Act 1, Scene 2

Mukuro, who inherited the position of Vongola boss from Tsuna, is seated with Haru, Gokudera, Mr. Sasagawa, his son Ryohei and his daugher Kyoko.

Mukuro turned to the others around the table, and said,

"Although I still have fresh memories of The Tenth's death, and though it was proper to mourn him throughout the Vongola, life still goes on - I think it's wise to mourn him while also thinking about my own well being. Therefore, I've married his widow, Haru, with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. I know that in marrying Haru I'm only doing what all of you have wisely advised all along - for which I thank you. Now, down to business. You all know what's happening. Shoichi irie, underestimating my strength or imagining that the death of the Tenth has thrown Vongola into turmoil, dreams of getting the better of me, and never stops pestering me with demands that I surrender the territory Byakuran lost to Tsuna. So much for Shoichi."

Mukuro paused while he heard the creak of a door, and Ken and Chikusa entered the room.

"Now, here's what needs to be done. I've written to Aria, the present head of the Millifiore family, a bedridden woman who know's next to nothing about Shoichi irie's plans. I've told her to put a stop to those plans, which she has the power to do, since all the troops assembled by Shoichi are from the Millifiore, and thus under her control. I'm giving the job of delivering this letter to you, Chikusa, and you, Ken. You're purpose in the Millifiore will be limited to this task." He paused and held out the letter to Chikusa, who took it, and put it inside his coat. "Now go, show your loyalty to me by leaving quickly, instead of giving elaborate speeches."

"We'll do our duty to you." Replied Chikusa, Ken stood a bit back from him, smiling.

"I have no doubt you will." Replied Mukuro.

Chikusa and Ken turned and walked out, closing the door behind them.

Mukuro turned his attention back to the table.

"And now, Ryohei, what do you have to tell me? You have a favor to ask of me. What is it, Ryohei? You'll never waste your words when talking to the Boss of the Vongola. What could you ever ask for that I wouldn't give you? Your father and the Vongola are as close as the mind and the heart, or the hand and the mouth. What would you like, Ryohei?" Mukuro asked.

"Boss, I would like your permission to go back to Japan, which I left to come to Italy for your inheritance ceremony. I confess, my thoughts are on Japan, now that my duty here is done, please let me go." Ryohei asked.

"Do you have your father's permission? What does Mr. Sasagawa say?" Mukuro asked.

A man who looked like an older version of Ryohei, sat in a business suit between Ryohei and Kyoko, and said with a sigh,

"My son has worn me down by asking me so many times. In the end I grudgingly consented. I ask you to let him go."

"In that case, leave when you like, Ryohei, and spend your time however you wish. I hereby grant your request, and hope you have a good time. And now, Gokudera, my right hand man-" Mukuro started again.

Gokudera muttered to himself, "I'm only the right hand man of Juudaime."

"Why are you so gloomy with a cloud haning over you?" Mukuro asked, concerned.

"It's not true sir, I am out in the sun." Gokudera replied.

Haru looked sadly at Gokudera, sitting across the table from her.

"Oh Gokudera, stop wearing these black clothes, and be nice to Mukuro. You can't spend your whole life with your eyes to the ground remembering noble Tsuna. It happens all the time, all lives must die eventually, passing on to eternity." Haru said.

"Yes, Haru, it happens all the time." Gokudera confirmed.

"So why does it seem so particular to you?" Haru asked.

"Seem," haru? No, it is. I don't know what you mean by "seem." Neither my black clothes, haru, nor my heavy sighs, nor my weeping, nor my downcast eyes, nor any other display of grief can show what I really feel. It's true that all these things "seem" like grief, since a person could use them to fake grief if he wanted to. But I've got more real grief inside me that you could ever see on the surface. These clothes are just a hint of it." Gokudera snapped.

Mukuro spoke soothingly, trying to calm down the upset Gokudera,

"Gokudera, you are so sweet and such a good friend to mourn for Tsuna like this. But you have to remember, that he lost his boss, who lost his boss before him, and every time, each one has had to mourn their boss for a certain period. But overdoing it is just stubborn. It's not manly. It's not what God wants, and it betrays a vulnerable heart and an ignorant and weak mind. Since we know that everyone must die sooner or later, why should we take it to heart? You're committing a crime against heaven, against the dead, and against nature. And it's irrational, since the truth is that all people must die. Please give up this useless mourning of yours and start thinking of me as your new boss. Because everyone knows that you are the man closest to the Vongola, and I love you just as much as any father loves his son. And your plans for going back to Japan are not what I want. I'm asking you now to stay here in my company as the number-one member of my family, my protector and now my friend too."

"Please answer my prayers and stay with us Gokudera, don't go back to Japan." haru pleaded.

"I'll obey you as well as I can, ma'am." Gokudera formally adressed the wife of the boss.

"That's the right answer—it shows your love. Stay in Italy like us.—My dear wife, come. Gokudera's agreeing to stay makes me happy, and every merry toast I'll drink today will be heard as far as the clouds overhead. My drinking will be echoed in the heavens. Let's go." Mukuro said excitedly, and they all got up in a chatter of excitment, towards the ballroom to have a party, leaving Gokudera in the room alone.

"Ah, I wish my dirty flesh could melt away into a vapor, or that God had not made a law against suicide. Oh God, God! How tired, stale, and pointless life is to me. Damn it! It's like a garden that no one's taking care of, and that's growing wild. Only nasty weeds grow in it now. I can't believe it's come to this. Juudaime's only been dead for two months—no, not even two. Such an excellent leader, as superior to Mukuro as a god is to a beast, and so loving toward haru that he kept the wind from blowing too hard on her face. Oh God, do I have to remember that? She would hang on to him, and the more she was with him the more she wanted to be with him; she couldn't get enough of him. Yet even so, within a month of my juudaime's death (I don't even want to think about it. Oh women! You are so weak!), even before she had broken in the shoes she wore to his funeral, crying like crazy—even an animal would have mourned its mate longer than she did!—there she was marrying Mukuro, who served Juudaime, who's about as much like my father as I'm like Hercules. Less than a month after Juudaime's death, even before the tears on her cheeks had dried, she remarried. Oh, so quick to jump into his bed! That's not good, and no good can come of it either. But my heart must break in silence, since I can't mention my feelings aloud." Gokudera cried to himself.

Gokudera looked up as he heard the door open and Takeshi, Squalo and Lussuria walked in.

"Hello Gokudera," said Takeshi.

"Nice to see you again, Takeshi." Gokudera said.

"I'm here, ready to serve." Said Takeshi excitedly.

"What are you doing so far from Japan? Oh, hello Squalo." Gokudera added, noticing squalo.

"Hello Gokudera." Squalo said.

"It's nice to see you Squalo, oh, and hello Lussuria! But what are you doing so far from Japan takeshi?" Gokudera asked again.

"I felt like skipping school." He said, with half a smile.

"I wouldn't allow your enemies to say that, and I won't believe it from you. I know you'd never skip school. What are you doing here in Italy?" Gokudera pressed.

"We came for Tsuna's funeral." Takeshi said quietly.

"Or maybe you came to see Haru's wedding, as well?" Gokudera said bitterly.

"It's true it came soon after." Takeshi agreed solmenly.

"It was all about saving a few bucks, Takeshi. The leftovers from the funeral dinner made a convenient wedding banquet. Oh, I'd rather have met my fiercest enemy in heaven, Takeshi, than have lived through that terrible day! Juudaime—I think I see Juudaime." Gokudera cried grasping his face.

"Where?" Takeshi asked gently.

"In my imagination Takeshi." Gokudera added sadly.

"I can still remember him clearly, he was an admirable leader." Takeshi said.

"He was a great human being. He was perfect in everything. I'll never see the likes of him again." Gokudera sighed.

"I think I saw him last night." Takeshi said hesitantly.

"Saw who?" Gokudera asked, no longer listening, playing with the rings on his fingers.

"Tsuna, our dead boss." Takeshi said.

"Juudaime!?" Gokudera's head shot up, eyes wide.

"Don't get too excited yet, just listen carefully while I tell you what happened, and I have these two as witnessess." Takeshi said.

"Let me hear it!" Gokudera demanded.

"After midnight, for two nights in a row, these two, Squalo and lussuria, saw a figure that looked very much like tsuna, in dying will flame from head to toe. It just appeared before them and marched past them with slow dignity three times, a arm's distance from their amazed eyes, while they turned, quaking with fear and too shocked to speak. They told me all about this, so on the third night I agreed to come stand guard with them, to see for myself. It happened again, just as they had described. I knew Tsuna. This ghost looked as much like him as my two hands are like each other." Takeshi said solemly.

"But where did this happen?" Asked Gokudera.

"On the stone wall where we stand guard." Squalo answered.

"Didn't you talk to it?" Gokudera asked.

"I did, but it didn't answer me. It raised its head once as if it was about to speak, but just then the rooster started crowing, and the ghost vanished from sight." Squalo said.

"That's very strange." Said Gokudera, his eyes going out of focus, mind wandering.

"I swear it's true! We thought you ought to know about it." Takeshi said.

"Yes, I should know, but it disturbs me, are you on guard again tonight?" Gokudera asked them.

"Yes," Said Squalo.

"It had dying will flames?" Gokudera asked determindely.

"From head to toe," Squalo repeated.

"Was he frowning?" Asked Gokudera.

"He looked more sad then angry." Takeshi said.

"Was he pale or flushed?" Gokudera asked.

"Very pale." Said Takeshi.

"Did he stare at you?" Gokudera asked.

"The whole time." Takeshi answered.

"I wish I'd been there." Said Gokudera, clenching his hand into a fist.

"You would have been very shocked." Said takeshi.

"I'm sure I would have, did it stay a long time?" Gokudera asked.

"About as long as it would take to count slowly to a hundred." Takeshi answered.

"No, longer then that." Squalo said.

"Not the time I saw it," Takeshi added in.

"Was his hair gray?" Gokudera continued.

"Just like in real life, dark brown." Takeshi answered.

"I'll stand guard with you tonight, maybe it'll come again." Gokudera said hopefully.

"I bet it will." Takeshi said with a smile.

"If it looks like my good Juudaime, I'll speak to it, even if Hell itself opens up and tells me to be quiet. I ask you, if you've kept this a secret, keep doing so. Whatever happens tonight, don't talk about it. I'll return the favor. So goodbye for now. I'll see you on the guards' wall between eleven and twelve tonight." Gokudera said.

Takeshi smiled, seeing some life in the former crumpled and defeated Gokudera.

"We'll see you then!" Takeshi said.

He turned and left the room with squalo and lussuria, closing the door behind them.

"Juudaime's ghost—in full dying will flames! Something's wrong. I suspect some foul play. I wish the night were here already! Until then, I have to remain calm. Bad deeds will be revealed, no matter how people try to hide them." Gokudera said to himself.