Hello, everyone! Thanks for all the support yet again. Honestly, I didn't think anyone would like last time's chapter.

And to 10th Squad 3rd Seat's question: Really? I just got that dialogue from some show, and I couldn't remember. Mahaha, I didn't know I just used a quote from Bleach. Oh well, it did sound awesome.

Sheesh, it's hard to speak (write) in English. Good thing Flonne-onee-san's here to help me correct the mistakes.

I actually updated much faster than what I originally thought.

Haha, enjoy!

"Italian."

"Japanese."

'Telepathy.'

"Highlights."

"Flashback."

Thoughts.


Black Resolution

Target 3: Shattered remains


Memories.

The force of the explosion was so great that it charred the entire room and everything was set ablaze. The assassin's cool gaze never left the form of his new victim. Hmph, weak. Too bad you were caught in the crossfire. His eyes settled on the person who hid in the farthest corner, clothes black from the smoke. He pointed his sword towards his target's forehead.

"Well, it's your turn to die. Say your prayers, lowly traitor." The flames on his weapon burst even more, making the dark-haired male cower in fear. He begged him, "Please… spare me…" The brunet hitman tilted his head to the side, as if finding his plea confusing. "And why should I? You should've known this was coming when you betrayed Primofiore, Mochida-sempai." He whispered the last part with fake sweetness in his voice.

Mochida's form went rigid. Out of all of the students he used to interact with and picked on, there was only one person who would address him as such. "You— You're Tsuyosa Shinadawa, f-from class 2-A." Tsuna grinned wickedly. Fiery orbs held glints that promised pain and endless torture. "I believe you have the wrong person, Mochida-sempai." He stabbed the black sword to the other's lower leg as to prevent him from escaping. He didn't bat an eyelash on the ear-splitting scream he received from his so-called upperclassman.

"After all, the 'Tsuyosa Shinadawa' you spoke of does not exist." The assailant lifted the white sword. "Same person, wrong name."

He was about to deal the deathblow yet again until—

A hand wrapped around his side where he held the white sword and the other hand on his neck, holding a small needle that was almost— almost stabbing him.

"Stop." A hoarse voice resounded in his ears. His head swerved to the side, and saw the blond mafia boss. The assassin saw red. I will get rid of anyone who'll get in my way. He pushed his restrainer away, not minding the slight prick he felt on his neck. Tsuna took out a pistol from his cloak's pocket.

He aimed it at the Vongola Primo but his stare bore into Mochida's soul. "It seems that I haven't finished you off. How would you like to die?" He hummed for a while as he thought up of different ways to make the mafioso's will waver. "Do you want to be charred to ashes? Limbs pulled off one by one? Tear your skin forcefully? Or get yourself beheaded? It's your choice."

Giotto's orbs darkened. "I'm… ending this… right here, right now!" He gasped slightly as a fit of coughs attacked him. The assassin gave him a seemingly pitying look. "You look horrible." He blandly commented. The blond gritted his teeth. "And whose fault do you think it is?"

Tsuna sent him a blank stare. "Yours." His eyes widened. "Wha— What do you mean by 'mine'?" The brunet had an empty smile plastered on his face. "You were stupid enough to charge in here, knowing the dangers that lie beyond just waiting for you." He grimaced. "Why do even want to help this scum? He is nothing but a double-crossing trash."

"Do I even need a reason to help him? He needed my assistance and that's why I'm lending my strength to him." Primo looked at him with those emotions, the same damn emotions that brown-haired woman in his weird visions had. He lowered his head as he felt a miniscule ache.

"Tsu—!" She shouted in anger, surprise, disbelief, and most of all, disappointment. He just stood there like a statue, totally uncaring of the world as blood trickled down his hands. Not his blood, but the blood of those around him. Dead people surrounded the young boy and he gave his mother an innocent yet insane smile. "Mama, you're very proud of me… right?"

She gasped in horror. "Proud? How can I be proud?" The woman flailed her arms. "Look at this, look at all these men!" She grasped his shoulders tightly as her nails dug into her son's flesh, sleeves torn from the previous fight. "You killed them! You promised you won't take a life!"

Tsuna sent her a watery gaze. "B-B-But mama—! They… they were going to hurt my brothers and sisters!" His fists clenched. "Aren't you happy that I protected the family from danger?" She had a bewildered expression on her face. The woman then slapped her son repeatedly on both of his cheeks. Rage clouded her judgement and emotions got the best of her.

"You— You evil little boy!" Another slap. "I expected better from you!" And another slap. "You're the biggest disappointment in my life!" She pushed him roughly to the floor. Tears fell endlessly as he ran away from his mother. His younger siblings had scared but understanding gazes. Why did their mother condemn their brother when all he did was protect them? He didn't intend to take away their lives.

Then his mother fell on her knees. Realization dawned upon her as she stared at her shaking hands. "What… have I… done…?" She immediately stood up and went after her son. "No way, no!" The woman yelled at the top of her lungs, "Tsu, come back! I'm sorry!"

But it was too late. Tsuna was already out of her sight.

His bangs shadowed the hesitating flicker in his eyes. Another one, huh. What happened afterwards? Tsuna saw the questioning stare sent towards him, and decided not to think about it. At least, for now.

"Can't you feel anything for those whom you've killed? Don't you have any feelings?" He frowned at the brunet. "Feelings? Those are unnecessary. They merely hinder one's progress."

Giotto entered HDWM again. Though this time, his stance is a bit wobbly. "What are you saying? Feelings are important! It's also what makes us human!" The assassin's eyes hardened again. "Well, maybe I'm not human." He stabbed the blond with his own hands, metallic gloves pierced through Vongola Primo's skin. He stumbled backwards as Tsuna stared at him without a care in the world.

The assassin turned his back on the mafia boss and returned to his business. "Where was I again? Oh right," He smirked at Mochida. "Now then, it's time for me to—" Giotto pounced on him, successfully making the both of them fall to the ground.

"That's simply impossible. How did you—!"

The blond's eyes were in a daze, but the flame on his forehead never flickered. He stood in an offensive position. "I won't give up, not until my last breath!" His flames grew in power, clearly showing the lengths of his resolve. Tsuna pursed his lips. "Then I'll make sure this will be your last."

The two exchanged blows yet again. The blond boss had a scornful expression plastered on his face. How can a person be like that exist? So cold and merciless! His mind wandered back to the dead members of the Spada, subordinate or servant. At the thought, he instantly grimaced.

"Aren't you mortified these deaths will be etched in your memory forever?" Giotto felt blood stir up in his mouth. He gritted his teeth too hard. The brunet assassin gave him a bored stare, yet his eyes showed confusion. The latter blocked a fiery jab with his white sword.

"I do not understand you. Memories are just recollections of one's existence. Besides, why get caught up in the past when it already happened? It's not like you can change it." Sky flames were aimed at his head, and he barely dodged the strike.

"You heartless monster!" Vongola Primo bellowed in pure anger. Tsuna could not help but feel a shiver running down his spine. A strange sensation… what is it called? He ignored it and chose to launch another attack. "

"You don't need to tell me that, I already know I'm one a long time ago." He smashed his knee to the other's stomach, making him cough up blood. Giotto wiped his mouth. He is one tough nut to crack. Primo's fists clenched even tighter. Pure anger boiled up inside of him.

No, his anger was not stirred by the fact he couldn't stand against the assassin.

Instead, he was instantly riled up by a nonchalant remark.

"What are you going to do now? Every minute wasted here is a minute spent to torture your Famiglia down below." That was it.

Giotto snapped.

His gloves lit very brightly. It's time to end this. When Tsuna stared into the determined orange orbs, he was swept away by his memories yet again.

"Say, Tsuna. Will you stay here with me?" A girl with dark hair asked him. Mirthful orbs stared into his own as their mouths twitched upward. Tsuna had a sad smile on his face. "I can, Yume-chanbut I'm not sure until when." He emphasized his point by slightly tugging the chains on his wrists. "I don't think I'll last long. You know the gist—"

Yume closed her eyes as if she was praying. "Duty calls. I know, I know." She tugged at her own bindings, wincing as it harshly scraped her skin. "I wonder when we'll get out of here." The girl glanced at the ceiling in a momentary daze. The brunet looked down for a moment. Yume giggled, albeit a bit forced. "Being disappointed and stuff doesn't suit 'ya, you know? So you better stop mopin' around like a kicked puppy. Don't lose hope, Tsuna."

"Then, let's make a promise." That got her attention. She tilted her head to the side. "What are you planning, Tsuna?"

He reached out to her and held her hands. "We'll promise that no matter what, we'll watch each other's backs. No one will leave this place without the other, no one is going to get left behind." All he received from her was a hopeful grin.

"You do realize that I'll do anything for you." His head looked to her direction spontaneously. "I'll survive, for the both of us. We'll escape somehow." She gave him an encouraging nod. "I won't go down 'til we find a way to escape from Byakuran.

Tsuna couldn't help but smile back. Their resolution was firm. "Understood." For freedom, and for friendship. He thought.

Yume's eyes sparkled and he can see beneath those happy orbs was her sheer will to go on.

Those eyes…

That was— He was just standing in the middle of the room, suddenly stopping his assaults. Taking advantage of the situation, the blond went in for the strike.

He was too caught up in his reverie that he was not able to avoid Giotto's punch. The force was so great that he was sent toppling to the other side of the room. That was not the only thing coming for the assassin. A flurry of punches and kicks hailed down on him as he was still stuck in his stupor.

A familiar voice rang loudly in his mind. 'Well now, isn't it ironic for you to be indulged in those memories that you considered useless? You were the last person I expected to be affected by them.' That snapped him out of his thoughts. Primofiore?

It was too late though. Vongola Primo managed to elbow him in the gut and knock his head hard on the ground. As his vision gradually blurred, he could not help but try to fight his own consciousness. I can't collapse now, not when everything is at stake—

He couldn't do it.

He finally let his consciousness slip away from his grasp. It's… all… over…

Giotto's fire died down. He slumped to the ground in exhaustion. "I actually… beated him…" He approached the brunet and saw him peacefully eyes softened at the image displayed before him. Now that I look at him, he doesn't seem like the cold-hearted assassin I fought.

He wobbly carried the brunet on his back, and walked back to his guardians. Before he could even leave, a hand suddenly grabbed his ankle. It was the forgotten (and scared to death) Mochida. The other's leg was still bleeding. As for the sword, it seemed that the Spada heir threw it away carelessly at the corner of the room. He pleaded to the blond. "Please, just… please. Help me, the Spada's—"

Primo gave him a pitying glance. "Don't worry, Mochida. We'll help, just," He glanced at the door. "Wait, okay? I have to… get my… guardians." He coughed at the end of his sentence. That battle really took a lot out of him.

The blond trudged his way out of the room, hurrying downstairs with all his might. Please let me make it in time!

Once you get caught up in the past, you will no longer have any future to look forward to.


Broken.

Tsuna opened his eyes and saw the same beautiful scenery when he talked with Mukuro. A hand landed on his shoulder and his reflexes automatically activated, making him grab the said hand and punch that person. The brunet's fist, however, paused in mid-air when he saw who dared touch him.

"Primofiore." He bowed. "I give you my deepest apologies for that attempted attack."

"Ne, ne, Tsunayoshi. You sure took a beating there!" Tsuna broke his bowing stance at once, gazing into those violet orbs which hid many sinister things. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Strange, he usually calls me Tsu-chan or Usagi in this place. I wonder…

Byakuran sent him that shiver-inducing smile that promised bad news. "Do you know why I came here to visit you?" The assassin shook his head. "I'm afraid not." Though, I do have an idea.

The white-haired man loomed over him. "Your mission." He started to pace around, encircling the boy. "I'm sorry, but you failed. You'll just have to start over again~!" A pack of marshmallows was in his hands right away, as if it poof-ed there in an instant.

He slumped down, an uneventful realization dawned upon him. He's not serious, is he...? "No… why…?" Monotonous yet in disbelief, his voice cracked, as if it has not been used in a long time. "This wasn't part of the deal, Byakuran." His tone had a hint of spite in it, and his temporary boss knows what's in store for him if he doesn't elaborate further.

The Millefiore boss simply snorted in response. "Oh my, have you forgotten the contract? Did you forget my parting words back then, that I would not accept any failures?" The brunet clenched his fists. "Do remember, you were unable to get rid of that incompetent nincompoop."

Tsuna fell to his knees. "I—" He hesitated for a moment. "I'll do anything to redeem my mistake."

Byakuran tapped his chin in thought before he grinned wolfishly. "Well… you are my advisor. Maybe I can give you a second chance, but it'll be the last opportunity you'll get." The other's eyes shone with a bit hope. "Since it seems you're taken back to Vongola's headquarters, I want you to pretend to befriend them. Wait for them to lower their guard around you."

He turned his back against the assassin. "And when you finally achieve that stupid thing they call 'trust', that's when the real mission starts." The white-haired boss faced his second-in-command. "Assassinate Giotto Ieyasu Vongola and retrieve the Vongola rings."

The Millefiore Primo was fading bit by bit. "Remember this. Once you don't meet the requirements, you'll be serving me for the rest of your life. Am I making myself clear?" Tsuna gave him a salute. "I will get my hands on those rings and kill that blond even if it's the last thing I'll do."

"I knew I could count on you, Tsu-chan. You know what happens if you switch sides, right?" Byakuran patted him on the head.

The man gave him a fox-like smirk. "And I would leave if I were you. The fights from before really took a lot out of the building. It seems the place is gonna collapse. Anyhow, what's your answer?"

"My precious people will be dead, just like Arie-nee."

"Correct, just like Arietta."

He looked at the sky. Mukuro, Na-chan, Yume-chan and all the others… they are precious, despite— He closed his eyes. Despite the fact I know not why they are important to me.

"I won't let it end like this."


The Kokuyo gang sneered at the sight of the out-cold guardians. MM observed them in disdain. "Sheesh, these guys are sooo weak!" She stretched lightly and sent a disapproving glare at the now-rolling-on-the-floor-Ken. "So bored~!"

She kicked him hard. "Stop acting like a dog if you don't want to be called one, stupid mutt! You're ruining Mukuro-sama's reputation!" Ken froze in his spot. Leo snickered silently on the sidelines.

Fran stood next to him and whispered, "Hey… you should look forward to how he acts when Master's around." The ex-Spada member beside him grinned. Ken growled. Apparently, the blond mutt-boy heard their conversation. "What do you mean by that, froggie?"

"On, Ken-nii-san. I was just telling Leo about how loyal you are to Master. I wasn't making fun of your behavior or some sort." He sarcastically remarked and the said subordinate nodded in contentment, as a dog would when he's satisfied with his master's praise. Leo howled in laughter. "Stop laughing, pyon!" Chrome shook her head in exasperation. Fran muttered, "You're still Master's faithful guard dog in the end."

"I'll show you I'm not a mutt! I won't growl, I won't act like an animal, I won't tail after Mukuro-sama, and I won't chase anything!"

"Oh really now?" Leo queried, with a huge smirk on his face. The blond huffed. "That's right, pyon!" The silent one of the group crossed her arms in amusement as she established a mind-connection with Mukuro.

Mukuro-sama? She asked, and got a chuckle in return. Don't worry about them, Nagi. Just stay on your spot and relax. I feel that the next turn of events are… amusing.

The other emotionless one of the group walked towards them and petted Ken's head. "Watch this."

Chikusa decided to show a neat trick. He fished out a teeth cartridge from his pockets—I definitely don't want to know how he got that. Fran thought,—and he waved it in front of the blond-teen. "Here, Ken. Look." He tossed it at the far end of the hallway. The other's eyes widened as he ran after the item. MM rolled her eyes. "Not gonna chase anything, my ass."

Mukuro suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Kufufufu, it seems that you're all having fun here." Ken stopped in his tracks and dropped the fake vampire teeth-slash-toy dentures-slash-cartridge. "M-Mukuro-sama—! I-I… this… this is not what it seems to be!"

"Whatever you say, Ken." He sighed at his subordinate's antics. The pineapple-haired (no offense) illusionist suddenly felt an arm hook up with his. He turned to the side and saw it was the red-haired female. "Mukuro-sama~, let's hurry and go meet Tsu! You know we can't just leave our Queen here." She whispered seductively. "And after this, we can have a little alone time for you-know-what..."

Chrome had the kicked puppy-look on her face. "M-Mukuro-sama, I thought you were still single. Don't you trust me enough with these relationships of yours?" The indigo-haired male had a startled face, totally out of character. He noticed the glare sent to a sweatdropping yet smirking MM. "My sweet Chrome, I can explain—" He said with a shaky voice.

He suddenly heard someone talk in his head. 'I'll do anything to redeem my mistake.'

'Well… you are my advisor. Maybe I can give you a second chance, but it'll be the last opportunity you'll get.'

The illusionist paused for a second. Tsunayoshi-kun? And that bastard… Byakuran? Why are they together? Where are those two? What are they talking about?

Leo watched them, slightly puzzled. "Hey, what does Miss Dokuro mean by that?" Fran whistled quietly. "Whenever Master had a girlfriend, Lady Nagi would act like a jealous fangirl and go berserk. There was this one time when she burned the hair of his past fling. Back then, she said that 'her hand slipped' that's why she dropped the lighted matchstick on the other's head." The new recruit laughed nervously. I didn't know Miss Dokuro could be scary as hell.

The teal frog (apple?) adjusted his weird hat. "If I didn't know any better, I'd shrugged it off that she was still not used to having his attention diverted from her. Since that's not the case, I noticed she was acting too weirdly. It was so obvious she liked Master and did not tell him her feelings yet."

"Why wouldn't she?" Fran turned his gaze back to the trio. "She's afraid of rejection, that he'll treat her differently after she confesses. I wouldn't blame her for being like that, because she was already set aside before." The recruit nodded in understanding and sympathy.

"You shoudn't forget," He started. "That each one of the Kokuyo had horrible pasts, including you and Queen."

Mukuro, MM, and Chrome's argument ceased to an end while Ken and Chikusa had a lover's quarrel in the background. Their leader faked a cough. "Kufufufu, it seems that the mission is a success on our part, no?" They nodded. "You better get these… lowlifes away while I'll check on Tsunayoshi-kun." I don't trust that marshmallow-obsessed freak. Not now, not ever. Besides, he was the reason why

His thoughts were interrupted when the red head yelled, baffled. "M-Mukuro-sama, what are you saying? I thought you didn't care about these gorgeous yet annoying pests!" Mukuro chuckled. "Our dear Queen doesn't want unnecessary deaths, albeit lacking emotions." He crossed his arms. "We wouldn't want him to get upset now, do we?"

They shook their heads. He grinned. "Good. Now off I go." He disappeared in the mist.

"Mukuro-sama, stay safe." Chrome warned, not sure if her surrogate brother heard her.

While he headed for the brunet's mind, Mukuro could not help but sense a foreboding news.


When the other was gone, a different person replaced him. Speak of the devil. Tsuna lowered his guard on purpose. "Hello, Mukuro." The said teen waved.

"And what did I do to deserve this visit?" Mukuro rubbed the back of his head, letting his real personality take over; something that he wouldn't show outside his family of friends. He gave a lopsided grin. "I was just checking up on you. Also…" He grimaced.

"I heard you and that bastard a while ago. Where is he?" Tsuna stiffened a little when he mentioned the man. "He left already."

"I see…" He felt the brunet's intense stare at him. "What?"

The assassin directed his eyes on the ground. "You—" He staggered a bit,—Fatigue? Mukuro wondered.— and leaned on the tree beside him; which appeared out of nowhere. "Go, Mukuro. Get out of there with the others."

"There? Why?" He pursed his lips. "Tsunayoshi-kun, we're not leaving without you." The brunet frowned. "The building's about to go down. You shouldn't worry about me since I have something else to take care of." He was about to open his mouth and tell him but his friend held a finger to his lips.

The older male sighed. "Don't tell me… a new mission? Why would he give you another one?" Tsuna was a bit doubtful, whether to say the reason or not. It's now or never.

And so he told the indigo-haired teen about his earlier conversation with Byakuran. For every detail he revealed, Mukuro's expression became even more murderous.

"He has no right to do that." Especially when you're broken far beyond redemption. The illusionist crossed his arms. "What are you going to do?" The assassin had that blank smile plastered on his face again. "It's not like I have a choice in the matter."

"What about you? Where is your body now?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. All I know is that the enemy's bringing me to their place."

Mukuro gritted his teeth as he faded from Tsuna's mindworld. "I truly hate the mafia."

"You're not the only one."


The informant with black hair ran back into the room where Mochida was recovering. She crouched down and picked up the said heir, carrying him on her back. The Spada Terzo spoke in a hoarse voice, "Why would you help me in spite of the bad things I've done to you?"

The teen spat out, "Just shut your fucking trap. I've had enough of your chitter-chatter today." Mochida had a perplexed expression. "Answer me. Why?"

"Stop talking, okay? I've held back sharp retorts at you for you might remove me from my job." She pondered at the idea. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I'll be able to keep working for you since the whole place was trashed and you don't have any more money—"

"Hana Kurokawa." He said in a slightly stern tone. The informant sighed. Fine, stubborn babboon.

"Even though you kept on shouting at me during work hours, you were the one that gave me this stable job," She took a deep breath. "And I wouldn't have been able to pay for my brother's medical bills if I was unemployed." She sneered at him. "Don't think I'm helping you because I want to, got it bastard?" Mochida nodded, not wanting to anger her further. They did say: 'hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

Hana ran with all her might and jumped out of the window, landing harshly on a bush. She let Mochida stand on his feet while she supported him. Both hobbled towards the gates.

"Say, Kurokawa."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I still have a chance on Kyoko?"

The informant twitched. Hana slapped him with great vigor as her face was as red as an apple.

"Don't say such indecent things about my best friend!"

A pale pink hand print was left on his cheek. Mochida placed his arms in front on his face in an 'X' manner. "That wasn't even indecent!"

"Ha, like you'll fool me. You're just all buddy-buddy with me so you can hit on Kyoko without me interfering!" The girl stormed off, smoke could be seen coming out from her ears and head.

"Eh? Kurokawa, wait! Don't leave me hereee!"

It's our job to pick up the remains of what little we have left and make the best out of it.


Dull innocence.

Giotto carried the brunet bridal-style, as he ran to the hallway where his guardians were fighting. He guessed that they were still there, since he could not hear any clashes of metal or further explosions in that direction.

What he did not anticipate was the emptiness of the corridor.

Though there were signs of struggle and a fierce battle in the area, there was not even a single person. He was utterly lost and worried. Where did they go? At the exact moment, the ceiling abruptly fell down. The blond froze. I have to get out of here, quick! He noticed the troubled face the assassin had. I wonder what he is dreaming about.

Giotto muttered to himself. "There's no time to waste." He ran while the rest of the ceiling gave way behind him. He stumbled upon many debris on his way to the front door. There!

He jumped with all his might and broke through the door. And outside, were his guardians; all unconscious and uncaring. Just as he was about to wake them up, the building caved in. The blond turned around and gave a shaky laugh. I-I would have been squished like a pancake if I didn't jump. That was a close one…!

It was then he heard a groan from the group. He saw it was G and walked to him. "Hey, you okay?"

The red-haired(?) man gave him a deadpanned glare. "Do I look okay to you?" He pointed to the big throbbing bruise on the back of his head, the scratches on his body, and some blood dripping from his clothes. The blond sweatdropped. "Err, no…?"

G snorted. "So… what happened, Primo?" The blond gestured to the sleeping brunet in his arms. His right-hand man's face heated up immediately. "G-Giotto, y-you…!" He pointed a shaky finger to the said assassin. "I can't believe you had an illegitimate child!"

"W-WHAT? G, what are you saying? I'm too young to be a father of a teenager! Besides," He let out a meek response. "I-I'm still… a virgin." The boss whispered the last part. The said teen's friend gasped in horror. "He's not? Then that means—" The blond gulped at the suspense.

"YOU KIDNAPPED HIM?" His boss fell down anime-style with a huge sweatdrop on his head. "N-No, I wouldn't!" I'm not interested in those kind of acts! Though the boy is kinda cute— He mentally smacked himself for having such a perverse mind. What am I even thinking?

"That blush on your face said otherwise, Giotto. I didn't know you were a shotacon."

"Hey!" He yelled in embarrassment. "Don't accuse me with some word that only Haru would say!" I've never even heard of that word. He shuddered. I think Haru's rubbing off on you too much. A tick mark appeared on G's forehead. "You know better than to lump me with that idiotic yaoi-freak!"

"Maa, what's with all the commotion?" Lampo shook his head when he said that. He placed a hand on the Rain guardian's shoulder. "Yare, yare, leave them be Ugetsu. They're probably arguing over something stupid."

"Lampo, you shouldn't speak ill of your neighbors."

Lampo huffed. "But they aren't my neighbors, Knuckles. One's my boss and the other's the moronic pink octopus-head."

"I'll arrest you all for crowding and disrupting the peace with your noise." The other three gawked at him as if he grew another head. How can it be peaceful when there were many explosions and the Spada mansion is burning to the ground?

Unlike the rest of them, Daemon decided to keep quiet for now. The idea of his sister joining the ranks of those damn Millefiore irked him to no end.

The duo stopped. Huh? Was the only thought that entered their minds. That's when they realized that the rest of Primo's guardians woke up. Giotto was the first to react. "Ah, all of you are fine. That's good."

G gave Lampo a noogie, forgetting his previous conversation with the blond. "And who, pray tell, did you call a pink octopus head?" The aristocrat flailed his arms in pain. "Ow, ow, ow! Quit it!"

Alaude approached Vongola Primo. He narrowed his eyes at his own boss. "Get us out of here or I will cuff you to death." Giotto nodded, not wanting to be his Cloud guardian's prey. And he seemed pissed off too. He cried inwardly.

"Let's go, everyone." His guardians grinned (Alaude smirked). Daemon headed straight for the carriages. "I'll call Reborn for this." While they were heading back to the mansion, the blond could not help but muse about the earlier events. Hmit feels like I forgot something. He shrugged. "I'm sure it's not that important."

Poor Mochida, Giotto didn't even remember him. Nevertheless, he does have Hana to help him.

And he also didn't remember about his guardians' opponents.

In the end, he just observed the assassin as he dozed off.


Tsuna woke up again. This time, finding himself in a huge bed. His big doe eyes blinked sleepily as he scanned his surroundings. Where am I? He noticed that he was only wearing a long dress shirt and boxers while his arms were wrapped with bandages. He tried to get up when something beside him moved, and it had him quite startled. "The hell?" Tsuna saw a lump.

The brunet poked whatever was underneath the blanket and it moved again with a little giggle. Weird. He poked it much harder and the lump whimpered, "Cut it out, I'm trying to sleep here… zzz…" He decided to kick 'it'. A blond teen a couple of years older than him went flying towards the wall. Well, that worked. The said teen grunted in pain. "I think my nose is broken."

The assassin peered at him. It was the same guy he fought. Why did the blond take him here? Not his problem given that it makes his job easier. Infiltration, complete; if I can label the act of my enemy carrying me to their base as an infiltration.

"Oh, you're awake already?" Giotto rubbed the back of his head. Tsuna's hands twitched. "No, I'm just your imagination. I'm still sleeping soundly on your bed." An awkward silence soon followed.

"Okay… so who are you?"

"Why should I give you my name? It's none of your business. A name is just a label to differentiate a person from the others." He smirked. "Besides, I don't wanna give my name to some pervert who leaves me in nothing but a shirt and underwear while slumbering beside me." Giotto blushed. "T-That's—"

He sighed. Another headache was dawning upon him. "Anyways, names are meaningful. It's something that gives you your uniqueness. Can you answer my question now? I can tell if you are lying."

"Then why not figure out for yourself who I am?" Tsuna crossed his arms. No use getting info out of him. The blond shook his head.

Giotto stood up and went to a door. "This door leads to the bathroom." He pointed to a larger door. "That one leads to the corridor. If you need clothes, there are some in the closet over there. I'll go and take you to the kitchen later for lunch." He went inside the lavatory.

The brunet had a question mark on his head. Lunch? He noticed a grandfather clock from his periferal view. It showed '11:30'. Meanwhile, the windows reflected the sun's rays. He raised an eyebrow. How long was I out?

His guts were telling him that something he did not anticipate would happen later.

Expect the unexpected, but they didn't call it unexpected for nothing.


True to the blond's words, they went to the kitchen for dinner. This time, Tsuna wore a plain white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. However, it was a tad big for the petite brunet. He closed his eyes. Who did I inherit this girly body from again?

Lunch was quiet for the group, mostly because the loud ones were all watching at him like a freak. The assassin decided to speak up. Those stares bothered him a lot. "I didn't know I was that attractive to look at." They spluttered and almost choked at their own meals.

Out of the blue, the doors swung open and revealed a blond male and a brown-haired woman around their late teens. Daemon's mood got better when his eyes landed on the lady. "Elena!" He went over and hugged his lover. Said lover embraced him back and the two entered lovey-dovey mode. The rest of the group almost puked.

Giotto greeted his fellow blond. "Yo, Dino." Dino grinned at him and ruffled his hair, which caused an even bigger mess. The older blond felt a gaze lingering on his back and when he turned around, he was left in astonishment. "Y-You, you're—"

Tsuna watched the duo. They made him feel nostalgic. Nostalgic? I've never felt nostalgic before. Then the other blond beside his hit gaped at him. He was a bit miffed. Did he have dirt on his face? Was he ugly for that guy? That expression really troubled him. "What?"

In his surprise, Dino shouted in… delight? "Tsuna!" Excuse me? The lady with him was now gaping at him, too. Great. "Do I know you?" The 'Dino' guy appeared to be advanced to the brunet. "You don't know me?"

"Am I supposed to?" The brown-haired lady burst into tears and scurried out of the dining room. Dino followed after her. "Imouto, wait up!" Tsuna blinked obliviously. "Did I say something wrong?" Giotto patted his head as if to assure him. "None at all."

"Then why did the lady dashed away with water running down her face?" They glanced at him incredulously. Asari frowned. Don't tell me he doesn't—

"She was crying. I presume your name is Tsuna?" The guy in the Japanese hat said. The assassin nodded. I can't believe someone recognized me. How did they know my name? But before that

"Cry is the physical manifestation of sadness, right?" The male in priest clothes came up to the brunet. "You don't know what it looks like to cry?" Tsuna shook his head. "This is my first time seeing someone cry, sir." At least, as far as I can remember.

Giotto placed a hand on his shoulder. "If they knew your name, who are you to them?" He stopped eating. If they know me, they must be aware of my past. They can probably aid me with this predicament.

Unexpectedly, he felt a hot breath on his ear and a low whisper. "You will never escape, because you only belong to me." He ignored it.

Tsuna's eyes bore into the blond's orbs. The brunet's ignorance and innocence about his origin was his own downfall.

"Who am I? I don't even know myself…"

Innocence can be seen not only in the purest light, but also in the bleakest darkness.


Yume and Arietta are NOT, I repeat, are NOT OCs.

Remember who Mochida was shouting at in Chapter 2? It was Hana.

A failed chapter, I know. This was just a transitional one. I'm bad at ending the main events.

Tell me if there are repetitive words and errors I missed so I can ask beta-nee to fix them~!

Okay, the education system for this story will be like this:

Kiddies: Toddler class - Preparatory (3-6)

Elementary: Grade 1 - 6 (7-12)

Middle school: Freshman - Senior (13-15)

High school: 1st - 4th year (16-19)

College: 20 and above.

That's why Mochida said Tsuna was from class 2-A.

Few of the lines in the preview show whose gonna appear next, lalala~!

Preview:

"Don't you have a heart? Somewhere deep down inside of you?"

"A heart… you mean the organ made up of muscles?"

"I bet you're like those fucking hypocrites, judging me with those damn stares."

"Why would I even bother to do so?"

"Giotto, that child is already corrupted by Byakuran."

"As long as there is another tomorrow, I believe we can still help him recover."

"Hana, are you okay? Should I get Haru-chan to—"

"I'm fine, Kyoko. Just get this bastard some medical treatment."

"Say, you look a lot like Mami."

"How did you know my sister's name?"