Sorry about the previous chapter being so short, it like, seemed appropriate at the moment.
Anyway, hope you guys like this!
Tsuna washed his face in a nearby stream. He scrubbed his face of dirt for when he had been tripped earlier at the village square. He let the water trickle down his face as he stared down at his miserable reflection in the water. Why? Why do people always pick on him? He sighed and started to wash his arms. His family was poor, he gets it, but there was no need to make fun of it! His clothes were tattered. He hadn't had new ones since a year ago. No one would give him work at the village because he was known as "Dame-Tsuna", who failed at anything and everything.
He sighed. At least someone had enough pity to give him a job such as delivering packages to another village. He would come home late and would probably not eat dinner anyway. He gritted his teeth, if only his father was here! Disappearing when he was seven without any specific reason! But for his mother's sake he kept his bitterness away, besides, she was waiting for him to come home. His father that is. No matter how much he rants about it nothing is going to change anyway.
He would live as Dame-Tsuna and DIE as Dame-Tsuna.
Somehow that didn't settle with him. He wanted to do something great, something that would make people acknowledge him. Sadly, that was not gonna happen.
Until now that is.
Somewhere from behind him, a huge boulder flew and crushed him flat.
It hurt. Really.
Somebody whistled in the distance. "It's good to know that your not easily killed… otherwise his majesty would be disappointed." A squeaky voice said.
Tsuna cried out as the boulder rolled off of him. "Stop crying like a child. You're fourteen aren't you?" Tsuna looked up to snap at whoever it was but he found himself looking at nothing.
"Eh?" he said.
"Oi, down here!" he looked down and came face to face… with a baby. He gawked. The baby was wearing a pointy purple hat, a set of velvet robes and a green staff. In short, the kid looked like a wizard. Tsuna started to laugh, forgetting that he was just crushed by a boulder a few seconds ago. The baby raised an eyebrow.
"What's so funny?" the baby asked. Tsuna stopped laughing and his eyes widened. Wait, did that baby just talked to me?
"Yes, I am talking you dimwit now answer my question!" Tsuna scrambled up and glared at him, his eyes flashing.
"Okay kid, I don't know who you are and why you can talk but even so… it's rude to call someone names!" he said. The baby had a strange look in his eye.
"But isn't it true? You are Dame-Tsuna after all." He smirked when Tsuna flinched at the name.
"You… how…" he stuttered and then glared at him. "You're just a baby! You don't know anything!" he said, pointing an angry finger at him.
The baby raised an eyebrow. "I don't do I?" he took off his hat and pulled out a really, really long scroll that when he unrolled it, it continued to roll all the way until it must have reached a mile.
"Let's see here… your name is Tsunayoshi Sawada – Tsuna for short, your mother is Nana Sawada, you're poor, you've been called Dame-Tsuna since the age of five, you can't write well, can't even read Nimorian well, extremely clumsy, is afraid of small dogs and when you were six you accidentally set your school house on fire…"
"OKAY! WILL YOU QUIT IT?" Tsuna shouted, his face red. He didn't mean to set the school house on fire… really! It was an accident!
The baby rolled the scroll up and smirked triumphantly.
"Who are you anyway?" Tsuna asked wearily.
"I'm Reborn," the baby smirked widely. "and I'm your tutor."
Tsuna blinked. "Tutoring me in what?" he asked, pointing a finger at himself.
"You are the next heir in line to be the King of Nimor."
Tsuna blinked again.
Once
Twice
Thrice
He then burst out laughing, pounding his fist on the ground. My tutor? He thought as he laughed. A king?
Before he knew it, Reborn smashed the side of his head with a huge hammer and he was sent flying into the air.
Reborn sighed as his familiar, a green lizard named Leon, turned back into a staff. What a problematic child, he thought.
Tsuna, unfortunately, had landed straight into the next village's square, in the fountain to be more exact. He climbed out, coughing water out. He winced as he felt the side of his face throbbing. That… what just happened? He asked himself as he looked around. No one was around when he fell in but…
"Gah! The package!" he cried as he searched his pockets. He groaned when he saw the small package all wet. His shoulders sagged and his head drooped to the side.
"What am I going to do now?" he asked himself. If he didn't deliver this he wouldn't get paid and without money, they won't be able to pay the rent…
"Deliver it of course." A familiar voice said behind him. Tsuna whipped his head around and saw Reborn.
"How did you get here so fast?" Tsuna asked, pointing an accusing finger at him. Reborn frowned. He walked up to Tsuna, took his arm, and twisted it painfully behind his back.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to point at people?"
"OW! I – OW! I'M SORRY!" Tsuna cried and Reborn let him go. Tsuna looked at him with wide eyes while he rubbed his sore arm. Is a baby that strong?
Finally, plucking up all the courage he had he asked "Who are you anyway?"
Reborn smirked and Tsuna felt right then and there he won't like the answer. "I'm the king's most trusted friend, the world's most powerful hitman-slash-wizard!" Tsuna didn't know what to think. His logical reply was, "Huh?"
"Wait… hold on for a minute." Tsuna raised his hands. Why not play along with the kid? He might leave him alone if that's the case. "You told me I was going to be a king… a king of what exactly?"
Reborn's smirk widened. "I'll tell you later. First of, deliver that package of yours already."
With that thought back in mind, Tsuna sprinted off.
Meanwhile Reborn…
~Later that night~
"Mom…I'm home!" Tsuna said wearily as he opened the door.
A word before anyone gets any bright ideas. Yes he was poor, but his house did not look like a shack that could be blown away even by the slightest breeze. No, it was just a small, old cottage at the edge of the village. They owned on cow, probably the only animal that Tsuna will never be afraid of, and some chickens. It was a very small place but it was home.
"Welcome back Tsu-kun!" his mother said. Tsuna's stomach grumbled. Right, he didn't eat lunch. His mother laughed from the kitchen. "Come and have dinner with us Tsu-kun!"
Tsuna was in the middle of pulling his coat off when he froze. Us?
He was relieved when the strange baby had disappeared but now… he prayed it wasn't who he thought it was.
"Yo." Reborn said, calmly sipping his tea. Tsuna fell face first on the ground.
"Why are you here?" Tsuna said as he stood up.
"Didn't I say it before? I'm going to tutor you." Reborn replied as he took a loaf of bread and started to eat it.
"Okay kid, listen here," Tsuna said impatiently. "I'm tired of this little game of yours alright? Just leave me alone!"
Reborn looked at him, his black eyes intimidating. Tsuna gulped. Somehow… that wasn't the right thing to say. "Don't you know who your father is Tsuna?" he asked quietly. Tsuna looked at him in surprise.
"My father? What does this have to do with my father?" he asked, his voice lowering. Without him noticing, his mother slipped away, leaving the two alone.
Anything really, Tsuna would do anything to know why his father has been gone for so long. Maybe if his father was around… life could have been better for them and probably… just probably he wouldn't be so weak. His father is an idiot but he's not bad… right? Besides… a baby that talks… is he really a wizard?
"Looks like Iemitsu knew this would happen." Reborn sighed and pulled down his hat. "Look, I'm going to say this once alright? Your father is a noble," Tsuna opened his mouth to speak but Reborn cut him off. "Not just any noble Tsuna. He's the recent king Timoteo's nephew, one of the few descendants of Vongola Primo, the first king of Nimor."
Tsuna's jaw dropped. His father a noble? But… if that's the case…
"He can't be…" Tsuna said, his voice quivering. "Look at my family! If he's a noble then shouldn't he have helped us?"
Reborn sighed again. "There were… certain things that had happened Tsuna. There was great danger and he had to leave in order not to arouse suspicion. If he didn't then you and your mother wouldn't even be here."
Tsuna slumped into a chair, not really believing what he was being told.
"What happened?" he whispered.
"Many years ago the few living heirs died… the only one alive out of the four was Xanxus. Suspicion went about that he murdered them but found no evidence. Around that time, Iemitsu decided to keep you and your mother hidden and in doing so… he had to leave you."
"But why?" Tsuna asked. "He could have at least lived with us! Forget him having a status of a noble!"
"It's not as simple as that Dame-Tsuna." Reborn whacked him on the head. "It's not his status of a noble that he couldn't have abandoned, it was his seat of power!"
"Huh?" Tsuna rubbed his head.
"He's not just a noble. He is the royal advisor of his highness and leader of CEDEF."
"But what's CEDEF?" Reborn punched him this time off his chair. "Ow! Why do you keep hitting me?" he cried as he rubbed his sore cheek.
"Some of those questions are for later Dame-Tsuna."
"Don't call me that!"
"Yeah, whatever."
Tsuna huffed angrily and sat down again. "Anyway, what does this have to do with me now? I'm safe aren't I?"
Reborn didn't answer.
Tsuna could feel a lump form in his throat.
"Tsuna… you are Iemitsu's son… therefore you are the second heir." Tsuna paled. "Because you are the heir though, you are endangering Xanxus' chances of getting the throne."
"So you mean… he's coming to kill me?" he squeaked. Reborn nodded. Tsuna stood up and started to pull on his hair. "This isn't possible! I'm Dame-Tsuna! I don't want to die young!" he wailed.
"Oh will you just shut up!" Reborn pointed a strange weapon at him. When Tsuna didn't stop Reborn pulled the trigger and left a hole a few centimeters away from Tsuna's ear. That stopped him quite nicely.
"Sit down!" Reborn ordered him and did as he was told.
"He's not going to kill you yet," Tsuna flinched. "but while he doesn't know we have to take our chances and train you."
"Train me?" Tsuna pointed at himself. Reborn nodded.
"But…" he stuttered.
"But what?"
"I CAN'T BE A KING!" Tsuna burst out. "And so?" Reborn asked. Tsuna grimaced. "Can't you see how pathetic I am? Do I look like king material?"
"No. You don't." Tsuna slumped back into his chair but stiffened as he saw the smirk on Reborn's face. "That is, you will be when I'm done with you."
"I don't want to be king alright! Let him be king!" Tsuna said as he backed away from the table. "Even if you think they'll leave you alone Xanxus will not take chances. He'll eradicate you and your family."
Tsuna froze. "What about my mother? Please not my mother!" he pleaded. Reborn shook his head, "It doesn't matter who he kills, be it children, women or the elderly."
Tsuna's legs wobbled. "How can such a person be like that…?" he asked himself.
"Believe it or not there are people like that. Now, are you willing to risk yours and your mother's lives? Iemitsu gave you enough time, don't waste it." Reborn jumped off the table and started to head into Tsuna's room. "Get ready for tomorrow." He said before going inside.
Tsuna staggered and slid down against the wall. He was an heir, an heir to the throne. It was what he wished for but he didn't want it to be this way. He only wished it, he didn't expect himself to do anything. What of his mother then? If Reborn tells him was true… she was in danger then. He buried his head in his hands and groaned. Why was he ever born with the worst luck?
"Tsu-kun." He looked up and saw his mother. She kneeled before him.
"Mom… tell me it isn't true." He pleaded but his mother's sad smile told him everything. "I'm sorry Tsu-kun." She said and Tsuna groaned once again, burying his head in his arms.
"I love your father very much Tsu-kun and I was so happy when we had you." She lifted his face so that he was looking straight in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll be fine okay?" she smiled and Tsuna couldn't help but smile back.
"Promise?" he held out his pinky.
"Promise." She said and locked her pinky with him.
"I believe you'll make a wonderful king Tsu-kun." His mother kissed him on the forehead and stood up, smiling. "Eat your dinner while it's still warm!" she then walked away to her room. Tsuna sighed and got up.
After eating dinner, he went to bed. Imagine the shock though when he saw Reborn sleeping in a makeshift hammock with his eyes open and a bubble coming out of his nostril.
His life was changing. All he needs now is to find out whether it's good or bad.
He was still awake and couldn't sleep. He kept moving around the covers, making shuffling noises. To Reborn's irritation, he woke up unconsciously and 'accidentally' dropped a huge rock from god-knows-where on Tsuna.
Tsuna was knocked out instantly.
Tsuna had to be honest. He didn't remember the next day why he had such a huge bump on his head.
There we have it! 8D hope it was good enough :3
