a year after her disappearance."
She smiled contently. "So, you do know, Mr Hitman." She sauntered past the confused citizens and the older Sasagawa sibling who just looked horribly confused. "Not many would guess, despite my likeness to her. Papa contacted them years ago, but they want nothing to do with their daughters' disgraceful decision and have banned us from ever stepping foot in Ireland."
He kept silent, wondering if she would whine and be bitter about the outcome. However, he realised, she wasn't a sky for nothing, despite her tendency to mainly be a blank canvas.
"I don't mind. Sorsha is not someone I care about when she abandoned my father because she had me. She wanted a boy to take over the family and when papa wanted a girl, she left him a few days after I was born and hasn't contacted either of us." She stated simply, closing her eyes and letting the wind flow around her. "It's not my home."
This interested him. "Where is your home?"
She stayed silent for a few moments, the question turning in her head as endless answers came to mind. "With Tsu-nii." She replied softly. "Despite his tendencies and what others think of him, he's going to have a great future. He might fight for a while, but it will make him that much stronger for his job." Her eyes glowed orange with the promise. "I promised him. And I never break my promises."
And despite meeting them today, Reborn couldn't quite dislodge the momentum she was right. Both of his students were meant for a great future, working together to comb the Vongola of its destruction and renew it the way Primo wanted. But he watched the brightness dull in her eyes, the slip of emotion returning to that blank canvas she always presented the world.
'Did it have something to do with her flames?'
She walked up to her distressed cousin, kneeling next to him and letting Reborn jump down easily. "Tsu-nii, you look like a pervert." She stated bluntly, though her eyes did sharpen at the whispers of students as they walked in.
"What happened to me?" He cried, closing his eyes as he held his head in his hands.
"That was the power of the Deathperation Shot." Reborn answered calmly.
"Reborn…" Tsuna blinked, surprised that his cousin had actually carried the baby with her. She hardly ever did that.
"This bullet is the Deathperation Shot." Reborn stated, calmly holding the bullet he shot Tsuna with not too long ago. "Anyone shot in the head by this thing dies, and then comes back to life ready to die."
"Eh?!"
"Maa."
"You'll be ready to die for whatever you regretted when you died." Reborn finished.
Tsuna recalled his thoughts, the feeling of regret washing over him as he couldn't do something he would have regretted not saying.
"However, Deathperation Time only lasts five minutes." He continued. "After that, you'll return to normal."
"Then… What would've happened if I had no regrets?" Tsuna questioned hesitantly.
"I'm a hitman." He answered simply.
"He/I would've died?!" The duo chorused, one angrily and the other blankly.
"Anyway, what are you going to do about this?" He demanded. "I'm so embarrassed, I can't go to school. I had no intention of confessing to Kyoko-chan!"
"You didn't have the guts to even if you could, remember?" Reborn reminded bluntly.
"Shut up!" Tsuna shot back heatedly, picking him up by his cheeks and pulling them apart.
She concurred with her previous self from the morning. Tsuna deserved that punch. She peeked at his form, poking his bare shoulder. "Tsu-nii deserved that." She stated blankly.
"Ow… It didn't hurt when I ran into a truck…" He whimpered.
"That's because you were Deathperate." Reborn reminded. "Deathperation is a state where all safety mechanisms in your body are halted. So, in exchange for pushing your life to its limits, you'll be able to exhibit incredible power."
"I see." Tsuna smile. "So, it's my latent potential. But once I'm Deathperate, all that power comes out." His peaceful smile turned into an angry pout as the bell started to ring. "Like I'm going to accept that!"
"What are you doing?" Ordered Hibari Kyoya, staring down at the herbivores on the ground. "Class has already started, half-naked boy."
"Hibari Ky-Kyoya-san from the Disciplinary Committee!" Tsuna stuttered quietly.
"As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, I cannot allow…"
"S-Sorry!" Stuttered Tsuna, grabbing his clothes and bag as the trio watched him.
Hitori titled her head once she made eye-contact with Hibari. She gave a barely-there smile, pleased with whatever she saw and stood, brushing the dirt off her knees and bowed. "Please watch over Tsu-nii." She stood, grabbed her bag and lazily jogged after her cousin, bumping her shoulder against his and nodding.
As she waited for Tsuna to come to their classroom, she could already hear the jeers and torments from their supposed classmates. She closed her eyes, trying to reign the fury she could already feel and tried to calm down. Her cousin wouldn't let something like this stop him, not her cousin.
It didn't mean she wasn't going to warn him though. "Tsu-nii –" She barely finished when her cousin opened the door and heard the laughter of their fellow students. She sighed, reaching for his hand and intertwining them gently.
"It's underpants man!"
"Nice sudden confession to Sasagawa Kyoko!"
"Please go out with me!"
"Heard she shot you down!"
"Of course, she did. Right, Sasagawa?" A particularly monkeyish student asked, turning to look at the school idol.
Hitori glared at the school idol, knowing she wouldn't speak up. And while her kind cousin may have a crush on her, doesn't mean she approved of this soft-spoken one. If anything, she would find someone for her cousin so he would have someone on his side for once.
"I mean, we're talking about Dame-Tsuna here."
Her dark glare snapped to the student who just opened his mouth, eyes burning with her resolve. "He's also my nii-sama." She stated bluntly, angrily as the students flinched. Hitori rarely showed emotion, and for her to be this mad…they still ignored the warnings blaring in their heads. With their logic, bullying someone like Dame-Tsuna hardly mattered to anyone, so why should they care.
'Th-This sucks.' He thought depressingly. His crush could barely look at him and everyone except his cousin was laughing at him. 'My life will become a living hell. This is all because of that weird baby.'
"Oi, Tsuna. Captain Mochida said he'll be waiting for you behind the gym during lunch break to settle this."
At this, Tsuna did his infamous shriek quietly as they stared at Kyoko and her friends. "Mochida-senpai said he's going to challenge him to make up for the insult you suffered."
"Eh?" Kyoko looked up at her best friend, Hana, with surprised eyes.
"He was like, 'I won't forgive anyone who makes Kyoko cry!' Whoo-hoo!"
"Way to go, Kyoko!"
"Y-You've got it wrong." She denied with a stutter. "We just happen to be on the same committee."
"Yeah, yeah. I can't wait for lunch break." Her friend interrupted.
Hitori's glare darkened further. Her cousin was getting embarrassed and no one fully cared to stop themselves. "Maa, I can't wait for everyone to realise how shallow the girls in our class are." She stated loudly, ignoring the hush that descended once they heard her voice. Her glare cut them into tiny shards, blanketing them in a cold sweat as they imagined flames surrounding her. "Teenage girls can be so unnecessarily bitchy when they want to be."
Kyoko's friend that had spoken previously turned red in anger, eyes narrowing. She didn't care who Hitori was or how popular she was with the boys; it was time she understood her place. With her Dame of a cousin. "Butt out." She shot back.
"No." Her eyes glowed orange and purple before they faded back to emerald. "Tsu-nii is my cousin – no, my nii-sama and I'm tired of hearing you consistently bully him and attack him for doing nothing wrong!" She shot them furious glares as they opened their mouths. "Being constantly told he is a failure and will amount to nothing are things each and every one of have said and I will stand for it no more!"
Reborn, who had coincidently been sitting on a branch outside of their classroom window, straightened at the force of her flames, watching with interest as her eyes burned with her resolve.
"From now on, Tsu-nii is not to be bullied or I will deal with you personally." Her honey hair whipped around her face, as she stood in front of her cousin. "Anyone who has a problem with my nii-sama, you answer to me. You want to bully my nii-sama, I'll knock you out and hand you to Hibari-san myself." She tugged at their intertwined hands stubbornly, walking away and forcing him to follow her. "C' mon nii-sama, let's skip."
"Hi-chan…" His voice trailed off, utter surprise engulfing him at how she defended him. He knew she did, but she rarely defended him like this. It reminded him of when they were younger, how she was full of like, albeit still bored, but her eyes were brighter.
"I don't like seeing you upset." She whispered. "It reminds me when we were little and they made you cry. I promise that I would protect you with my Dying Will." She looked back at him, face open and eyes brighter than he could ever remember, smiling warmly at him. Something in him, something he hadn't felt in years, settled contently. "You're my nii-sama, my hero."
The duo skipped their classes, mingling with each other as they recounted stories from when they were younger, embarrassing the other, Hitori not so much. She knew if she did it too much, Tsuna could clam up a little tighter and that's the last thing she wanted.
"Tsu-nii, I'll go get some drinks, you go to the bathroom." She ordered gently, hearing the lunch bell ring across the now bustling schoolyard. She looked back at him with a smile. "I won't take long, so let's meet up here again in five minutes, ok?"
Tsuna nodded slowly. "Ok, Hi-chan." He muttered, walking away under the watchful eye of his cousin.
Her eyes followed him until she could no longer see him and so she went to the cafeteria to grab some drinks for them and buy a treat for him. As she settled into the line, her instincts started to blare in her ears, ringing loudly as her head turned to her right swiftly.
She dodged the punch, twisting on her heel as she threw her leg out in a wide arch, kicking their stomach before grabbing their arm and throwing them over her shoulder with a loud slam. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recognised the girl she beat down before she and Tsuna skipped.
"Attack me again, bruises and a twisted arm will be the least of your worries." She threatened darkly, walking away as her hair swayed behind her. "I'm done playing with you morons."
As she walked out of the cafeteria, she noticed someone following her, before dropping down on her head lightly. Reborn stared down at his female student with calculative eyes. "The report didn't say anything about you being able to fight."
She snorted, muscles relaxing that she hadn't noticed she tensed with her anger. "I stopped after gramps visited." She answered.
"Why?"
Her brows furrowed. "I just did. Tsu-nii got hurt that day and I, as some would say, shut down and turned into a full robot. I wasn't always the best at emotions, but I still had them. After that, I would only experience them with certain things." Her arms reached up to her hand, nimble hands gently tugging him off her head and cradling him with enough distance to make him feel comfortable. "This is the first day in a long time I've been so open, especially in public. So, whatever you did to Tsu-nii, thank you."
"Dame-Tsuna is going to fight Mochida." He stated simply, acknowledging her gratitude but unwilling to go further into the topic. He needed to do some investigating on this duo, something that Bakamitsu spies couldn't understand properly. "He's waiting at the gym for you."
She nodded, face returning to her blank canvas state. "We'll see you soon then?" She questioned blankly.
"Yes." He jumped out of her arms, sauntering away from her.
Hitori walked quicker as soon as she saw Tsuna, touching his arm gently and breaking her blank canvas state. "Hi, nii-sama."
"They're all going to laugh at me. Kyoko-chan could barely look at me." Tsuna muttered. "Maybe I should just go home."
"And let Kyoko-san deal with the morons around her while you go home?" Hitori retorted softly. "Tsu-nii, you're my hero. Show them what I already see."
"What? A stupid loser with no good future whatsoever?" He shot back quietly. "Face it, Dame-Tsuna is all I'm ever going to be."
"It will be if you continue to act like this." She snapped, her heartbreaking at his hurt look. Even if Reborn convinced him, it was her turn and then his decision to make. She would accept whatever decision he made, even with a heavy heart. "I know, under all that cowardliness you show, that there is someone with a brave heart. You're destined for great things and I'm going to tell you when you wake up, get embarrassed, depressed, lose, win and when you go to bed at night. Sawada Tsunayoshi is destined for great things, and right now, only Reborn and I see it."
She walked away, opening the doors with a silent sigh. She looked over her shoulder, smiling softly at him, eyes unwavering as they burned with her resolve, she was telling the truth. If only he could see it.
"Mochida-baka!" She called, interrupting his monologue about himself, eyes hard as her face went blank. "I challenge you in place of my nii-sama!"
"And what will I get in return?" He wondered, knowing using Kyoko wouldn't work on her, especially when rumours had been saying she beat down a friend of the school idol and threatened her entire class for his sake.
Her jaw clenched. "If I lose, I'll agree to be your girlfriend." She answered, shocking them into silence.
Mochida, on the other hand, laughed appraisingly. Use the one thing he wanted to get her to say yes to, even if it did seem fishy, made him all that pumped to win. "You can't go back on your word."
She nodded confidently, inwardly grimacing. Kendo was never her forte, something she kept secret about to everyone and now, here, she would lose and be this moron's girlfriend.
"It's Tsuna." Someone whispered though it echoed throughout the entire gym, catching everyone's attention.
"Dame-Tuna's here!"
"Hey, he really came."
"He should've run away."
Kyoko blinked in surprise. "Sawada-kun."
'The crazy guy…' Thought Sasagawa Ryohei.
"Tsuna." Muttered Yamamoto Takashi in surprise.
Hitori smiled, proud of her cousin/brother. "Nii-sama."
'Wh-What do I do?' He thought. 'I only came because of what Reborn and Hi-chan said.' He shakily walked through the door, frightened eyes staring at Mochida who only gave a smarmy smirk.
"So here you are, perverted stalker." Mochida began, much to the annoyance of Hitori who rolled her eyes. "The heavens may forgive scum like you, but I will not! I shall punish you!"
She couldn't help it, she really couldn't. "You forgot 'In the name of the Moon'. Moron." She muttered under her breath. Now, she could figure why Tuxedo Mask ran away so much from the annoying scout.
"Wait, there's a reason for what happened –" Tsuna tried to explain, wanting to placate the entire situation but was interrupted by the Kendo senior.
"I won't listen to excuses! Your cousin offered herself in your place, but now that you're here…"
Hitori, for once, hoped she wouldn't be dragged into this idiot's plan, but knew she would.
"Don't worry. You're a beginner in kendo. So, here's the match." He bargained, his bokken in the others face. "If you can take one from me within ten minutes, you win. If you can't, I win. The prize is, of course…"
Her shoulders slouched, hanging her head in clear annoyance that she even bartered herself for someone she barely liked.
"Tanaka Hitori!" He shouted aloud, pointing his bokken at the teenager that was glaring at him.
Okay, it was her fault for standing in, but she hoped that his interest for Kyoko was larger than his interest for her. Tsuna was expecting to hear his crush be singled out, but as he heard the name his eyes widened at his cousin being called out.
"Your cousin offered herself as the reward in place of you and Kyoko-chan." He explained excitedly. "And everyone here watched. Ask her if you don't believe me."
"Hi-chan…"
She nodded reluctantly. "I know, bad decision and I would've offered something else if I knew he was actually going to rise to the bait." She answered. "Sorry, nii-sama."
"Let's go, Sawada!"
He staggered away, fear flashing across his face, even while he tried to be brave for his cousin.
"Tsuna!" Yelled Yamamoto, throwing him a bokken for his to wield. He clumsily caught it, head snapping up once he heard his senior running towards, yelling loudly.
He swung his bokken down harshly, pushing Tsuna to the floor as he lost his grip on his own bokken. The young brunette climbed to his feet and dashed away from the fearful Kendo captain, the captain giving chase as he held his bokken high in the air. "Wait!" He shouted. "I won't let you get away!"
The students watched as Tsuna ran away from Mochida, his arms shielding his head as the other swung his bokken carelessly, laughing loudly.
"That's Dame-Tsuna for you!" A student teased loudly, unaware of the danger he unlocked.
Hitori spun around, leg in the air as she smashed his cheek with her foot, before slamming it down on his head with an audible snap. Her eyes glowed eerily; lips pulled into a snarl. "I warned you imbeciles what would happen if you bullied Tsu-nii. Know your place!"
Her body spun, leg slamming into his ribs and launched next to Hibari, who only looked on at the show of violence being done in his gym. "Wao." He muttered with a smirk. "A carnivore."
Just as she turned around, she watched as Mochida slapped his ankle with his bokken, causing Tsuna to fall on his back and gulp at the bokken pointed towards his face. "You're mine." He smirked, holding his bokken high to strike the young boy beneath him.
"Nii-sama!" Shouted Hitori loudly, interrupting Kyoko before she even spoke. "Beat him to a pulp! Show him not to mess with us!"
"Hi-chan…" He muttered in surprise; eyes wide at how knowing she looked. All the confidence in the world and she believed in him.
Above them, was a certain baby hitman who had a sniper in his hand. His target, Sawada Tsunayoshi. "Fight like your life depends on it." He said, shooting the brunette's forehead.
'I'm leaving this world.' Tsuna thought, falling back. 'What a waste… If I knew my life depended on it, I could've beaten Mochida-senpai. I should have risked my life to take one…'
"Do one!" Shouted Tsuna, throwing himself up as his clothes shredded. "Do whatever it takes to get one!"
Reborn's gun transformed back into a chameleon, watching Tsuna race to Mochida.
Hitori watched her cousin in admiration. Despite his loss of clothing, except his boxers much to her relief, Tsuna was finally showing everyone some of his capabilities.
"The perverts back!"
"Underpants man!"
"Fool!" Yelled Mochida, his bokken high in the air, preparing to swing it down onto the younger teens head. "You think petty tricks will work on me?!" He swung his bokken down, only for it to break once it made contact with the brunette's face. "What?!"
Tsuna launched himself at the captain, sitting on his waist as his hand lifted into the air.
"Chop?" Questioned Yamamoto surprised.
"He's going for the head!" The white-haired boxer shouted, stunned.
Tsuna didn't meet those expectations. Once his hand touched Mochida's hair, he ripped a clump out, leaving the older teen weakened.
"Forget one!" Shouted Tsuna, holding the clump of black hair high. "I just took 100!" His head snapped to the judge, just as everyone laughed.
"Tsuna used his head there." Chuckled a pudgy teen.
"He never said what you were supposed to take." One of the teen's friends' said chuckling.
Tsuna smirked evilly. "If this isn't enough…" He trailed off, smirking as he pulled more black hair, causing them to laugh harder.
Hitori smirked slightly, relaxing her tense muscles as her cousin continued to rip the moron's hair out. "Give him a big bald patch, just for me." As if he heard her, he ripped a chunk, revealing untanned skin shining brightly.
"EEEEEEE!" Squeaked the judge. "P-Point! Red wins!" He shouted, holding the red flag up.
"Eh!"
"That was awesome!"
"Tsuna wins!"
"I see you in a whole new light! That was awesome!"
Breathing heavily, Tsuna looked at the crying bald kendo captain in confusion. 'Did I do this?' He asked himself. 'Even if my life depends on it, I can't beat senpai.'
Hitori watched with calculative eyes as the school idol approached her cousin. Kyoko wasn't the best match for her sheepish cousin, even if she thought about it. Perhaps in the future, she could change, but she somehow doubted it. Privately, she thought that Tsuna deserved to be with someone that wasn't naïve like his mother, ergo Kyoko.
A thought shocked Tsuna briefly. 'It is all thanks to him?' He thought. 'The stuff he says and does is crazy… But if it weren't for him, this never would've happened.'
Outside, someone stood in front of the gym, arms crossed as they observed the young brunette. "That's the candidate for the tenth-generation boss of the Vongola Family, Tsunayoshi Sawada?" He questioned.
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"Wh-What?!" Tsuna shouted, his cousin lying on his bed and flipping through a manga. "The tenth-generation boss and external advisor of the Vongola Family? Us?!"
Reborn nodded. "I have been ordered by the boss of the Vongola Family, Vongola IX, to teach you how to become a strong Mafia boss and advisor."
"I don't understand!" Tsuna shot back, brows twitching in annoyance. And, to think, his cousin called him out on it this morning. "What are you talking about?!"
Hitori flung the manga at his face. "You owe me a pizza, nii-sama." She taunted blankly. "Now, I'm going for a bath and bed. Night."
She left the room, missing the bullet whizzing past her head and her cousins' cries. She sighed, smiling slightly at their voices. 'Nothing is going to be the same.' She thought.