Buona lettura!

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. All rights go to their rightful owner.


TRUTH OR LIES?


The guardians gawked; all eyes looked at the door, one person whom they started to fear. "Just boss-subordinate, huh." Tsuna's smile was bitter, and indicated his pain and sadness after hearing everything from his own friends' mouth.

"How did you know we're in the meeting room?" Ryohei inquired. "What's that supposed to mean, onii-san? Am I not one of you? Am I not your friend anymore?" his voice and tone was calm and collected, and yet his heart was broken to pieces by a hammer of betrayal from his dear friends. But their perspective diverged from the truth; they shuddered. "Or, did you guys think I was done for?" Tsuna added.

"Boss…" Tsuna raised his palm to silence Chrome. "Enough lies. You're scared of me, aren't you? After all the things I've done for you guys…" he paused briefly and lowered his hand with downcast eyes. "…I know this would happen, but still…" he whispered. "Why didn't you come to me?"

"We're scared of you," Yamamoto answered blatantly. "We don't believe you're the same Tsuna we knew."

That declaration came from the most easygoing man, and yet was spoken in the coldest tone. Of course, it felt like thousands of needles just pierced through his heart. "…Then, why don't you just leave me?"

"You'll kill us if we leave you." Tsuna flinched at Ryohei's straight answer. "Wha…? That doesn't even make any sense!" he snapped. "Neither is the current you and this entire system!" Ryohei countered.

"I'll never hurt all of you! I'm doing this because the other way around, because I—!"

"You already hurt us," Gokudera interrupted, intensifying the situation. "By forcing us to kill what could be innocent and see many lives that have been taken by Vongola's hands. You force everyone to go your way when we don't want to! The boss—the friend we knew was against killing no matter what!"

Gokudera, a friend who always believed in him, known for his unwavering devotion and loyalty to Tsuna spoke the most sharp and hurtful words than any of them. No wanting to continue the conversation, they rushed outside, leaving Tsuna inside the room alone. He had lost Haru, and now he lost his friends. He couldn't let that undermined his path, otherwise everyone would die. Even with the slightest change of the system and downgraded protection, the Vongola would be vulnerable to attacks, just like when Daemon Spade lost Elena.

His clenched fists trembled, his body's movement started to synchronize with his trembling fists. His head was hung low, he bit his lips signifying his ripped heart. Unknown to him, Reborn stood at the doorstep lamenting the unpleasant event that had befallen upon his student's life, gazing at Tsuna's figure. Reborn knew him better than anyone after Haru, he realized Tsuna was just trying to protect everyone, but he needed help—refreshment.

"You lost your friends, the ones you protect," Tsuna flinched and turned around to see Reborn. "How about now, Tsuna?"

"If you want me to—"

"I won't tell you to stop what you're doing."

"Then why are you here?"

"You need fresh air. It's a good time to visit your mother. You haven't done that, have you?"

"…All right. I'll leave tomorrow morning. I'm sure… everyone will feel safer without me."


The Vongola boss just stood still in front of the door. He hadn't met his mother ever since Haru's death. His hand already lifted upwards, ready to knock the door, but he hesitated. He didn't know how to act in front of her. The last time they met was at Haru's funeral, and Tsuna refused his mother's comfort, shoving her away like she was a bug.

"Ara, Tsuna?" he looked at his left where he saw his mother, half of her body was inside as she tilted her body outside from the sliding window. Her face turned bright and she rushed to her son to hug him amiably. "Welcome home, Tsu-kun!"

"I-I'm sorry for what I did a year ago, mom…"

Nana peeled away in delight. "Oh, it's fine. Come on in, someone would like to meet you." she dragged him inside, to the kitchen, where he got dumbfounded by the familiar mysterious person with the cloak—still with the hood on. "We can spend our family time later, Tsu-kun. I've got some shopping to do," she picked up her bag on the table. "Bye!"

After she left, Tsuna immediately turned around and eyed on the person with narrowed eyes. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He could see the curved up lips under the hood, and it set his patience to the breaking limit. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Aren't you afraid of me? I can hurt you. You're a threat to me."

"Am I?"

He jerked back at the conformation. How could that person be a threat? The hooded stood up and approached him. "You can't kill me. I died a year ago."

Tsuna's eyes dilated in shock as he heard a woman's voice only, moreover a voice that he missed and recognized. The woman pulled the hood back; hence her brown eyes and hair were seen. "Ha…ru?"

Immediately, she grabbed his face and emitted the same flame that made him collapse.

His eyes bulged open, his body was glowing and almost transparent. He looked at his surroundings, and widened his eyes seeing his 14-year-old self and everyone. The feeling being there, that school rooftop, he remembered now. That day was the day when he realized the root that he had protected lay behind this school, when his friends were close to him; the year of their struggle in order to survive and defeat Byakuran to go home together, when he fought alongside his friends in sincerity.

Seeing their laughter, the frantic time when Lambo pee his pants, his eyes turned mirthless. He missed those days. He wished everyone would come back to him. Haru stood beside him and gazed at the memories with him. "These were the moments when we were actually strong enough to confront anything. Being with everyone, with just these activities were enough for us to stay alive."

His half-lidded eyes kept staring and she continued her remark. "Back then, we look out for each other, and that simple action brought about the strength in every moment we spent together, creating a solid and powerful barrier to protect each other. We have something worth to live for, someone whom we want to grow old together, to share our happiness and sorrow. This is when we're the strongest. But can you still feel that? The Vongola you created may be the strongest on skin, but inside the core is the weakest of all. If your relationship crumbles, will there be any reason for you to make this family stronger? Will they still have a reason to fight for their lives?"

Tsuna just stayed silent, feeling the statement and truth behind. "Tsuna-san," she called. "I know why you're being hard on yourself. You still feel at fault for letting me die. But you have to know," she held his hand with a smile. Tsuna reacted at the warmth of her hand, he looked at her in fixation. "I sacrificed myself because it's my own will… because I love you."

"…But your feelings for me shouldn't be the reason why you died for me."

"Feelings and emotions are irrational; none of what we feel makes sense to the world. Besides, aren't you in the same position as me? Aren't you doing this, because of your guiltiness and resentment?"

His eyelid slowly rose up, helping his eyes to see the world. He woke up on his bed, in his room. Was it a dream? But he swore that felt sorely real.

"It was real."

Tsuna hastily looked at his right, only to see the girl he thought dead. Tears shed above his control. Even with just the sight of her, his turnaround life as if changed to a far much better life, seeing her genuine smile brightened even the worst of his life. He wanted to touch her; he immediately rose up and hugged her tightly, burying his face under her shoulder that was wet with his tears. It wasn't tears of happiness, but of relief—a feeling that could never be described, because having that feeling was more than enough.

After his friends abandoned him, feeling her warmth once again, he couldn't feel more relaxed than this. Haru knew very well what he had been through, seeing his friends walked away from him, she wasn't stupid to know it hurt him so badly. At this moment, having him crying on her arms, she smiled in delight, knowing he was the same Tsuna, after all. She returned his embrace with smile as faint tears started to form on her closed eyes. And as she plunged herself into this moment, owing to the ability that had been bestowed upon her, she could hear his inner voice and his memories.

.

It has been tough…

I don't know who to turn to…

All I need is someone beside me...

But my friends left me…

All the things that hurt you, that made you sad, who made you kill yourself…

I destroyed the lives of every mafia for you…

I've been corrupting everyone's hands, my hands, for the sake of you…

Every time I killed, I smiled bitterly at the sky, and through it I spoke to you…

"Hey, Haru… I destroyed what made you suffer, so please… come back…"

"No matter how many lives it takes, I will destroy everything if I can see you again."

But if I can't see you again, then I…

I will send every one of those fools to hell…

.

Haru's eyes abruptly opened. She didn't peel away, but after living his memories her pupil stayed dilated, she was in quandary, bewilderment. He once stated the reason he kept killing was to protect everyone so they wouldn't die like her, it was his own words. But what she unfolded in his memories was a contradiction to his statement. If so, then which one was true?

"I can't believe it…" he voiced. "You're actually alive."

She fell silent for few moments, until she said, "I died."

Tsuna's eyes widened and peeled away to look at her face. "Are you a… ghost?"

She shook her head. "I just can't rest in peace if you're like this. I really died, but when I was walking in a bridge between life and death, when I was going for death, I met someone. She told me everything about you and I made a contract with her. She gave me a body and resurrection flame to help me stay in this world. Her name was Sephira."

"Sephira…?" that name felt familiar to him. "Ah, that reminds me, you made me hear your voice and your reflection, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Every weird thing that happened to you, it was my doing. Remember my transparent version and those words it spoke to you?" he nodded. "It's funny how the works, Tsuna-san," Tsuna blinked in confusion. "Those words were what I really wanted to say to you."

His eyes widened and his cheek was shaded with pink color. There was an undeniable happiness entered his heart upon knowing it wasn't just a delusion, but it truly came out of Haru's feelings. "Hey, Haru," he caressed her cheek with gentle smile. "You know what? I'm glad I never stopped loving you, because the feeling of seeing you again… it might be different if I didn't love you."

She wanted tears to shed, holding it was enough of a torture. The urge to feel happy and cry was there, but she wiped the tears on her eyes and gazed at Tsuna solemnly. She had to remember why she was given a second life.

"Tsuna-san."

"Yeah?"

"I want you to be honest. You said the reason why you can't stop killing because you want to protect everyone, right?" he slightly nodded. "When you hugged me earlier, I saw your memories, meaning I saw through your heart. But I noticed something odd. There, all I saw was a man who kills for the sake of the woman he loves, who desires to meet her again, a man who destroys everything that makes her suffer."

Tsuna kept eyeing on Haru wide-eyed in surprised look.

"So, tell me. Which one is true?"