~.~.~

Phantom Thief Decimo

Previously: Tsuna debuted as the Phantom Thief at a costume party in honor of Gokudera's birthday, and the first thing he stole was "Gokudera's performance," earning himself a loyal follower. Unfortunately, that loyalty was used against him as Reborn easily followed Gokudera to Tsuna's hideout. Fortunately, he was sent to help… in theory, anyway.

~.~.~

"So the Ninth hired you to help me?" Tsuna repeated, still a little dubious. He felt torn between relief - having someone like Reborn, the number one hitman in the world, on his side was almost a guaranteed win - and a tiny bit insulted. Did he really seem like he needed help?

"More or less," Reborn said.

'That's not very reassuring,' Tsuna thought.

"It's not meant to be reassuring," Reborn assured him.

"Did you really steal the Vongola Sky Ring, Kaitou-sama?" Gokudera wondered, still a little stunned. There had been no choice but to give him a very brief summary of Nono's request and Tsuna's acceptance.

Shrugging, Tsuna fished around in the pockets of the pants he had worn the night before. Three wallets, two cellphones, five bracelets, an extra pair of sunglasses and a pill case later, he managed to procure the ring in question. It was warm against the palm of his hand as he held it up for Gokudera to examine.

"As expected of Kaitou-sama!" Gokudera remarked, fawning a little.

"It would have been better if he hadn't messed up," Reborn said, far less impressed. "But I guess that's all you can expect from an amateur."

"Sorry for being amateur," Tsuna muttered resentfully under his breath.

"Don't be sorry, get better," Reborn ordered. The "or else" was heavily implied. Looking over the array of odds and ends Tsuna had pilfered while at CEDEF headquarters, he picked out the pill case and thoughtfully turned it over in his hand. "Why didn't you bother stealing all this? Do you even know what it's for?"

Tsuna shrugged. "Habit, I guess," he admitted. "I used to practice my sleight of hand by pickpocketing pretty much everyone in reach, and it just got to be such an ingrained habit that I do it without thinking. Like that," he nodded at the pill case, "I got off the CEDEF agent who was chasing me at the end, but I'm not even sure at which point."

"As expected of an amateur," Reborn commented dryly, tossing the pill case back in the pile of loot.

"Sorry for being an amateur," Tsuna muttered.

"Don't be sorry, get better," Reborn ordered.

'Wait, didn't we already have this conversation?!'

"It bears repeating. It's normally against my policy to associate with someone so low-ranking," Reborn added, "so hurry up and become worthy of being in my presence."

Tsuna glared, indignation and annoyance having won over his earlier fear. To his surprise, so did Gokudera. "Kaitou-sama is not low class!" Tsuna's self-proclaimed follower insisted, though he managed to keep his protests dynamite-free out of respect for Reborn. "He successfully broke into the CEDEF and stole the Vongola Sky Ring! An amateur couldn't accomplish that!"

"He's an amateur because he messed it up," Reborn replied coolly. "He was supposed to get all seven rings, but lost six of them. That in itself would be acceptable, though still amateur work, but he also made a much worse mistake."

That accusation drew Tsuna out of his internal grumbling.

"What? What mistake?" he demanded, turning to Reborn. It wasn't just a matter of pride - a mistake could lead to the Varia or another criminal group being able to track him down. This job was a matter of life and death.

"You weren't supposed to use the ring," Reborn said, pulling his fedora down a little. "It's a problem."

"U-use…? The Vongola Sky Ring?" Gokudera stammered, his eyes growing impossibly wide. Tsuna glanced at him with burgeoning concern and unease.

"What does it matter?" Tsuna said, barely stopping his voice from trembling in the suddenly-tense atmosphere. "So I'm a Sky Flame user. That doesn't have anything to do with the job."

"You really don't understand what it means," Reborn said as Gokudera continued to stare at Tsuna in shock. "The Vongola Sky Ring isn't something that can be just used by anyone with Sky Flames. Being accepted by the Sky Ring is a requirement for becoming the Boss, one that many candidates have failed in the past. It is also the third way of becoming a potential Successor, together with being nominated by the current Boss or the Outside Advisor."

"...Wait," Tsuna said. "Wait. That's… that's what Xanxus wants to do, right? Because he hasn't been named Nono's successor."

"Right," Reborn said. "And also, what you've done."

Tsuna shook his head slowly. He must have misheard.

"No, you heard that right," Reborn said, smiling sardonically. "Congratulations on becoming a candidate for Vongola Decimo."

~.~.~

Chapter 4: Sleight of hand ~ Mythical Perfect Ranking

~.~.~

"No," Tsuna said flatly.

"Then, Kaitou-sama is… J-Juudaime?" Gokudera tried. "Juudaime... Juudaime!" He seemed to like the sound of it.

"No," Tsuna repeated more firmly. "Absolutely not!"

"It's not up to you," Reborn told him. "And you're far from the only one not happy to hear it."

"It's not like I wanted it to react to me! I wasn't even trying to use it!" Tsuna yelled in frustration. The ring grew warmer in his clenched fist, not helping his case at all.

'That just makes it worse,' Reborn thought. 'I haven't even mentioned the fact that it usually requires an entire ceremony for the Boss to become able to activate it...' He decided not to mention that at all.

Instead, Reborn said bluntly, "No one cares. You're a potential Successor now. The only one, actually, since Xanxus hasn't been acknowledged. Every criminal group that ever even dreamed of taking Vongola down will be gunning for you. This is their big chance. Everyone knows Nono is old. Not only will they be able to take out Vongola's only Successor, but they'll even get the ring too. Needless to say, it's my job to stop that from happening."

Dropping his head in his hands, Tsuna groaned pitifully.

"And that's not even getting to the Varia," Reborn continued mercilessly. "They can't just take the Sky Ring now. You're a competitor. To prove himself the best suited, Xanxus will have to defeat you. That's the only way for another candidate to assert their claim. And Xanxus won't settle for anything except your death."

"It's alright, Kaitou-sama - no, Juudaime," Gokudera tried to comfort him as Tsuna curled into a ball and attempted to will himself out of existence. "I know you'll make a great Boss! The Sky Ring acknowledged your worth! Anyone who opposes you will stand no chance! I'll protect you!"

"Don't call me that!" Tsuna moaned.

"Yes, hold off on that until he actually completes the Inheritance Ceremony," Reborn agreed. 'Not that he ever will, if Nono has his way...'

"I'm sure Kaitou-sama will be able to do it," Gokudera said confidently.

"I don't even want to complete it!" Tsuna's protests went ignored.

"I'll support you all the way, Kaitou-sama," Gokudera continued. Alarmingly, he seemed to blush. "I-I would be honored to become part of your Family, if you would have me."

Tsuna opened his mouth to refuse - he didn't have a Family and didn't plan on forming one - but he caught sight of Reborn looking at Gokudera with a strangely considering gaze. He might not have been able to read minds like the world's greatest hitman, but Tsuna's intuition was sharp enough for him to guess that Gokudera's offer was more significant than it might appear at first.

"Um," Tsuna said, rubbing his forehead, "if I make a Family, you can be the first member, okay?"

"Juudaime!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Inspiring such deep loyalty is a good trait for a boss," Reborn commented. Somehow, it didn't really sound like a compliment, or a good thing.

Probably because Tsuna didn't really want to be a boss, and no one else - except Gokudera - wanted that either.

Or maybe...

Tsuna met Reborn's eyes, a terrible thought suddenly occurring to him.

"That's right. You're beginning to see why it's such a problem," Reborn said. "There are people within Vongola who would insist that you're the rightful Successor, whether you like it or not. They'd be a small group… but large enough to fracture the Family. Combined with those that will break off to follow Xanxus, the Vongola will fall apart."

That was the very thing Tsuna had taken this job to avoid.

"I'm going to give it back!" Tsuna insisted. "I'm not going to keep it! That's the deal. I'll give the ring back to the Ninth after his plan is ready. He has his own candidate, right? He told me so. I just need to give the ring to that candidate, and once he's accepted too, it'll be fine, right?"

Reborn remained silent. It wouldn't be that easy, that much was certain. He didn't actually expect Tsuna to come up with a solution - even Nono had only been able to hope that the current Vongola Boss's influence and clout, backed by the Outside Advisor, would be enough to keep the Family from falling apart - but he wanted to see what the Phantom Thief would do.

What kind of man was he, to be chosen by the Sky Ring?

"If it's a matter of dueling it out or whatever, I'll lose," Tsuna continued in the long, uncomfortable silence. "If it's a matter of formally renouncing my claim, I'll do that. If it's about disappearing, that's fine too."

"Kaitou-sama!" Gokudera protested.

Tsuna shook his head. "I don't want to be a mafia boss. I don't care if others see me as just a thief. I like the way I've been living and the way I've been doing things," he said, meeting Gokudera's gaze evenly.

He didn't just mean the freedom of being the Phantom Thief or the stealing. He meant all of it - living as he pleased, helping those he felt compelled to help, both in the crazy heists he pulled and the secret jobs he accepted. That was how he measured pride, and not through battle or power or even making a name for himself.

That was how he and Gokudera met, not because he came to steal from his family, but because he acted out of his own compassion.

Something of that thought seemed to reach Gokudera. Reluctantly, he nodded, conceding the point. It was, after all, the Phantom Thief he had chosen to believe in, with the Phantom Thief's different way of living.

Turning back to Reborn, Tsuna said. "I accepted this job because I want to prevent the bloodshed that would follow if the Vongola Family collapses. I don't mind throwing a match for the sake of preserving the Vongola Family. And if it's the Ninth's candidate, then he won't k-kill me..." His steady look cracked a little.

Reborn sighed quietly. "That won't be enough. It won't erase the fact that the ring accepted you," he said. He wondered if there was any point in trying to explain, again, that the Sky Ring rarely reacted the way it had with him. "It'll still be seen as a contest between the two of you," he settled on saying.

"Then we have to find some way to make sure the Ninth's candidate comes out on top," Tsuna said firmly, his resolve seemingly only getting stronger despite Reborn's negative responses. "There must be something. Something that everyone in the mafia world would accept without question or doubt. What would it be?"

He looked to the other two, his eyes narrowed and gleaming faintly with the light of Sky Flames, as he asked for their expertise. Gokudera reflexively straightened, almost coming to attention, but Reborn only frowned faintly.

"If… if it's something every mafioso would accept as one hundred percent true," Gokudera ventured, his brow furrowed in thought, "then the only thing I can think of is… the Ranking Prince."

Gokudera fidgeted a little as both Tsuna and Reborn regarded him thoughtfully. "His rankings are one hundred percent accurate," Reborn agreed finally, "but I doubt it'll be so simple."

"It's worth a shot," Tsuna decided. "Let's get going. You can tell me more along the way."

"Getting into the spirit of being a Boss?" Reborn mocked, earning himself a glare from Tsuna. He continued to smirk, but his thoughts were far less lighthearted. 'A little too into it,' Reborn mused. 'The biggest obstacle might be… that he's definitely got the potential for it.'

He had wanted to see what kind of person the Phantom Thief was, and he wasn't pleased with what he saw. Or maybe, he was too pleased by far, in all the most inconvenient ways.

~.~.~

Fuuta de la Stella, Gokudera explained, was like a national treasure to the mafia. His rankings were always 100 percent accurate, and his Ranking Book was practically the Holy Grail of the criminal world.

However, his rankings didn't belong to any one family.

Instead, the Ranking Prince was a neutral party whose unbiased information was used to resolve disputes. He lived at an isolated, heavily guarded location under the watchful eye of not only the Vongola alliance, but also all other major groups in criminal society.

"So if his rankings show that someone is the best candidate for Vongola Decimo, no one will be able to doubt that fact," Gokudera concluded.

"Sounds good," Tsuna nodded. "If we're lucky, he'll say that Nono's chosen successor is the best bet, and no one'll bother with me anymore." He supposed if they were really, really lucky, that would also take Xanxus out of the running, but Tsuna doubted that Xanxus himself would accept being sidelined so easily.

"There are limits to Fuuta's ability," Reborn objected. "He can only create rankings for people he's seen, I believe. Not to mention that you can't exactly request an audience from him just like that. A single request can take months or years to be processed, and most are rejected. Something as… divisive as Vongola succession will never be allowed to be ranked. There are too many parties that would prefer that the answer remain unknown."

'I guess that explains why no one used this option in the first place,' Tsuna thought with a sigh.

Reborn nodded. "It's too convenient. Real life is never that simple," he said.

Realizing his mind had been read yet again, Tsuna shot him a glare. "Anyway," he said, "leave getting to Fuuta to me. You don't have to come. I doubt we'll run into the Varia in there."

"I'm a professional," Reborn said. "I take my jobs seriously. I don't allow even the smallest mistakes to slip through." 'Unlike you,' his tone implied.

'Enough with the amateur comments!' Tsuna thought in frustration, but before he could retort, the door of the train car opened, and a stewardess entered, pushing along a trolley of snacks and lunch boxes.

On cue, Tsuna's stomach growled miserably.

"Anything off the cart?" the stewardess asked, smiling at the three of them - the only passengers in the car.

"I'll get it," Gokudera volunteered. "We'll take three of those, and two of those…"

As the stewardess handed out their orders, Tsuna reached across Reborn, who had taken the aisle seat, to accept his. A quiet, ominous click made him freeze in place, along with a faint nudge against his ribcage.

"You're about three hundred million years too early to be trying that on me," Reborn commented, his tone completely casual, so as not to arouse suspicion - the gun he had drawn on Tsuna was also hidden from the stewardess.

Tsuna laughed uncomfortably, drawing his hand back from where it had been about to reach from Reborn's pocket. "Sorry," he said. "It's a reflex. I really didn't mean to."

"That's the fourth time," Reborn said dryly. Fortunately, he appeared more amused than anything. His gun seemed to magically disappear as Tsuna cautiously drew back to his own seat. Instead, the green form of his chameleon partner Leon crawled up Reborn's sleeve to settle on his shoulder. "Also," Reborn added, "you might want to give Gokudera back his wallet, if you expect him to pay."

Gokudera, who had been in the process of searching for just that item, looked up in surprise. "As expected of Kaitou-sama," he muttered, graciously accepting the wallet that Tsuna held out sheepishly.

Checking his pockets, Tsuna also held out Gokudera's lighter and two of his bracelets.

When Tsuna turned back, his lunch was gone.

Or rather, it had somehow ended up in Reborn's lap, the hitman already taking a bite. "Hey! That's mine!" Tsuna protested, but Reborn only shrugged. "Come on, give it back! You already ate my breakfast!"

"Then take it back yourself," Reborn told him mercilessly. It was, naturally, an impossible demand.

Tsuna's stomach growled again, but the stewardess had already moved on, and Tsuna looked after her mournfully. He glanced up in surprise as another lunch was proffered before him.

"Here, Kaitou-sama," Gokudera said. "You can have mine. Since… since I'm not going to be the one working, I don't need it." He sighed a little, having no choice but to accept that he would be inevitably left behind. His stealth skills were simply nowhere near high enough for the upcoming mission.

Tsuna shook his head. "We'll split it," he decided. When Gokudera tried to protest, Tsuna insisted, "I need your help too. You're really good at figuring out things like layout and security measures and where to look for traps. The reports you give me before each of my heists are always very helpful."

Gokudera's blush was entirely obvious this time. "I hadn't thought you listened that closely, Kaitou-sama," he mumbled, obediently taking a bite.

"I do," Tsuna assured him. "You're always spot-on about where the lasers go. And your mafia connections can be pretty helpful too. So, do you know anything about where Fuuta is staying?"

He hid a grimace at the taste of Gokudera's chosen lunch. It wasn't something he would have chosen for himself, but he wasn't about to complain. Tsuna was afraid that if he said something, Gokudera would start to always just buy two of whatever Tsuna wanted - a waste and not right at all.

Instead, Tsuna shot Reborn another glare. The hitman didn't even look like he was enjoying his stolen lunch either. He was definitely chewing a little harder than strictly necessary.

"The way I heard it," Gokudera began, between mouthfuls, "the Ranking Prince has been sequestered at the estate of a mafia family that died out. It's out in the middle of nowhere and is always guarded by representatives of all the major groups who agreed to protect the Ranking Prince's impartiality. Each group handles a different part of the security measures."

He chewed thoughtfully, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he thought back on all the rumors he had heard over the years and what he had been able to gather that morning before they boarded the train.

"I heard Vongola handles the outer perimeter," Gokudera said slowly. "Bovino provides the internal sensors. Difo and Beccio have patrols of the main grounds. Nuevo has upper level look out. Trad-6 has been petitioning to have a bigger role…"

The list was long, even without being exhaustive, and Gokudera could only shrug at the end, uncertain of how accurate the information was. Tsuna glanced at Reborn for confirmation, but the hitman only looked back with a falsely innocent expression.

'Of course,' Tsuna thought irritably, 'it's too much to expect any real help from him.'

"I'm just here to protect the Sky Ring," Reborn agreed. "You shouldn't rely on me."

Tsuna snorted quietly. "I hadn't been planning to," he said. "You just tagged along on your own. You… freeloader."

"Oh?" Reborn drew out in a terribly smooth way that sent shivers down Tsuna's spine. But he didn't follow up on the implied threat, letting it hang in the air and watching Tsuna squirm for a few moments, before his expression turned serious again. "You should also keep in mind the same will be true if the Varia attack. I can't fight them directly, only get in their way. It's about plausible deniability. I'm acting on Nono's orders, and he can't be seen supporting you openly."

"I've got no intention of fighting the Varia at all," Tsuna said, slouching in his seat. "If I have my way, I'm never going to run into them in the first place. Even if I get spotted at Fuuta's place, it'll be as the Phantom Thief, who has no connection to what happened at CEDEF headquarters. They've got no reason to chase after the Phantom Thief. In fact, they've got no leads at all."

"Don't be so sure they won't make the connection," Reborn said. "You might not have left much of a trail or past, but you're pretty distinctive too. How many thieves with Sky Flames do you think there are?"

"Nobody's ever seen the Phantom Thief use Sky Flames," Tsuna said. He paused, thinking back. "At least, I don't think they have."

"See, this is why you're an amateur," Reborn said, shaking his head in apparent exasperation. "No one might have seen you use Sky Flames, but the signs are all there, and no one's made the connection only because they haven't bothered to look. That, and you've been playing in the kiddie pool so far. Even setting aside all the other stupid stuff you've done, that signature technique of yours is clearly Sky Flame-based and distinctive too."

"T-technique?" Tsuna repeated, looking away quickly.

"You mean what Kaitou-sama uses to take down sensors?" Gokudera said thoughtfully. He had studied it extensively, but he had never quite worked up the courage to ask Tsuna how it worked.

"Yes, that one," Reborn said. "You infuse your Sky Flames into the air around you, which causes it to heat up - plenty of reports mention that. The concentrations of Flames is too low to be visible, but it makes machinery malfunction and humans hallucinate, similar to a mirage. That's only possible with the properties of Sky Flames. The Varia will be able to tell easily."

"...Wow, you figured out Kagerou so easily," Tsuna said, impressed despite himself.

"It's almost ridiculously simple. It's embarrassing to call that trick a technique," Reborn said dismissively.

"It works for me," Tsuna said, now clearly sulking.

Reborn studied him for a moment, his amusement fading into a worryingly calculating look. "Kagerou, huh?" he noted. "And besides that, you got 'Phantom Thief' from kaitou... You must be Japanese, right?"

"W-what about it?"

"Your Italian's pretty good."

"Oh?" Tsuna blinked in surprise at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks! I studied it in school, so-"

Realizing he was being baited into revealing personal information, Tsuna quickly fell silent.

As a precaution - or because he was sulking - he refused to speak to Reborn for the rest of the trip.

Well, that was fine, Reborn decided. They would have plenty of time to get to know each other, when Reborn watched him in action. That always revealed the most about a person, in his experience.

~.~.~

Ducking inside the silent manor, the Phantom Thief paused to glance back out at the dark sky. The stars and the moon were quickly becoming hidden by thick clouds rolling in with the chilly autumn wind. He grimaced a little.

"Looks like it's going to rain," Reborn commented, his voice low.

Tsuna just managed not to jump, though he stiffened tellingly. He had lost track of Reborn a while back and hadn't noticed him waiting patiently in the shadows. Whatever else he might have been - annoying, infuriating, occasionally terrifying - Reborn was very, very good.

'No wonder he calls me an amateur,' Tsuna thought, hiding a sigh. 'Compared to him, pretty much everyone is.'

Reborn smirked. "Thanks for the compliment," he whispered. "Even if it's only the truth."

He was still the most frustrating person Tsuna had ever met.

"I thought there would be more guards," Tsuna admitted as they continued forward.

"Why bother? It's a waste of perfectly good members to station them here," Reborn said. "What keeps anyone from attacking and trying to take the Ranking Prince for themselves is fear of retribution, not the actual defenses."

"But what's keeping someone from just sneaking in, getting any ranking they want and sneaking back out?" Tsuna asked. He paused for a moment, then turned down another corridor.

A moment later, a lone guard appeared around the corner further down, ambling along on his regular patrol. Waiting out of sight, Tsuna watched him pass by the place he and Reborn had stood not too long ago. The guard didn't even spare a glance at the fogged up windows that marked the progression of Tsuna's Kagerou technique - it was honestly unnecessary for this level of target, Tsuna realized, dispelling it with a quiet sigh.

"This isn't even hard," Tsuna grumbled under his breath, turning away from the guard and leading the way deeper into the mansion.

Reborn followed after him with a casual stride. "I told you, the Ranking Prince can generally only rank people he's come into contact with. Since he's kept isolated like this, it limits his sphere of influence. There's no guarantee he would be able to create the ranking you want. His limits and capabilities don't follow normal logic," he said. "Also, his ranking ritual isn't exactly subtle."

"Sounds like we'll be making a running retreat afterwards," Tsuna said, doggedly refusing to give Reborn the satisfaction of seeing him falter. So what if this might just be a fool's errand? They had no better leads at the moment, and lots of time to kill. And honestly, many of the Phantom Thief's heists ended with Tsuna having to run from pursuit.

They only had to dodge one more patrol before they reached their target - almost blatantly obvious, a thick, reinforced door guarded by two mafia men in crisp suits. Tsuna had been mentally going through his standard plans in preparation for this stage of the infiltration, but seeing the two guards, both looking bored and half-asleep, he realized he had severely overestimated the level of security involved.

Huffing in annoyance, Tsuna reached into his cloak and pulled out a blank white card, one of several he had made a habit of bringing along.

The guards blinked lazily, one stifling a yawn as he glanced around without much interest. Watching him, Tsuna scowled and, with careful timing, sent flying the paper airplane he had folded.

"Huh?" the guard started a little, blinking. "Hey, wake up. I saw something down the hall."

His partner snorted. "Oh, come on. Not with the ghost hunt again. All the servants already settled in for the night. It's nothing."

Tsuna facepalmed. "I should have sent a notice," he muttered. Somewhere behind him, Reborn snickered.

Digging around in his pockets, Tsuna pulled out a coin he had swiped off some unfortunate guard and, for his next trick, threw it down the corridor. The coin clinked loudly against one of the lamps, bounced, hit large vase, bounced again, and continued to skip down the hall.

The two guards had frozen, and both turned to look dumbly in the direction of the sounds. "...You think that was nothing too?" the first guard hissed at his partner.

"Whatever," the second said irritably. "It's probably a rat."

Tsuna barely managed to choke back a sound of frustration. Reborn's shoulder were shaking with the force of his own amusement.

"It'd be easier and faster to just knock them out," Reborn said finally, laughter clear in his tone. "They'll probably think they just dozed off. Want me to do it for you? I'd like to finish up some time before dawn, you know."

Tsuna shot him a dirty look in reply, but he was honestly considering the offer.

"I'm gonna check it out," the first guard announced loudly. "I'm sick of standing around." He set off down the hall, his partner trailing after him with a few grumbled complaints.

'Finally!' Tsuna thought, drawing back into the shadows to let the two mafia members pass. They didn't even glance in his direction, and Tsuna easily slipped behind their backs toward Fuuta's room. Soundlessly, Reborn followed, still looking entirely too amused.

Running a practiced eye over the locks on the door, Tsuna hesitated. "Need help?" Reborn asked, but Tsuna shook his head. He had already gotten a key card from one of the guards, and the locks beeped agreeably as he swiped it through.

The door swung open smoothly, and Tsuna gestured Reborn through first - which the hitman accepted with a knowing smile - then followed him in, easing the door shut. As he had expected, the locks clicked back in place, and there was no key card terminal on the inside.

Catching Reborn's gaze as he looked up, Tsuna shrugged. "Looks like we're going out through the window," he muttered.

Tsuna had expected the Ranking Prince to be asleep already, given the late hour. He had also been confident enough in his own skills to assume that the boy wouldn't be awoken by his and Reborn's arrival.

So turning to find a pair of wide brown eyes watching him curiously, Tsuna reacted predictably - jumping back in shock with a muffled shriek and crashing against the door.

"Hi," Fuuta said, beaming at Tsuna, as if it was completely normal for masked men to drop by his room unannounced in the middle of the night. "Are you here for a ranking?"

"Y-yes?" Tsuna ventured, his heart still pounding.

It was, of course, completely ridiculous to get scared by Fuuta. He looked barely old enough to be in middle school and the very image of cute and harmless besides. Even in his pajamas, he still had a striped scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Okay! What do you want to know?" Fuuta beamed. Pulling his massive book a little closer, he took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, they seemed to reflect a mysterious far-off light.

"Wait, just like that?" Tsuna wondered, even as a strange energy began to fill the room. Books, papers and pens slowly floated upwards, and Tsuna's cape billowed out as his own feet tried to leave the floor. It… wasn't the strangest thing that had ever happened to him.

"Sure," Fuuta said, his voice now distant. "I love ranking things. I like helping people too. You must really want to know something, if you came all this way to see me. Hm… I see. You're ranked number one least able to refuse a request. And Mr. Reborn is the number one hitman in the world…"

Reborn shot Tsuna a look and smirked at his own ranking, carefully keeping hold of his hat with one hand and Leon with the other.

"And how am I in the ranking of best thieves?" Tsuna asked instead. "I'm the Phantom Thief, you know."

"I know," Fuuta said, smiling a little. "I know who you are. I can tell. You're the best phantom thief. You're also the number one most underestimated. And… you're the most wanted individual in the mafia world at this time."

That pronouncement sent a cold shiver down Tsuna's spine. When Fuuta's power suddenly cut off and gravity returned to the room, he couldn't quite catch himself and faceplanted straight into the carpet.

"I got so many new rankings," Fuuta said, opening his book. "I've got to write them down or I'll forget…"

Tsuna groaned and sat up, rubbing at his nose. As Fuuta scribbled away, Tsuna found himself leaning in with interest. It took him a moment to make out the upside down writing. Then, he panicked.

"Hiiieee!" Tsuna flailed, spinning around and trying to bodily block Reborn's view of the book - somewhat pointless, given the hitman couldn't see the writing anyway.

"What now?" Reborn wondered, before realizing what the problem was. "He's using your real name, isn't he? Don't worry, I won't peek," he said with mocking sincerity. "That would be too easy. I don't need that kind of hint." However, Tsuna continued to watch him distrustfully.

"There, all done," Fuuta announced. "Now, what ranking did you come for, Mr. Phantom Thief?" He met Tsuna's relieved look with a smile.

"I want to know who would be the best person to become Vongola Decimo," Tsuna said. "Can you rank that?"

"Um…" Fuuta thought for a moment, tilting his head as he tried to reach out further. "Not directly. I can't rank people who aren't here. I can rank your position as a potential successor, but only yours," he judged.

Tsuna slumped, and Reborn sighed almost soundlessly. He at least had the decency not to say, "I told you so."

"Sorry," Fuuta offered.

"It's okay," Tsuna muttered.

"But I could give you a copy of the ranking I made for Grandpa Ninth when he was here," Fuuta continued. "It's bit outdated, but it's probably still mostly right."

Tsuna looked up at him blankly. "...What?"

"Grandpa Ninth came to visit me a little while ago," Fuuta explained, leafing through his book. "He's really nice, you know? He didn't even want anything. He just came to see me. So I wanted to do something nice for him too. He seemed really tired… So I made a ranking of the people best suited to succeed him as the Vongola Boss."

"You gave him something like that?" Reborn muttered. "He didn't mention it…"

"That's perfect! Do you still have it?" Tsuna exclaimed.

Fuuta pouted. "I have a copy," he admitted. "But I don't like to give outdated rankings."

"Come on, please!" Tsuna begged, clapping his hands together in prayer. "I'll do something good for you in return! There's got to be something you want, right?"

"W-well…" Fuuta glanced away. A hesitant look crossed his face. "Could you… come back to see me again?"

"...Sure," Tsuna agreed, something uneasy prickling up his spine. "But, you know, you could ask for something else too. I'm least able to refuse a request, right?"

Fuuta shook his head, reluctantly. "It's okay," he said. "You go to lots of place and do lots of things. So I'll get to do lots of new rankings just by meeting you."

"You really love ranking things, huh?" Tsuna mused. He smiled awkwardly. "I bet you could rank a lot more things if you came with me, got out of this stupid mansion for a while. It wouldn't be hard. I'm the best phantom thief, after all. I could steal you away for a while and…"

He trailed off as Fuuta shook his head.

"That would be a very bad idea," Reborn said flatly. "Every criminal organization would accuse everyone else of trying to take his rankings for themselves. Fighting would break out in no time. And if you announced that you were the one who did it, you'd be targeted instead. You're already the most wanted man in the criminal underworld. Can you really handle any more heat?"

Tsuna winced, and so did Fuuta, who seemed to curl in on himself under Reborn's blunt assessment.

"...Ranking is a heavy burden, huh?" Tsuna said quietly, curling one hand around the grating.

Fuuta shook his head. "No, I don't think so at all. I love ranking things. I love being able to hear the Ranking Star. I wouldn't give that up for anything. I just wish that… everyone else wouldn't always fight over my rankings. …But it's okay," he said. Tearing a page out of his book, he held it out to Tsuna with a tentative smile. "I'll look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Phantom Thief. Do lots of interesting things until then, okay?"

Tsuna accepted the ranking, but he couldn't bring himself to even glance at it.

"Y-yeah. I'll come to see you soon, okay?" Tsuna finally said. His shoulders slumped and he seemed to huddle deeper under his cloak in defeat. "I'll bring you a souvenir!" The smile he gave Fuuta was strained, and the forced tone of happiness in his voice rang almost painfully false.

Turning away, Tsuna hurriedly stepped up to the window. The curtains billowed as he pulled it open and a cold, wet wind swept into the room. Beyond the class, thick metal bars were firmly locked in place.

Tsuna slid his hands over the lock that held the bars in place. Like on the door, it was on the outside. It clicked open in moments under the Phantom Thief's skilled fingers.

Still, Tsuna hesitated. Behind him, Fuuta looked at the open window with longing, even as he shivered in the cold wind.

"Come on, the rain's going to start any moment," Reborn said, striding toward Tsuna. "I hate getting wet."

"I hate rain," Tsuna muttered. "Nothing ever works right in the rain."

"Yeah," Fuuta agreed, turning away from the window. His grip on his book tightened. "It always messes up my rankings."

"Messes up?" Tsuna repeated, straightening in surprise. Something about those words completely caught his attention. They were important. There was something there.

Reborn paused. "Oh? I hadn't heard that," he said with apparent disinterest, despite how rare it was for him to not know about something in the mafia world.

"'Cause I never told anyone," Fuuta mumbled. "Rain makes me so tired, and I can't hear the Ranking Star right. It makes my rankings all wonky when it rains. But no one ever comes when it's rainy anyway..." He curled around his book, drooping sleepily.

"Even Reborn didn't know…" Tsuna said quietly, the thoughtful tone of his voice making Reborn turn to look at him with narrowed eyes. "They're only one hundred percent accurate when it's sunny. Fuuta's rankings aren't always right… But the reason I came to get a ranking was because everyone always believes them, because they're never wrong..."

He trailed off, mumbling, as his thoughts seemed to go in circles. Tsuna could feel Reborn watching him, but he paid the hitman no mind. He needed to grasp the form of the thought that seemed to slip just out of his reach. That was the answer he needed.

Tsuna spun around, striding away from the open window. A gust of cold wind made his cloak billow around him as he approached Fuuta and knelt in front of the boy.

"Fuuta," Tsuna said, "you love ranking more than anything, don't you? But now your rankings are more than just something you do because you want to. Everyone has come to rely on them… Fuuta, what would you do if no one believed in your rankings anymore?"

Fuuta's eyes widened as he stared up at the Phantom Thief. "If no one… believed in my rankings?" he repeated, clutching his book closer. He bit his lip and looked away. "I would… I would go on ranking things," Fuuta decided finally. "The transmissions from the Ranking Star won't stop, even if no one believes them. And… I think that if people were able to choose whether to believe my rankings... that might be better too..."

A smile bloomed across Tsuna's face. Reaching out, he ruffled Fuuta's hair. As the boy watched him in confusion, Tsuna picked up his discarded pen and pulled out another blank card. "Reborn, you better go on ahead," Tsuna said distractedly. "I'm going to be waiting for the rain."

With a flourish, he finished writing the Phantom Thief's newest heist notice.

Reborn's eyes narrowed as he quickly scanned the words. "Have you forgotten what you came here for?" he asked. "Getting emotionally attached like this on a job, it's why you're an amateur."

Tsuna shrugged, standing. "No," he said, "I remember. But this is how I do things, even if that makes me just a fool."

Standing on his toes, Fuuta peered at the card. He mouthed the words out, his eyes growing impossibly wide.

Meeting Tsuna's gaze, Fuuta shook his head frantically. "You can't!" he exclaimed. "It's not possible! And… I tried running away before." Swallowing heavily, Fuuta looked away. "It… it didn't work. I was always chased. Everyone who tried to help me just got hurt. That's why… it's better like this. It's safer for everyone if I…"

He trailed off as Tsuna ruffled his hair again, his hand firm and almost rough. "I'll do it!" he said. "Your rankings are still one hundred percent accurate! I'm the greatest phantom thief, remember? That's why I'll steal away your 'perfect rankings' tonight!"

Without waiting for a reply, Tsuna grabbed Fuuta and threw him over one shoulder. "Wait, my Ranking Book!" Fuuta tried to call out as Tsuna stepped up on the sill of the open window.

"It's fine," the Phantom Thief said. "You can come back for it. After this, no one'll try to steal it anymore. ...Probably."

The curtains fluttered again, and he was gone.

Reborn snorted, casually making his own way to the window. His partner Leon slithered into his hand, transforming into a green umbrella. Reborn tapped it against his shoulder absently.

"He really is a fool," he said, as if to himself. "But then, it was a fool just like him that founded Vongola."

Somehow, the thought didn't make him happy. If anything, it was terribly inconvenient.

~.~.~

Standing atop the roof of the Ranking Prince's mansion, the Phantom Thief looked up at the thick clouds that covered the sky. The first cold raindrop hit his cheek, another making a dark spot on the roof nearby, followed by more and more drops.

Sliding Fuuta off his shoulder, Tsuna set him back on his feet and carefully draped his cloak over the boy to shield him from the rain. Fuuta swayed alarmingly, forcing Tsuna to hold him up by his collar.

"Hang in there," Tsuna muttered. "I know you don't like it, and it's gonna be tough, but I need your help to make this work."

The roof of the manor was covered with an array of surprisingly sophisticated sensors, just like the rest of the grounds and the building. Tsuna had avoided them easily up to that point, but the time for sneaking around was over. The Phantom Thief tapped his foot almost thoughtfully against a roof tile, then stomped down with enough force to crush it.

Wailing alarms burst to life across the mansion, startling complacent guards into action. Shouting questions and orders at each other, they swarmed out onto the manor grounds, but just like before, their response was frustratingly slow. The strong winds and the sparse but increasing rain only added to the confusion, and the flood lights that clicked on across the estate barely began to penetrate the darkness.

Sighing, the Phantom Thief toed another roof tile out of place and kicked it over the edge. It sailed through the air almost gracefully, before colliding with the head of one particularly unfortunate guard.

"What was that?!"

"It came from up there!"

"Look! It's the intruder!"

Taking a deep breath, the Phantom Thief projected his voice to be heard despite the gusts of wind that continued to tug at his cloak.

"Members of the mafia alliance!" he announced. "I apologize for the late notice! I, the Phantom Thief, have come to take the mythical perfect ranking ability of Fuuta de la Stella!"

Sweeping aside the folds of his cloak, Tsuna revealed Fuuta's slumped, lethargic figure. Down below, the guards squinted up against the blinding flood lights and the thickening pelting rain.

"Is that… the Ranking Prince?" one guard asked another.

"No way…" his partner muttered. Holding up a radio, he barked, "Hey, check on the brat! Is he in his room?"

The radio crackled, and a shocked voice came through. "He's gone! The window… they went through the window!"

The Phantom Thief smirked, having waited patiently for them to draw their own conclusions. "That's right!" he declared, gesturing dramatically. "In truth, my heist has already succeeded! His ranking ability no longer works!"

"That's impossible!" someone yelled. "There's no way you could take that!"

That was the cue the Phantom Thief had been waiting for. "You're too naive! We will show you!" he said, placing his hands on Fuuta's shoulders. Fuuta leaned back into him, his eyes drooping sleepily as he looked up at Tsuna. "So tell me," the Phantom Thief said, his voice still carrying down to the courtyard and guards below, in the sudden silence, "what is the color of the sky?"

Fuuta pouted, shivering miserably despite Tsuna's efforts to shield him from the slow, cold rain.

"I know, I know, but we'll be done soon," Tsuna whispered. "Work with me here!"

This time, Tsuna could feel Fuuta's strange power gathering in the cold air. The wind turned suddenly, as if colliding with an invisible wall. The fat raindrops were caught in the confusing swirls, before they were caught in Fuuta's power and simply hovered in mid air.

Making a face, Fuuta tried to concentrate further. "...Connecting…" he mumbled. "I can barely hear you, Ranking Star…"

The Ranking Star's field had reached the courtyard and the guards below, who stood frozen in shock.

Fuuta had been right - no one ever asked him to rank in the rain. No one bothered coming all the way to see him in foul weather. Why go to all that trouble, when they could just wait? It wasn't like the Ranking Prince would go anywhere. And Fuuta had not trusted anyone enough to tell them, not for a very long time.

So the mafia members, gathered from the many, many families who had wanted Fuuta's power carefully controlled, had no idea the true cause of his difficulties.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Tsuna chanted quietly, gently squeezing Fuuta's shoulders.

"The number one color of the sky is…" Futuna announced, "...Sherbert Lemon."

There was a moment of profound silence, as the guards below tried to reconcile what they thought they had heard. It couldn't possibly be true. They must have been mistaken, surely.

The Phantom Thief began to laugh.

"Then, what is my name?" he asked boldly.

The raindrops, which had hovered in place, began to fall in reverse, back toward the clouds, as Fuuta tilted his head straining to hear some far off echo. "Most likely true identity of the Phantom Thief - Carlo of the Beccio family," he decided.

There was a squawk from the courtyard. The guards drew back in a circle around one of their number - the unfortunate Carlo of the Beccio Family, who pointed to himself in shock.

The Phantom Thief laughed louder.

"Do you understand?" he called out. "There isn't a single thing I can't steal! Even the Ranking Prince's perfect record!"

The guards broke out in startled whispers, which quickly grew into confused shouts. Was it possible? Had he really done it? The Ranking Prince, who had predicted everything perfectly until then, had made a mistake. But there was no doubt that his ranking power was in use, not with the raindrops still hanging in the air like glitter.

The Phantom Thief's laughter was finally drowned out, as gravity finally resumed and the rain all came crashing down with a roar, drenching everything.

When the air cleared once more, the two figures were gone from the roof. But absorbed in their own debates, some of them hurrying to report to their own families for guidance, the guards didn't even seem to notice.

~.~.~

Fuuta's room stood empty as Tsuna ducked in through the open window. The thick door had need left open, but there were no guards in the corridor beyond. The Ranking Book lay where they had left it.

"Come on, let's get you dried off and into bed," Tsuna said, setting Fuuta down on the covers. Carrying a teenager around, even a young one, was a bit of a strain for him. He wasn't built for heavy labor.

"I didn't really get wet," Fuuta said, wiggling under the blankets. "You covered for me really well. It's fine like this."

"You're gonna catch a cold," Tsuna scolded, but he still fussily tucked the covers around Fuuta all the same.

"I'll be okay," Fuuta told him with a smile. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be just fine. I'm pretty tough, Kaitou-nii." He didn't just mean that night. Yawning, Fuuta added, "They'll spend tonight figuring out what to do, probably all day tomorrow too. But after that, they'll let me go. Or maybe I'll sneak out... I'm gonna see so many places, rank so many things…"

He trailed off, finally falling asleep. Tsuna sat by his bedside for a few moments longer. Reborn had been right - he couldn't look after Fuuta. He was already wildly wanted, and it would only get worse after this stunt. But Tsuna was sure Fuuta would be okay. He really was strong, in his own way.

And sometimes, kids had to find their own way. Tsuna had, though admittedly he'd been a little older when he first left Namimori for Italy, to find the truth...

The guards had long since abandoned their patrols, so getting out was no challenge. Making his way out of the patrol range, Tsuna finally allowed himself to release the sneeze he had been holding in. It came out like a gunshot that made his entire body shake, followed by three more.

How had this night turned into such a mess? His cloak was soaked all the way through, and his hat was dripping water down his collar.

"Took you long enough," Reborn said acidly, stepping out of the shadows.

"Hiiieee!" Tsuna shrieked, jumping badly in shock. Staring wide eyed at the hitman, he had to wonder how he had managed to miss someone holding a bright green umbrella.

As if reading his thoughts, Reborn snorted. 'Amateur,' he seemed to say, again.

Tsuna laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, I guess this was a wild goose chase after all," he said. Pulling out the ranking Fuuta had given him, he looked down at it ruefully. "Now that Fuuta's rankings are no longer absolute, this won't hold much weight."

'Although...' He frowned thoughtfully. 'It could still be a place to start. After all, this is what the Ninth based his choice of successor on.'

Tsuna flipped the paper open. At the top was Fuuta's crest, followed by a list.

The first name was...

...Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Even Reborn couldn't help staring in surprise as Tsuna suddenly let out frustrated yell and began to rip the ranking into pieces.

~.~.~

Notes

Q: What's up with Reborn's characterisation?
A: I have no idea. Seriously, guys, I have no idea how to even begin writing Reborn. ...Actually, that's true for all the characters.

Q: Kagerou?
A: The word has two meanings: "heat haze" and also "mayfly." I'm… not entirely sure that's how Flames work, ever, but it's basically to explain Tsuna's mad kaitou skillz. Also, he doesn't have a weapon capable of channeling Flames, so there is that. Reborn didn't mention it, but Tsuna also has some degree of control over the air infused with his Flames. Not a lot though.

Q: ….But that's not how Flames work…
A: …. Next question!

Q: Pairings?
A: No.

Q: But… pairings?
A: I've never written romance and I don't think I'm capable of it. I suppose you can say we'll go the canon route of a K27 crush that goes nowhere in particular and hints of All27 everywhere.

This chapter... This chapter would not end! I was ready to kill myself by the time I finished. Ergh...

Happy Holidays, everyone!

~.~.~

Next time: Lambo Bovino.

~.~.~