Note: Unedited. No Beta. Short chapters. Slow update. Character's personality might differ slightly from canon.
Collision
03:
Reborn is furious, his flames rolling angrily on the surface of his skin.
He just woke up from an unwilling sleep. He did not even have to think for a second to know that the one who did this is that dame.
Is Tsunayoshi Sawada even a dame? He did manage to bring a person like him down without him even knowing how. That isn't an easy feat. Maybe the main contributing factor of it is because even with his guard continuously up, he had never thought that the teen he came in Japan for would have the nerve to do it. Much less even to successfully manage it without raising his alarm. But the fact that he did is noteworthy.
He lightly touched his neck where he had felt that prickling sensation before. It's smooth. No scars. Well, it was probably a small needle so of course there won't be any scars. And if there really was, the healing factor of his sun flames would have taken care of it.
Just like it had done with the quite potent sleeping drug that dame managed to give him.
He might have scoped out that Tsunayoshi Sawada, despite his reputation as a dame in his school, is actually quite smart and has a lot o potential. But he hadn't really grasped it yet. Not totally. He blames it on the idiocy of the CEDEF leader.
Iemitsu has been spouting absolutely flowery phrases about his family to Nono even before everything in the Vongola family turned upside down that even the ninth Vongola head deemed everything Iemitsu had been saying as the truth.
Now, it seems like the information Nono gave him from that idiot is all false information. He wasn't even sure if Iemitsu himself purposefully gave incorrect information about his wife and son or he really did not know.
Because the absentminded yet loving and kind wife Iemitsu described is just a tiny bit different and his son looked to be entirely incomparable to the shy and skittish boy he remembered.
Sawada Nana certainly looked to be air-headed and absentminded but her eyes sharpen up to a high degree whenever her son is mentioned. She's overprotective and he could almost remember how her mind was working rather rapidly when the protection of her son is threatened.
She's the very definition of a deceptively dangerous mother.
Sawada Tsunayoshi himself seemed to be a proactive teen that takes his safety very seriously. He doesn't allow anyone to do any sort of decision making without his input and approval. He takes initiative about his life.
The two is a very close mother and son and looks after each other. They cannot be dismissed. That was exactly his mistake.
After he had told Tsunayoshi about his role as the heir and seen how he decisively didn't want to be one, he had already determined that the plans he had for training this particular teen would have to be taken into consideration again. he couldn't browbeat him into submission. Not only will the teen not allow it, even his mom would get involved. No. 1 greatest hitman or not, a mother's wrath was always something he always takes into great consideration. Even with civilians.
For a week, he watched and had been on guard. Tsunayoshi is a loner. He seemed to not have any friends. He hadn't approached anyone or vice-versa. He observed the people around and found no one who could pose a serious threat to him and the heir. Only to be hit by a sleeping drug that seemed to have put him out for two hours even with his flames by that said heir. His eyes narrowed and he almost growled in anger.
The door to Tsunayoshi's room where he found himself in opened abruptly and he turned to stare at the person who was there at the door, resisting his reflexive action of pointing the now gun-form Leon that was hidden on his back to the intruder.
It was Sawada Nana. She smiled widely upon seeing him.
"Oh, Reborn-chan! You're finally awake!" she cheerfully said. She went inside the room with some snacks and coffee and put it on the bedside table. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine, Maman." Despite the emotions he was feeling, he was still polite. It's easy as it has always been his routine. Besides, Nana hadn't done anything harmful to him... yet.
"Oh, that's good," she gave a sigh of relief. "Tsu-kun told me to watch over you. You suddenly fell asleep he said." Reborn lightly tilted his face down and allowed his hat to cover his face as he scowled at his lap. Suddenly fell asleep? He thought with a sneer.
"Where is he Maman?"
"Oh, he didn't say," she answered. "Don't worry, he'll come back even before the curfew. If he can't, he would certainly call me to inform so I won't worry needlessly." She smiled widely.
"I still have to teach him..."
"Tsu-kun is a responsible teen! Don't listen to what others say! My Tsu-kun is brilliant and smart. It's his classmates and teachers who couldn't understand him." Nana scowled lightly even as she gave him a cookie and a coffee. "You don't need to teach Tsu-kun rigorously," she said with sincere eyes. "You also don't need to teach him to stay here. You can stay whenever you want. We won't throw you out."
Abruptly, Reborn had an epiphany.
He had always wondered why, despite her wary nature of strangers when it comes to her son, she still called him using that obviously dubious poster that he was certain Nana found suspicious and allowed him to stay. Now he knows.
He printed on his poster that he didn't require payment to make their child brilliant. Only lodgings and food. She probably thought that he was homeless and called to help him, but not to be her son's tutor as he remembered she opened her door with a light frown on her face. When she saw that he looked like a baby... she took him in.
Tsuna probably already thought of this epiphany and used Nana's compassion in regards to an apparently homeless baby like him and made her watch him closely as he might be ill. After all, he did 'suddenly fell asleep'.
Sawada Nana's brain just starts running sharply whenever her son's safety is threatened. The rest of the time, she really is air-headed.
"I will look for him Maman. He left something important behind," he said. Nana immediately frowned, a sharp gleam entering her eyes.
"What is it?"
Already prepared, he pulled out Tsunayoshi's wallet and let the other see it. "He might need money..." He wasn't even finished with his sentence when Nana allowed him to leave urgently while still reminding him to be careful and to return safely.
He searched for that dame, even at that school of his until he saw a seemingly peaceful group inside one of the rooms in the fourth floor. They looked to be uninteresting but Reborn's sharp and on guard senses noticed a slight and hazy outline. Frowning, he hopped onto a large tree that would let him see the window and saw that it was surrounded by... mist flames.
An illusion. How could that be? He hadn't sensed anyone in the town having mist flames. And besides, how could the people inside this room use these flames?
Though he could not see clearly who is inside, he is almost certain Tsunayoshi is there. Not only because he is a suspicious bastard when it comes to this particular heir now after being poisoned, but also because there is a sky flame rolling comfortably inside.
He jumped and lightly stepped on the frame of the room's opened window, only to immediately encounter the influence of mist flame insidiously creeping inside his brain. He angrily tore it apart violently and only then realized that the illusion is from a seal somewhere inside the room as he heard an audible breaking.
He saw five teens inside, all possessing flames. His attention though was focused on the person he is most peeved at.
"Tsunayoshi Sawada." He is extremely angry. This is the first time he managed to get angry in this degree.
"Reborn," he heard Tsunayoshi answering rather calmly. He gave him a blank look but he is rather sure all the teens inside could clearly perceive his displeasure.
Just as he had intended.
. . . . .
"You're awake."
Tsuna didn't even deny his involvement with his previous sleeping status as he knew Reborn already suspects him. No, he already had him as the one who it. Tsuna didn't even mind.
For the rest of that week that reborn had been monitoring him, making him unable to approach or even hint of his relationship with his friends, he had already deduced Reborn's habits and his routine in the town.
His connection couldn't give any sufficient information in regards to this person so he had to be the one to get information about anyone relating to the core members of the mafia regardless of their rankings. Though he is certain Reborn belonged to the Elites as well as the boss of the family that appointed him as an heir.
And also his father.
Reborn had the habit of stalking him, roaming around town and watching people. He is also extremely vigilant and always on guard. He only succeeded in tranquilizing the baby hitman because for one, Reborn wasn't that vigilant when it comes to him at that time and two, he had observed and found an extremely brilliant time to hit him the moment he glanced at his phone following a call.
He knew that opportunities like that would be zero after this. He didn't care. It's time to make use of this core member.
They have the nerve to trap him in this situation, never even knowing important things about him. Not only would they regret it, they will pay. And anyway, this forcible recruitment is actually a blessing in disguise. They might think they have the upper hand but they do not know that looking down at him just because he is a civilian teen will be their downfall.
He would make sure of it.
"I applaud you for being able to hit me with your needle," he started, his lisping sounding adorable but the terrifying aura the baby released disinclined anyone in the room from commenting. Not that they could. Tsuna knows that their minds are still being blown by the size of the hitman. And that aura.
A baby who looked cute with an even adorable lisp and a pacifier dangling around his neck able to speak complete sentences while wearing a neat suit, all the while releasing a terrifying aura.
"Thank you."
Both of them stared at each other rather, Reborn with his blank eyes while Tsuna with his calm. None of them seemed to want to break the silence and determined to out stare each other. But Tsuna heard Shoichi hissing in pain.
He stared at his friend in concern. "You're stomach's been aching since earlier... you should go to the nurse office." Tsuna knew that Shoichi's flames could take care of his stomach ache, that's why despite his constant pain whenever he is nervous, he could still operate rather normally.
In this way, the healing factor in Shoichi's flame is very accustomed and effective.
Though he knew it, he still made his friend leave. It's because out of all of them, Shoichi is the most delicate. He knew how to fight as they all wanted him to know how to protect himself, and Kyoya didn't want anyone in his group to be weak he said. Thing is, Shoichi doesn't want to hurt anyone. He often restrains himself until nothing could be done other than to fight and even then, he would feel so horrible he would be bedridden for a day.
Shoichi adopted a rebellious attitude. Though that was the case for him, he never willingly left any of his friends. Before he could speak though, Reborn turned to them.
"All of you are friends of Tsunayoshi?" No one answered his mild question. Kyoya though had his eyes narrowed and irritation poured out of him.
"Yes," Tsuna answered, taking the hitman's attention away from his friends.
"I've never seen them."
"I didn't allow you too."
The staring started again. This time, both of their stares are heated.
"You told them," Reborn stated.
"I did," Tsuna calmly confirmed.
Reborn's eyes narrowed intensely. "You were under a mist seal. That means you know flames and so do they." He then turned to look at them with assessing eyes for a few seconds before starting to speak again. "You all will be suitable to be his guardian."
Tsuna immediately walked and blocked Reborn's sight from his friends, his eyes intense as he regarded the other. "You won't be involving my friends."
"They are your guardians. That means they will get involved."
"I won't allow it."
The tense atmosphere began to thicken. Tsuna saw from the corner of his eye Shoichi holding his stomach rather tightly, face contorted in pain but he remained stubborn to stay. Byakuran walked towards the other and held him in comfort. Out of all of them, Shoichi has always been close to Byakuran because the other could thoroughly understand the redhead. Almost like he could hear his thoughts. Takeshi was looking in concern as the more Shoichi gets nervous, the more his stomach aches.
He saw Reborn started to hop down the floor and walking towards where Shoichi is. He tensed and once again blocked the other. Not only him but Takeshi and Kyoya moved to cover as well, following his movements like it was natural.
"Where are you going?"
"Your friend needs help. I could heal him," Reborn blasely answered.
"You won't be going near my friends Reborn."
"I won't hurt any of them," Reborn said after a few seconds of pause.
"Like you said, you are the 'No.1 Greatest Hitman'. I can't take that chance." Reborn looked at his determined eyes before glancing at the teens he is covering. Tsuna could see how his blank eyes turned devious before his hand twitched. Tsuna's senses screamed in alarm and right before their eyes, that chameleon he had with him changed into a gun and he then turns it right at them.
It is really, really absurd to see a seemingly normal chameleon shapeshifting into a harmful, metal object, not a flesh in sight. It looked like a genuine freaking gun.
But Tsuna's attention wasn't in that clearly logic defying action, it was on the fact that a gun is right there in front of their eyes and the other would likely use it to hurt one of them. His eyes narrowed in anger but before he could move, a tonfa was thrown in incredible speed right at the calmly standing hitman.
Reborn evaded rather easily and it lodged itself in the wall. He looked at Kyoya with raised eyebrow.
"Disruption of peace in Namimori is prohibited. I'll bite you to death." To prevent Kyoya's rather homicidal mood, he moved in front of him and held his hand tightly. Kyoya gave him an irritated look. He shook his head lightly and looked at him right in the eye, telling him not to do anything, please because despite looking like a baby, Reborn's claim about being the greatest hitman seems legitimate.
It's rather hard to stop Kyoya once he starts fighting. Not only does he dislike rather intensely anyone who orders him around or threatens him, he also is a battle maniac and lusts to fight strong opponents. The more he loses, the more his bloodthirst rises.
Tsuna is trying to prevent Kyoya's fighting instinct to rise even more so that his senses won't be overtaken by his addiction. He might not look like it but Kyoya has a rather brilliant mind and is a genius at tactics. It's just been covered a lot by his bloodthirstiness.
Tsuna didn't manage to see Kyoya's reply as he saw from the corner of his eye that reborn moved. He looked and saw that the other pointed his gun at Kyoya.
His fury skyrocketed. He felt his body heating up and knew that his flames are starting to rise up. He hadn't planned on revealing it since the other hadn't told him about his flames. Reborn might have even thought his flames are still sealed as his informant was probably the current boss of Vongola or his father. He had intended to use that information for a bit.
But he abruptly erased any plans he had about suppressing it now.
A hitman dared to point a gun to his friend, looking absolutely bored as he did it.
He didn't know his eyes burned a bright orange color, but he absolutely knew that his hand abruptly burst into flames, the orange color of it looking dark and purely ominous as if his flames is responding to his anger.
He raised his hand and pointed it towards the hitman whose face still looked blank but his eyes imperceptibly widened in shock.
"Try it. Pull the trigger Reborn."
TBC.
A/N:
Done! I actually wasn't going to update, but since I finished early and am already starting the next chapter, I decided to post the chapter.
Tension is rising! And this was only chapter 3. They started really bad. That was always my intention, to end it like that. But it almost went 3k before I finally had the scene to reveal it, evoking Tsuna's overprotective tendencies that he got from his mom.
Anyway, what do you think about this? I had fun writing this chapter. It actually excited me to have Reborn and Tsuna fight with their wills and not their fighting techniques. I've always been angry at how they browbeat Tsuna into accepting being a mafia boss with Reborn as the main enforcer, though I came to like him eventually, the first impression is still in my mind. Now I finally managed to create a story that lets me vent my anger.
Btw, I have a twitter account: LectorDominion. Check me out there. I give out details of the chapters that I'm working there.
So, review?