Katekyo Hitman Reborn

The Great Sun and the Great Sky

By: SakuraSamuraiGirl


Katekyo Hitman Reborn and its characters belong to Akira Amano


Chapter 3: A Friendly Contest

It's been a few days and Tsunami's family had settled down again since Mukuro left Chrome behind. Tsunami promised her that she will tear Mukuro a new one when she sees him. Chrome seemed to have been comforted by that. Moving in with Kyoko also made her feel happier. It was enough for Tsunami to get a good night's rest as she was curled up in her bed sheets with a portable game console in her hand. She mumbles in her sleep the game's hero's name.

Reborn was in usual hammock across from her. Large, dark baby eyes open to the darkness of the room. The snot bubble swaying over his nose was a sign that he was in a deep sleep, a very deep sleep…

A tall, dark and very handsome man with familiar curly sideburns walks into his apartment. It was a simple room with a desk, a table with a chair, a roll-out spring bed and file cabinet. He slides his key into a bowl sitting next to a potted plant. Resting within its leaves was a long chameleon complete with thick, green scales and horns. The man rubs under his pet's chin and it croons in pleasure. The man goes to a large board of photos of various men of different ages. They were mafiaso, the man's targets. The photos were taped onto the push board; some of the photos had red tacks. One photo didn't have a tack in which the man remedies pushing one red tack into the center of the man's head. He smirks triumphantly before whipping a gun out from within his jacket and points it at a dark corner of the room.

In a sofa chair, a man wearing a checkered half-mask over his face and some sort of metal top hat. The man smiles as he compliments the man, calling him Reborn, of his skill and deems that he is qualified. Reborn demands to know who the man was and who he works for. The man worked for no one, but himself. The man opens his checkered gloves and tosses a clear pacifier in the air. He claims to be looking for the world's strongest...

Reborn sits up in his hammock and points his gun at Tsunami. Gasping she flinches away from Reborn.

"Reborn! Reborn! Please put that away!"

"…Oh, it's you, Tsunami."

Tsunami decides to ignore Reborn's nonchalant realization. She was more concerned of Reborn. She woke up hearing Reborn tossing and turning in his hammock. Reborn always, always slept peacefully. Reborn sees great concern on her face.

"Did I wake you?"

She nods, "Are you all right, Reborn?"

"Tch…that was an unpleasant dream."

"So it was a nightmare?"

Reborn looks at her. Tsunami's was really worried. Reborn felt his heart swell. It was close to the expression she had when she found him in the future. After a moment of searching each other's faces Reborn holds his tiny hand out. Tsunami reaches for it and gently holds his hand between her fingers.

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep, it's late."

Tsunami nods and goes back to bed. After climbing back under her blankets she watches Reborn make himself comfortable feels her eyes on him and sighs.

"I'm fine, Tsunami. To tell you the truth, it was more of a memory than a nightmare."

"Memory?"

"It was back in a time when I was a tougher man."

Tsunami blinks and recalls the letter from her future-self. Reborn knew a lot of things and somehow the infant had fallen in love with her!

"Back then," Reborn continues, "I never would've thought that something like this would happen. If I would've known it'd turn out like this, I would've refused. Not just me; but Colonello, Fon, Mammom and Skull as well…we didn't wish for this, becoming Arcobaleno."

"You didn't want to become an Arcobaleno? What were you…before?"

"…Heh, I was a man. A very popular man."

"Really?" Tsunami's eyes widen a bit. 'Reborn…a man…before becoming an Arcobaleno, what he is now? I wonder…" her eyes fall close, 'what would Reborn look like as…an adult…?'

Reborn hears Tsunami's soft snores. Reborn squints through the darkness to see something glowing on her cheeks. Was Tsunami blushing? He smirks, probably fell asleep imagining how handsome he was as a man. He sighs again and stares at the ceiling. It bothered him a little how he was suddenly dreaming of his past and meeting that man. He didn't want to be reminded of his foolish mistake...yet, when he closed his eyes…

Reborn, as an adult, finds himself still pointing his gun at the man in the checkered-metallic hat and mask. The man explains to Reborn that he and several others made up the "i prescelti sette", or the selected seven. The mysterious man wanted Reborn to meet them at a designated meeting place. He holds out a map that was marked. Reborn had little choice in his decision of going. He finds himself now in a dark alley. His expression is dark. It was a memory that he was being force to relive. He was very much aware of that he was dreaming. He finds the meeting place and enter a dark room. In the room, around a table under a single light were the other Arcobaleno, before they were cursed. At least, the original seven that was there so many years ago. Around the table was Lal Mirch, part of the special forces and Colonello's trainer; Fon, master of Kempo; Verde the genius scientist, the second coming of Da Vinci; Skull the invincible stuntman that couldn't die; Viper, the master illusionist and currently known as Mammon and Luce, Yuni's grandmother and a remarkable shaman.

The light falls on each individual and the adults change into infants. Lal Mirch was replaced by Colonello and Luce was no longer amongst them. The curse was harder on her being the Sky and she passed away. The infants looked around at each other surprised and were questioning what was going on.

"I've given you all quite a nostalgic dream. Haven't I, Arcobaleno. You've all just had the same dream together."

From the darkness the owner of the voice steps into the light. It was the same man that had cursed them long ago. He still wore the same trench coat, a metal trimmed hat that was checker and his half-mask. He holds out his gloved checkered hands out to the Arcobaleno and welcomes them after not seeing them for many years. All Arcobaleno become tense as they recognized the man! Some take defensive stances or prepared to pull out their signature weapons. The man tells them to calm down and holds his hand out. The Arcobaleno were unable to move!

"No matter how powerful you babies are you can't use your abilities here in this dream. Now, I didn't come here to fight with you. I've come to fill you in on your purpose and with a proposal. The curse that transformed you into Arcobaleno, would you like to life the curse of the Rainbow?"

Reborn bolts upright from dream. He tries to control his rapidly beating little heart and breathing. When he was calm he looks out the window. It was late in the morning. The sun was high in the sky and brightened the entire room. He feels that he was being watch and finds Tsunami, Bianchi and the kids at the doorway of Tsunami's room. Out of all of them, Tsunami and Bianchi were the most worried.

"Reborn?" they both call to him.

"What's with you guys? Don't make those stupid faces at me."

Nana comes humming by. She tells him that they were worried because Reborn hadn't woken up at his usual time. He was usually the first one up, after Nana. Nana giggles and tells the girls that they had nothing to worry about. Reborn was a baby and probably slept extra long because he was growing up a little. She leaves them to continue doing her daily chores about the house. Tsunami opens her mouth to speak but Bianchi rushes past her and gathers Reborn into her arms. She asks him over a dozen questions of his well being, cooing and coddling him. Tsunami had seen Bianchi all over Reborn before many, many times. But suddenly, quite recently, it was starting to bother her. She prepares to leave for school, not wanting to watch the snuggle fest.

"Tsunami!"

Tsunami stops and looks back into her room. Reborn smiles curves across his face. Tsunami intuition flares like police sirens. That smile! That smile was trouble!

"I have a favor to ask of you!"

"G-great….fantastic! Oh, look at the time! Gottogoschoolbye!"

Tsunami races out of the house, running at top speed. Reborn chuckles, shaking his head of his student's behavior.


Tsunami felt bad for leaving Reborn when he was asking her for a favor the other day. When she came home from school he didn't discuss it again. It was rare for him to ask something of her. In fact, that was the first time he asked her. If he wanted something from her, he just took it or forced her to get of what he wanted. But he was going ask! Hitman Tutor, Devil-baby Reborn was going to ASK her a favor! She decides to hear him out and hopefully is given an option to back out if she could. Arriving at home she was startled to see men in suits in front of her house! This familiar sight shouldn't have surprised her, but it was! It wasn't until she saw Romario as he greeted her that she knew that the men belonged to Dino's family. His family was so big she had a hard time recognizing his followers. Romario informs Dino of Tsunami's arrival. Dino was also outside, with Reborn on his shoulder and Enzo in his hand. He must have just arrived from Italy.

"Yo, Tsunami-chan!" he grins at her.

"What are you doing here in Japan so suddenly?" she asks.

"Reborn called me and said he had an important favor to ask."

"Dino-ni too? Reborn, what is this favor?"

Reborn grins again and Tsunami resists her fight-or-flight instincts.

"I want you and Dino to fight more me."

"Fight for you? What are you talking about?" Tsunami was stunned.

"It regards to the dream that I had…"

"The nightmare," Tsunami corrects.

The conversation continues in Tsunami's bedroom. Dino listens to the conversation showing great interest. The dream or nightmare didn't just happen to Reborn. It happened to the other Arcobaleno as well; Reborn confirmed it with Colonello and Fon. The dream was set up by a man who Reborn calls, the Man with the Iron Hat. The man was the one that created the circumstance that the Arcobaleno were currently in. The man used the dream to contact him and the other Arcobaleno to offer an opportunity. An opportunity to remove the curse! All the other Arcobaleno were quick to agree. The Man with the Iron Hat promised to remove the curse from only one of them. The curse would be removed from the strongest Arcobaleno, so the cursed infants must compete with each other to finally be free and return to normal. The Man in the Iron Hat however didn't want to the Arcobaleno to fight against each other directly. The Man in the Iron Hat was concerned over their pacifiers and if by chance they are damaged or destroyed would cause a disaster. They are allowed to have someone represent them to fight for them of their own choosing. Their representative could be anything, human, animal, spirit, created by science or the power of a corporation. Tsunami couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable Reborn was when he was telling his story and when he spoke of the Man with the Iron Hat. Reborn didn't trust the man, she could sense that. But the other Arcobaleno were eager for this one opportunity…and Reborn seemed pressured to join by the Man with the Iron Hat. Reborn had pointed out many reasons to the other babies of why they shouldn't trust the man. But the Man with the Iron Hat was intent of having them all participate. Why was Reborn so hesitant? Tsunami would have thought he would be just as eager as his fellow Arcobaleno. She remembers her letter…Reborn was in love with her but kept his distance because of his cursed body. Didn't he want to be with her? Her future self had asked her to find a way for her and Reborn to be together, this was the opportunity!

"I want to help you, Reborn!"

Reborn looks at her and he sees a strange light of determination in her eyes, as well as a light blush. His heart clenches as he wonders about her expression.

"It's unusual to be asked a favor from you! Of course I'll help!" Dino also agrees.

"Oh really!? That's great!"

Tsunami and Dino are thrown off-guard by Reborn's joyous reply. He skips off the bed and onto the floor, singing to himself that he had two representatives!

"Wait a minute!?" Tsunami slaps her bed with a hand.

"Yes~?"

"D-don't you just 'yes~' us!" Tsunami sputters. "You didn't tell us the most important part!"

"What is the curse of the Arcobaleno?" asks Dino.

"I guess I have no other choice… apart from the Arcobaleno…only Lal, Iemitsu, the Ninth and Yamamoto knows this story. I suppose I have to tell you now as well. First off, the seven of the Arcobaleno don't exactly know why we were cursed or how. We've investigated this endlessly, and though we have theories, we have nothing decisive. From receiving the curse, we definitely know what happened after that…our forms changed…this isn't my true form. The real me…is really, really cool."

"Whaat!?" Dino shouts.

"So it is true…you were really a man, Reborn!? You mentioned it the other night! I guess I was a little sleepy…"

Tsunami and Reborn escort Dino outside. Dino and Reborn talk about setting up arrangements and Tsunami stares as she watches Reborn. He was smiling and his cheeks were rosy. Tsunami sighs. Reborn seemed really smug and satisfied with himself. Reborn wasn't really a baby! What a shock! So he really, really was a man before becoming a baby! She tries to imagine him as the "really, really cool" man that he claimed that he was. She wasn't getting much from his chubby baby face. But she imagined someone tall…wore his hat and suit…carried a gun…she stares at Reborn. The most outstanding feature on Reborn was his over-curly sideburns. She snorts as she pictures them on a man's face and giggles. Reborn looks down on her from the top of the wall and arches a brow.

"Hmm?"

Tsunami shakes her head, "I-it's nothing, Reborn!"

Before Reborn could question her, her cell phone goes off. Opening her phone she sees Xanxus' name.

"Oh!..." she hits a button to receive the call. "Xanxus!"

Dino and Reborn stop talking. Neither of two would have thought that Tsunami would be delighted to receive a call from Xanxus. At least, the Tsunami before having Xanxus fall for her would have been terrified. She asks Xanxus how he has been and then her face becomes startled.

"Eh? You want me to have dinner with you?...But…you're where?...You're in Japan!?"

Dino and Reborn share Tsunami's surprise.

"Ah…ah…wait, dinner now…right now?"

A black luxury car rolls in front of Tsunami's house. The window rolls down and it is Squalo and he smirks.

"Tsunami!"

"Squa…Squalo?!" Tsunami squeaks with a blush.

"What are you doing here?!" yells Dino. "What are you and Xanxus doing in Japan?"

"As expected," Reborn hops onto Tsunami's head. "Mammon has chosen the Varia to represent him."

"Hiiiiiiie! I have to fight the Varia, again!?"

Squalo snickers, "Come on! We'll talk over dinner."

Squalo gets out of the car and opens the passenger door for Tsunami. She climbs into the car and before Squalo could close it, Dino stops him and slips inside.

"VOOOOI! What the hell!?"

"If you think I'm just going to let you take MY LITTLE SISTER to your boss for some so-called romantic dinner alone, you're insane!" Dino yells.

Squalo snarls and slams the door.


The dinner was being held at their hotel, the very same hotel Dino was staying! In fact, it was the same hotel Xanxus and the Varia last stayed in when he last visited. On entering the hotel, Dino was met by Romario and his right-hand realized that he didn't need to inform Dino of the Varia's arrival. Squalo shoves Dino into Romario as he pushes Tsunami into the elevator and presses a button. Dino yells something Italian before the doors shut. Tsunami heard the word before, it sounded like…"bastard"? Squalo lets out a sigh of relief and looks down on Tsunami grinning.

"Long time no see?" he grins.

Tsunami smiles and agrees with him. Squalo caresses her cheek and Tsunami can feel the loving promise of a kiss as a thumb crosses over her lips. Reborn clears his throat and Squalo grunts as he lets her go. They were in an elevator…security camera…he was a foreigner who brought a young middle-schooler to the most expensive hotel in the city. Tsunami blushes at the thought of this scenario. She was also pretty sure that Dino was creating a scene at the front desk with poor Romario having to calm his boss down. They are taken to the top floor and Squalo leads her and Reborn to Xanxus' room. It was just Xanxus alone in the living area, lying across the long dark sofa. Tsunami calls out to him. Xanxus smirks as he lifts his head and gazes at her.

"Hey, babe."

Reborn jumps out of Tsunami's arms. Tsunami goes to Xanxus' side and wraps her arms around his neck. Xanxus smiles and returns the hug with one arm.

"Xanxus, you're here for the representative fight?"

"Yeah, that baby asked me to. Gave me an excuse to see you," he smirks ferally. "And it's also an opportunity to fight you!"

"Hiiiiie! You want to fight me!?" Tsunami jerks away.

Xanxus hold her firmly against his chest, "Oh yeah!" He growls. "You beat me once. But that doesn't mean you're stronger than me. I'll admit, I underestimated you and now that I see you as my equal I'm going to need a win! I'll take good care of your body afterwards…" his hand wanders from her shoulder, down her back and grabs her bottom ruthlessly. Tsunami makes a tiny yip of surprise!

"Get your hand off, you ruffian!" Reborn snaps.

Tsunami's face becomes enflamed and she scrambles off of Xanxus and smoothes out her clothes. She looks to Reborn bashfully and turns away to avoid his gaze. Xanxus and Squalo looked at each other as they observed the two of them and both smirk.

"Of course, you were asked by your tutor to represent him and you accepted." Xanxus stood.

Tsunami nods, playing with the hem of her skirt. Xanxus towers over her. He leans down and kisses her deeply.

"Good." He growls lovingly. "Now let's eat."

Food had already been ordered from the hotel's kitchen and it had been set on the table by the staff before Tsunami arrived. Tsunami sat at a long table with Squalo and Xanxus. Squalo moved his chair closer to sit by Tsunami's side. Xanxus kept his place at the short edge of the table. Reborn sat in her lap. He was insistent upon it and ate from Tsunami plate under her. She informed her mother with a call that Xanxus and Squalo were in town and had taken her out to dinner. Nana was thrilled and gave her okay! She passed a message through Tsunami to the two men for them to come by the house and have a home-cooked meal. Both men agreed that they would visit.

"Hey, Tsunami. I was just in France a few days ago. I saw Rokudo Mukuro there with his lackeys…" Squalo waves his fork in the air.

Tsunami growls and stabs a fork into her plate. Reborn smirks as he chews on a piece of chicken. Squalo arches a brow and Xanxus pauses mid-sip of his wine of Tsunami's reactions.

"So I've heard from Reborn." She grumbles.

"Ohhhh, so he left without telling you himself?" Squalo smirks.

"No! He spoke with Reborn and made arrangements for Chrome to enroll into my school. He abandoned poor Chrome and didn't give her an explanation! He knows how delicate she is emotionally!"

She stabs into her plate again, "He left here to get Fran…"

"Hmph, he was successful. We were after Fran too."

"Really, what happened?"

Squalo sighs and puts his chin into his hand, "Gah! Turns out the little runt had hit his head on something…a block a cheese I think…and all memories of the future were lost. He didn't remember us! That made him useless and ten times annoying. We let them have him."

"Do you know where they went next?"

"…No."

Tsunami pouts, "…Mukuro's probably hiding from me…"

Xanxus chuckles, "This would be the second time Mukuro's gotten into trouble with you?"

"Grrrrr!"

"We'll keep our eyes and ears open to track him down," Squalo promises with a grin.

He reaches for her hair and strokes it before winding the cinnamon brown locks around his gloved hand and gently tugs her close. He pulls her into a kiss giving her a sample of the wine he was drinking. To Tsunami it had an interesting taste with Squalo's own flavor. It was tangy with a hint of sweetness. Xanxus watches them kiss and focuses on Reborn. Reborn dutifully focuses on the food on the plate, quietly ignoring his student and Squalo sharing affection above him. The Varia Boss eyes were amused as he knocks back the rest of his wine down.


After dinner, Xanxus has Squalo take Tsunami home. Reborn was unusually quiet. Tsunami realizes she had been with Squalo and Xanxus and they were quite heavy with their love with their petting, caressing and kissing. Reborn was sitting besides her watching the scenery zip by. Tsunami picks him up and rests him onto her lap and crosses her arms over him. Reborn looks up and she tilts her head.

"Are you okay? Worried?"

"About the representative battle? No. You?"

"…I don't know, Reborn. I don't like this Man in the metal hat's idea of making us fight for only one of you to be free of the curse. Why just one? Why can't all of you be free? I guess I am just a curious as you of why you were cursed."

She reaches for the pacifier and touches it. She was surprised that Reborn let her touch it. He touches her hand over the pacifier and sighs.

"I don't trust that man. Glad that we're on the same page, this is a rarity. You seem to be getting better at reading me, Tsunami."

"It's almost been a year since I met your Reborn."

"A year, huh?"

"Doesn't seem that long," Tsunami shakes her head. "Does it?"

"We have gone through a lot together actually. Defeating Mukuro was your first great challenge. Then it was the Varia."

"I'm still in disbelief that I beat Xanxus."

"Hey, only now would I admit that you did good!" Squalo speaks up.

"We went into the future and Shouichi was kind enough to send us back to the past without having little time go by. Perhaps that was where that huge length of time was spent."

"Now that was terrifying!" Tsunami holds Reborn closer to her. "I can imagine being without you…I can't believe that I said that!" she laughs. "On the very day I met you, you were nothing but trouble. Always beating me up, blowing up my bed, making me run around the neighborhood in my underwear…but along with all the craziness I found good friends. You and the others made me realize what kind of person I am. You placed so much faith in me, Reborn, when I thought that there was no way I could succeed. I don't say this enough, Reborn, but thank you."

"Nice to know that I am appreciated."

Tsunami hugs him tighter and he squeezes her hand with his hands.