So just remember this is fanfiction and I'm taking a lot of liberties with this story, and characters. That being so if you followed the manga and notice some things being a little different it wasn't an accident and I have a reason for it to progress the story so please don't panic! I'm so happy to see this is gaining so much attention and great reviews. I'll try to be better about updating but honestly I had/have no plans for this story it was originally a oneshot I wrote that took off all on it's own. I hope you'll all keep enjoying the story though! Your reviews fuel my writing passion so I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, and anyone who does after this point on. And thanks for staying on this ride with me I'll stop ranting and let you get to the story now, enjoy!
When Lambo and Yamamoto arrived back at the sushi house Lambo wasn't shocked to see an all too familiar black car parked on the curb. He couldn't help laughing nervously at the accusing look Yamamoto shot at him.
"Don't worry it's not an enemy I promise."
I hope.
Was the silent prayer Lambo thought to himself as he got out of the car, Yamamoto not far behind him. The four-door black sedan had blacked out windows making it impossible to see the interior and who it hosted. There were no plates or emblems indicating its make or model, standard Mob car. The vehicle was also parked directly in front of the entrance to Take Sushi, meaning Lambo and Yamamoto would have to walk around the car to get inside. There was no ignoring the car and the person or people it carried. Instead Lambo placed both of his hands in his front pockets and lazily approached the car with an air of nonchalance. Before he got within a foot of said car, two of the doors opened and a familiar green head of hair stepped in front of Lambo.
"Hey Flan."
Lambo's tone was so casual Yamamoto almost missed the slight tension in the younger teens neck. The only thing that gave Lambo away, it surprised Yamamoto how good of an actor the kid was. Then a small voice in the back of his mind reminded Yamamoto that Lambo grew up around teenage mafioso. He left Namimori to join the Varia, the kid could be potentially the biggest threat out of all the former 10th Gen. Guardians. The realization of all of this had distracted Yamamoto enough that he missed the dark haired bespectacled man leaning against the car slightly behind Flan. It took a decent amount of restraint not to jump in surprise when he did take in the familiar face of Chikusa. He didn't know what to say so he did what most hitmen who recognize each other did in his experience. Yamamoto nodded his head as he met Chikusa's eyes, the other man fixing his glasses and returning the gesture.
It was a good sign usually, meant that the hitman was acknowledging Yamamoto, knew who he was, and wouldn't dare try to take him on. Every now and then he got a particularly nasty opponent who saw a chance to take him out. It was no secret in his line of work that Yamamoto was once tied to the Vongola in a big way and now he was well known for working for the Yakuza.
"Can we talk Bovino? Somewhere secure would be best I don't fell like wasting flames on what I need to discuss with you."
Flan's voice was as emotionless as ever, he was never one to give himself away in anything he did. It made Lambo want to clench his teeth, he wanted to shiver at the potential threat just Flan and Chikusa could be if this situation turned into a fight. Then a hand gripped his shoulder and he hoped none of them noticed the shocked jolt that escaped his relaxed composure.
"The restaurant is closed right now since I've been out of town on assignment. We can talk in there, just let me do a quick check to make sure no one is inside or bugged it while we were out."
The off handedness that Yamamoto used made Lambo think that something like that had happened more than once if Yamamoto was insisting on a person/bug check.
"I already cleared it for you."
Chikusa droned as he pushed himself off the car surface. Flan rolled his eyes at the narrowed eyed look that statement gained from the former 10th Gen. Vongola.
"We have news from Chrome."
The sentence acted like a balm to the suspicious air of the pair he was addressing.
"Follow me then."
Yamamoto walked past Lambo to lead the three of them into the all too familiar dining area of Take Sushi.
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto was in protective Yakuza custody as Kusakabe liked to call it. Once Takeshi started working for Hibari officially and making money he moved his father out to the country side. Tsuyoshi didn't ask questions, but he knew what his son did for a living. He took the move in stride and opened a dojo where he taught a washed down style of his infamous Shigure Soen Style. The man had unsurprisingly offered his new home as a safe house for any of Hibari's men who needed it. Takeshi visited him every time he returned to Japan after a mission before heading back to Namimori. In his father's place Yamamoto kept the sushi shop running when he wasn't working for Hibari. The regulars, and townspeople who knew of Take Sushi had taken his irregular closings surprisingly well, one of the many benefits of small town living since he worked in the under belly of society.
As they all filed into the space Yamamoto took a moment to relock up before joining them in the same booth he and Lambo had used the night before. Once again Yamamoto placed his sword across the tables surface and took the seat open to the restaurant next to Lambo. Flan and Chikusa sat opposite to them and as he got settled Flan pulled out his cell phone.
"Your over bearing boxing Sun visited us in New York two days ago. He barged into big sister Chrome's office at work and demanded to speak with her. She refused to let tweedled dee, and tweedled dumb accompany her and then we didn't hear from her until the following day."
Flan shut his phone off and lifted surprisingly enraged eyes to meet Lambo's.
"She had been crying, her eyes red and puffy but wouldn't tell me what was wrong. At first, I figured she had just killed that annoying former Sun Guardian of your little group and felt bad. Until he walked in behind her."
Chikusa adjusted his glasses, the only tick the man was never able to break as he thought about what had happed that day.
"Did she agree to help?"
Lambo asked calmly, even as the anger seemed to physically roll off the pair in front of him.
"Unfortunately, Chrome Dokuro has agreed to meet you at the designated location in two weeks as planned."
Chikusa answered smoothly. Flan clenched his fist on the table as he restrained himself but didn't hold back his words.
"You people caused us all a lot of trouble growing up. I thought we were done dealing with the Vongola, and I don't want to help them in anyway possible. In fact, I hope your pathetic Mafia Familia burns in this whole fight, and don't give two shits if you guys get taken down with it. Going after Chrome, and Tsuna when they obviously got out before things could get this bad is low. You're dragging them right back into everything they worked so hard to get away from. And even if I don't know where Tsunayoshi is, or how he's been these past two years I know this is exactly the kind of situation he didn't want us getting mixed up in."
His anger faded as quickly as it had manifested, his monotonous composure returning to him like it had never left. It had been the most passionate everyone at the table had ever seen the man in all the time they had known him.
"I don't have a say in whatever the fuck you 10th Gen. dipshits are doing though. I'm simply playing messenger like I was ordered to. The quicker this is over the sooner we can all go back to our real lives."
Yamamoto's phone started to buzz loudly in his pocket and he jumped to check it.
"I should take this. Lambo fill me in, yeah?"
Lambo nodded, and watched Yamamoto stand and walk to the kitchen area out of sight and ear shot, then turned his attention back to Flan and Chikusa.
"I can't give the VG to you Flan. I'm sure Ryohei told you guys that when he talked to all of you. I know you're not weak, but if the Rassvet has the smallest chance to get to you and take it before you get back to Chrome…"
He trailed off as Flan shrugged.
"I'm not here for that piece of junk jewelry."
Lambo nodded in understanding. They all knew it was too dangerous to hand the Gear to anyone but the original owners of it.
"Was that the entire message then?"
Flan sighed and leaned back into his seat.
"Nah, actually Chrome knew where a certain someone you'll be looking for is. I'm supposed to check in with him too, and let you guys know what he says."
There was a chuckle, and all three of them looked over to see Yamamoto holding his phone away from himself as he made his way back to where they sat.
"Let me take a guess here. Mukuro was in the next town over."
Flan blinked owlishly for a second and nodded.
"Yeah, he's attacking Hibari's compound right about now with some Rassvet mercenary group according to Kusakabe."
Lambo leapt from his seat and gaped his mouth like a suffocating fish, as he turned his head from Yamamoto to Flan. He was slightly reassured Flan looked about as shocked as he was at the news, if the wide eyed blank stare he wore was any sign. Chikusa was the only one of them that didn't seem fazed.
"They had stormed the place right after you and I left, and he's been in a grid lock blood match with Hibari since. Kusakabe said they could use some back up since the sneak attack took them by surprise and a lot of his guys are injured or dead right now. I'm going to head there since we're not leaving until tomorrow anyway. Anyone wanna join me?"
He smiled like a wolf who just caught wind of something particularly delicious as he met each of their eyes. Lambo pulled himself together and nodded his head.
"Of course. If we can get Mukuro to go with us to get Hayato-ni we'd have no problem getting to him with Mukuro's skills."
Yamamoto tilted his head quizzically, storing the information away for a later time since Lambo had yet to tell him where the silver haired Italian had been. Since Yamamoto himself hadn't been able to find the man in the last two years even with all his connections he had no clue as to where he could be.
"We better go too, those two haven't fought in so long I doubt anything short of them killing one another would stop them right now."
Chikusa spoke up as he walked over to join Yamamoto where he stood.
"Cool. Let's go."
It didn't take them long to get back to Hibari's headquarters. The four of them took in the illusion someone had up around the temple grounds. If they had been civilians all they would have seen was the temple that normally sat there as Hibari's cover. Since they were well who they were the group saw the various fires, and hopefully just injured people laying around the grounds. Lambo was about to comment something, but his mind went blank when a man made his way over to them. A man Lambo recognized all too well, someone he doubted even when all of this was settled he would ever forget. There was an impressive scar running down his back, and a bullet still embedded in Lambo's shoulder from their last encounter.
Ivan Novikov.
He was the last Rassvet member Lambo expected to see slumming it with Mukuro. A General ranked brother of the Family who was last spotted raiding the Chiavarone Familia before all communication with them was lost.
"If it isn't the littlest Varia. I had heard your Liger gatekeeper had you locked you in his den and hadn't let you out since out last playdate."
Lambo rubbed his shoulder unconsciously, his face a mask of fear and hatred. He wasn't wrong about what Xanxus had done when Levi found Lambo. Ivan had assumed he was either dead or slowly dying and had left him to fight a more living opponent. Lambo didn't know how long he had laid on the floor of the warehouse they had fought in, but he remembered screaming in sheer agony when Levi used his Lightning flames to cauterize the gaping wound on his back. It was days later he woke up in his room, wrapped up like a mummy with Xanxus sitting in a chair Lambo definitely didn't have in there before. The man didn't say a word to Lambo the entire week he was bed ridden as Xanxus sat in the room with him. A silent force of rage, he practically growled at even the medics who treated and Lambo. By the time Lussuria made it back to the Varia house it had been three weeks since the emergency call for him to ditch his mission and get home ASAP. The Lightning scar on his back and bullet all that remained of his injures after just a few seconds worth of a session with the older Sun Guardian. The second Lussuria was done healing Lambo, Xanxus took the man out of the room and from what Lambo could hear of the encounter beat him within an inch of the man's life. Xanxus hadn't let Lambo leave the Vongola estate since.
Ivan Novikov was Lambo's worst nightmare. His boogey man, and monster under the bed all rolled into one. The man was as tall as Squalo, blonde hair cut short and neat in a disturbingly perfect fashion for the amount of violence he wreaked. His pale blue eyes hard and cold, set into his face with features so sharp they could only be described as cut from stone. His voice was deep, a baritone that still haunted Lambo's nightmares. He had heard the older man speak four different languages so far and none of them held accents, a scary a surprising feat even in their line of work. Ivan wore a black three-piece suit, it was blood and gore splattered from the raid, his pale skin flecked in a similar fashion.
"You know when I found out I had Mukuro Rokudo of the ex-Vongola 10th Generation Guardian's in my ranks this whole time I assumed another one of you would show up. I was hoping for another big fish like one of the Hands or if I was seriously honest the legend himself."
He shrugged his shoulders and drew his twin hand guns that had been lax at his side as he approached and spoke. It was a horrible parallel to Xanxus, his custom guns golden instead of the black and red of the X-gun Xanxus used. Lambo could hear the weapons of his companions being drawn around him as he stood still frozen in place. None of them had activated any flames yet but once they saw how strong Ivan was, Lambo knew it was only a matter of time. Two bullets were fired simultaneously from the man, both directed at Lambo who still couldn't force his body to move. He watched in slow motion as both bullets flew towards chest, sure and true to kill him on impact.
The bullets never reached Lambo.
A flash of steal cut both bullets clean in half with no more movement than a flick of Yamamoto's arm. His eyes downcast, and face darkened with anger. Ivan stood slightly shocked at the man's skill.
"Now, now we wouldn't want to disappoint you since Mukuro went through all the trouble to deceive you this whole time."
Yamamoto's tone was playful as he lifted his head to smile brightly at the man.
"Oh, well if it isn't Mr. Left Hand himself!"
Ivan held his arms out in false cheer, a feral grin splitting his face.
"I didn't recognize you dressed so, what is the term I'm looking for here…disheveled, homeless? Ah! I've got it, dressed so civilian like."
Yamamoto's smile didn't waver.
"I haven't been called that in quite awhile, but I seem to be at a loss here, you are?"
A gun was raised and aimed at Yamamoto as the man spoke.
"Ivan Novikov, 5th General of the Rassvet Bratva. Your little friend there and I have already gotten to know each other on very personal levels. I'm sure he's told you nothing but great things about me."
Yamamoto tilted his head like a dog, pretending to be thinking about something then shook his head.
"Nah, he's never mentioned you. Guess you didn't leave that big of an impression."
Ivan's false cheer fell away at Yamamoto's words as he pulled the trigger on one of his guns to fire another round, this time at the swordsman. Yamamoto didn't bother to move, a string, barely visibly wrapped around the bit of metal and much like Yamamoto's own sword sliced through the bullet. There was a sigh from Yamamoto's far left, where Chikusa stood on the other side of Lambo and Flan.
"So, you're going to be a problem. Sadly, these three have an apocalyptic battle to stop so I'll play with you instead."
Chikusa didn't wait for Ivan's reaction as he charged the man. Strings, and weapons out, his Rain flames ignited as he closed the distance between them.
This was around the time Lambo's knees decided to give out on him, and he would have completely collapsed had it not been for Flan. The older teen caught him with an arm wrapped securely around Lambo's chest.
"Let's get going Takeshi."
Yamamoto nodded in agreement, pulling Lambo back onto his own feet and throwing a quick glance back to Chikusa's fight. The two of them half carried a stumbling Lambo into the chaos of the temple and headquarters.
