I am very sorry for the late update. But thank you so much for staying with this story.
I do need to clarify some things, here, I am not going to make Reborn some god-like character. Yes, he is still very much strong and talented, but he does have his limits.
I took the third part of the Namimori forest from one of the versions of Red Riding hood, when she was running away from Mr Wolf, she requested laundry ladies by the mill to let her cross. And they made a bridge of cloth for her. When Mr Wolf came, he requested the same; they obliged. But when he started crossing, they let the cloth go and he drowned in the river.
Sorry for my long rant.
'Reborn! Reborn! Reborn!'
It glissaded through the dead roots of the twisted giants, calling for the hitman desperately. Thorns and sharp branches cut its feet, but Tsuna cared not. He was in panic, and his guilt would torment him, until he knew that Reborn was alright.
Reborn had to be alright.
'Reborn!'
"Would it kill you be a little quieter?" A familiar voice echoed, tone annoyed.
'Reborn!'
Tsuna's ears quickly flicked up, his eyes a little teary and he tackled the hitman. They tumbled onto the parched earth and Reborn's back ached in protest.
"Get off me before I shoot you, Dame-Tsuna."
'I was so worried…' It squeaked before darting away for some coverage against the hitman, who was starting to look less please. The nearest turned out to be a withered rose bush, but Tsuna had still tried to force its head in.
"What are you doing out here?" Reborn hastily demanded. Tsuna who pulled its head out rather roughly, in order to answer Reborn, cried out in pain as it had cut its nose in the process. A small grin framed the man's face, but he quickly hid it away.
'It's dangerous here, and Reborn, my first friend, I was wrong to leave you alone.' Tsuna mumbled, as it saw where the hitman was actually standing.
'Reborn, you are off the path!'
The other snorted and casually walked away.
'Reborn! Where are you heading?' Tsuna shrieked, when he saw Reborn stepping over the obstructive roots of the trees, deeper into the forest's depths.
"Back to the path?" Reborn played with his curly sideburns
'But you're heading further from it!' Tsuna said in desperation.
Reborn shot him a look, causing the wolf to shrink back a little.
'I-It's really not a temptation.' It held both his hands up, tail between its legs and finally, it gained the courage to look Reborn in the eye. Dark eyes looked into brown, Reborn was hesitant, but he still turned away from the wolf.
'Bermuda will consume you if you head further in!'
"Bermuda? So it is the infamous demon named and known as 'Bermuda Von Veckenschtein'?"
Tsuna nodded nervously.
"Then it's perfect." Reborn smiled with somewhat polite diabolicalness, and Tsuna inadvertently shivered.
'R-Reborn, p-please don't pick a fight with him…' But Reborn only walked away.
Tsuna did not see the hitman's slight frown.
"Tsuna, go back."
'No.'
Reborn turned around, and gave a sharp glare. Yet he was momentarily surprised when Tsuna did not flinch.
'Reborn, you are my first friend. Let us go together.' When Reborn looked at Tsuna, he saw that beneath the depths of caramel eyes, were a passionate flaming ember. The hitman quickly resumed back to walking, saying no more.
He loved those eyes.
"Sometimes I don't know if you're an obstinate fool or- Woah." Reborn cut short his statement, for there was a sudden contrast in the environment. Thin greying roots leading to a small bridge over the crystal clear river. A house stood in the midst of the pasture. Red roof, bisque walls and small windows.
"Not what I had in mind." Reborn chuckled lowly.
'It's definitely his territory. Only demons of high level can change their surroundings to this extend." Tsuna whimpered.
"He's calling me." Reborn smiled. And Tsuna's eyes widened.
'No. Reborn. He's tempting you to fight him. He already drew you off the path. Reborn, temptation comes in many forms.'
The hitman did not listen and pressed further in, crossing the bridge. And the wolf followed behind.
'How foolish.'
A voice deeply echoed when Reborn opened the door to the house.
"Bermuda, the infamous demon- even among the Acrobaleno. I noticed something was off when you dodged my aim earlier. Regardless, you will meet your end today."
'How foolish. Did you not realise I am not your true enemy? There's something far bigger and frightening than me out there.'
"Your words sound like a broken record to me." Reborn twirled his gun.
'How foolish. You refused to heed my words, you refused to run away while you can. Your stubbornness shall lead to your downfall. I shall consume you.'
It was then a dark shadow emerged from the corners. Tsuna shivered and ducked towards the door. Reborn poised with his gun.
The surroundings whirled madly. No longer resembling a small comfortable sitting room and a warm fireplace, but becoming something blurry and seemingly more sinister by the second.
'W-We're in his realm…' Tsuna stammered.
Reborn tipped his fedora.
Bermuda appeared in a form a gentleman in front of them. He had a top hat and a good cape, and dressed in a neat suit with a tail coat. Yet whatever exposed skin was covered in bandages; his face wrapped in them so tightly, that the only identifiable part were the eyes, which were darker than any shadow in the room.
"And now, no common passer-by. You will be punished." He spoke, more human than before.
Like a flash, Bermuda disappeared and appeared behind the hitman. Reborn turned quickly, his fast reflexes however still did not get him a shot at the demon who flew up the roof.
"You're fast." Reborn muttered inaudible curses under his breath, and rolled away as Bermuda landed on the ground, destroying it in the process.
Tsuna, meanwhile, having not involved in such affairs before, watched the fight as it stiffly stood in a corner, tail between its legs. 'Why can't I move? D-Didn't I p-promise to save Reborn?'
It heard a loud smash and saw Reborn collided with what seemed like distorted furniture. Its ears twitched nervously. Reborn definitely cannot win this fight- at least for now, Bermuda's hatred was well-known among the demons and something not to be trifled with. It eyed the fight again. Reborn was clearly more sluggish and Tsuna saw a familiar red sliding down the man's wrist. Bermuda then slammed the hitman onto the wall and Reborn's fedora fell.
Tsuna never stayed with the hitman for long, but he knew that hat would never go off the man's head as long as he's conscious. It clenched his fist, and before Bermuda struck a deciding blow, orange flames consumed the area. When the demon looked up, the wolf and the hitman had disappeared.
Bermuda twitched his nose. "That wolf is…"
Tsuna did not even pause to breathe as it glided beside the path, carrying Reborn. The hitman was heavy and occasionally the wolf would stumble. But it would not give out and it ran past the path of needles into another large pasture. For a moment, he had thought Bermuda had worked his magic, but he recalled that the demon could not actually leave the Path of Needles due a curse.
By whom, the wolf did not know.
It was strange how the area had no trees, just windmills, and a river piled up with things for washing. There was white road extending to the river's bridge and across to the next part of the forest. A very human environment for a place in Namimori Forest.
"Hey!"
Tsuna turned around and saw a silver head, holding what screamed dangerous. He looked a lot younger than Reborn, and definitely not experienced.
'Y-Yeah? If you do not mind- how can there be another human in here?! Byakuran says nothing of it!'
The man definitely smelt human and he also bore the same smell as Reborn's metal thing, except a lot more prominent than the hitman's. The smell of gunpowder.
"Put him down now!"
'Y-You know this man? Wait, humans can't possibly find a way out Bermuda's Path just like that!' Tsuna was desperate and getting increasingly perplexed. He then felt Reborn twitched a little. It then furrowed its eyebrows. Questions could wait for later.
'Human, please hear me. I need help. My friend here is injured. I cannot enter the Path or I will die. It's the rule of the demons- HIEEEE!' The man threw a bomb at the wolf's feet. 'I really won't hurt!'
"Shut the hell up! You ALL just tell lies. Put the man down or Double bombs!"
'Hiee!'
