Okay, first of all, I'm so sorry. I know I haven't updated in weeks. I couldn't get this chapter to please me. Plus writers block and a bunch of homework. Which is what I should be doing right now.

In this chapter in particular, though, the weird time zone of Reborn is really troublesome. I mean, Asari's clothes, for one. It's from 764-1184, according to the wiki. No matter where in time the whole 1st generation takes place, it's not that far back. I would say he's not wearing that kind of stuff here. You're free to picture him otherwise, though.

Also, languages. The flashback will be like this; Italian is normal and italicized, Japanese is not italicized. Thoughts are not italicized in flashbacks, they are in the present.

Honestly, though, I'm not so proud of this chapter, although it looks like it's extra long this time. Please enjoy, and tell me what you think! Reviews make me very, very happy (this is probably true for any author, anyway). Suggestions, thoughts, likes, dislikes, anything. Thanks for reading, please enjoy!

Chapter 6: Play in the Rain

"Wow."

Giotto looked around in awe at the quiet, peaceful town. He was wearing a plain black-and-white suit instead of his usual pinstriped one and his trademark mantle.

"Japan… it really is different from Italy," he remarked.

The trio, Giotto and his storm and rain guardians, took a good look around the area. Japan. Namimori, Japan.

Asari smiled and lifted a hand as if to feel the air. "It's been quite a while since I've last been here. Do you two like it? It's my hometown after all."

"So this is where you grew up, Ugetsu. That explains a lot about you, I guess," said G. "It's so peaceful and quiet… not bad. I could get used to something this."

Giotto nodded. "I agree. So, Asari… where are we going first? You should be our guide, considering."

Asari frowned thoughtfully. "Where to go?" He paused. "Well… there is one place I have in mind right now. Although…"

"What's wrong?"

The Japanese man scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, for this one place, I… I would rather go alone. I'm sorry, it's just something… well, you know."

Giotto and G exchanged glances. It was rare that Asari acted that way, and the two of them knew it. Very well.

G ended the silence with a shrug. "Do whatever you want. I mean, you're finally back home after so many years, so you should get some time for yourself. We'll just wait for you."

"I thank you, G," said Asari with a short bow. "I really do appreciate it…"

"Yeah, yeah. Just go, alright?"

He nodded, and with a smile and a wave, he walked off. The pair exchanged looks again, and with a nod of consensus, they followed.

xxx

Asari stopped in front of a house. With great disappointment, he read the nameplate. Yoshida. Not what he was looking for.

"Ah… I guess she's not here anymore," he said out loud with a sigh. "Maybe I was expecting too much…"

"Are you looking for someone, boy?"

He turned around, faced with an elderly woman. She was looking up at him kindly and patiently, from above the rims of her thick glasses.

"Oh, yes… I was looking for an old friend of mine. She used to live here…"

"Tsubame? Kiyomizu Tsubame?"

Asari's eyes widened. "… Yes. That's her. But how did you…?"

"I simply know," the lady replied. "Now, Tsubame lives not too far from here. If you keep going and turn right, you'll eventually reach her house. Watch the names and you'll be fine."

"Thank you very much, miss," Asari said, bowing. He couldn't help but to grin like an idiot.

She nodded, sending him off. She smiled and chuckled quietly before going her own way.

"So you're back, Asari… Tsubame will be happy to see you."

xxx

Here… Finally.

The rain guardian smiled and looked the house up and down. Not a large place, and not extremely modern either. But the plate read Kiyomizu. It was definitely right.

Suddenly feeling some what nervous, he gave the door a light knock. Soft as it was, he heard a call of 'coming!' from inside.A familiar voice, even if it had been over five years.

All too fast for him to collect his thoughts, the door swung open.

In front of him stood a woman in her twenties, black hair tied up in a ponytail, wearing a casual t-shirt and shorts. Their eyes met, and they stayed for a long moment. Her eyes were wide in shock when she spoke.

"A… Asari? Is that you?"

"I… yes." Asari paused. "It's… really been a long time, Tsubame."

Tsubame grinned brightly, while at the same time looking as if she wanted to cry. "Yeah. I've been waiting for you this whole time, Asari. Welcome back."

Asari smiled. "Tsubame… thank you.""We have a lot of catching up to do, huh?" He nodded in agreement.Tsubame grinned and gave him a look. "But before I invite you in, there's something I feel like I have to say first."

Without warning, she seized his right ear and yanked it,making Asari yelp in shock and pain. "Man, I still can't believe you left without telling anyone! You know how much you made me worry? One day, you're just gone! Knowing you, you could'a gotten kidnapped or something for all we knew! I can't even begin to tell you how I felt back then."

Asari stumbled back onto his feet and looked up at Tsubame with wide eyes. His brow furrowed apologetically. "I… I'm sorry. It's a long story… But at that time, a good friend of mine in Italy needed my assistance. Looking back on it… I guess I was so focused on that that I hardly thought about anything else. I apologize for making you worry."

Tsubame sighed. "You really haven't changed at all, Asari," she said. "How do you expect me to be angry at you when you make that kind of face?"

He managed a lopsided grin, and she gestured him inside.

"You may as well come in, then. We should have a good talk."

She stepped inside, and Asari cautiously followed. He was honestly quite scared that she might have done something again, but she seemed to have calmed down.

He took his seat on one of the cushions in front of the low table, feeling rather strange in doing so, but also comforted. After living in Italy for so long, he was no longer used to Japan's customs, although it did have a sense of familiarity.

Tsubame came over with two cups of tea and set one down in front of him. She sat down across from him.

"A lot has happened since you left, you know. Everyone's all grown up and graduated already, starting to find jobs. Namimori's really changed in these five years." She gave him a huff. "And you're off on your own adventure in Italy, huh?"

"Well… Not exactly," Asari replied with a nervous laugh. "I guess I have a job, too, back in Italy. Things were really busy, so I never had time to come back until now. But I did meet a lot of good people… I would have liked to introduce them to you, Tsubame, although most of them couldn't make it here."

Tsubame nodded and smirked mischievously. "Hmm. So in these five years in Italy, did you manage to get yourself a girlfriend?"

He nearly spilled hot tea on himself.

"Tsu-Tsubame!" Asari exclaimed with red cheeks. "W-what are you…?"

She snickered. "I'm gonna guess that's a no. Just checking. What, I can't be curious if my little junior has a girlfriend or not?"

Asari sighed, setting down his cup gently. "Honestly, I would prefer you not be. But… no. I don't know if I'll ever really find someone like that in Italy."

"What, don't like Italians or something?"

"Th-that's not it. It's just…" He looked down, trying his best not to show the slight blush on his cheeks. "Ah… it's nothing."

"Well, whatever," she said with a shrug. She took a sip of her tea and glanced away thoughtfully. "Hey, Asari. I've kinda been wanting to ask you for a while now, but… What are you going to do now?" Receiving a look of confusion, she continued, "I mean, you're back in Japan. Are you going to be staying here?"

Th… that's right…! Asari thought in horror.I'd completely forgotten!

"Ah, well…" He frowned and took a deep breath. "I'm probably going to go back to Italy. There's a lot that I still have to do there. I think… that we're going to stay for about a week."

He glanced at Tsubame, expecting some sort of large reaction. But, surprisingly, she looked the same, still calm and thoughtful, almost as if she hadn't heard.

"I see… Thought so," she finally said aloud .After a few more moments of silence, she looked up and grinned. "Alright! I've decided!"

Asari blinked. "De… cided? Decided what?"

"Well, isn't that obvious?" Tsubame replied as she raised her arms to stretch. "I decided; I'm gonna go with you. To Italy."

"You… what?" Asari gaped. "Italy? But… Tsubame, you can't…!"

"Why not?"

"Because…" Asari stared straight into her eyes, unwavering. "Because it's dangerous. In Italy… there's something called the mafia. It's almost like the yakuza here in Japan. It's not safe there… you could easily be killed, Tsubame. Please…"

Tsubame frowned, gave him a compassionate look and a one-word answer.

"No."

Asari opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him.

"Look, Asari, I know you're worried about my safety and all. But remember who the best athlete in all of Nami-Middle was? All I'm saying is, you don't have to worry so much. I'll be fine, even if there's the mafia or whatever. Besides, I already made up my mind. No way I'm gonna change it."

The rain guardian closed his eyes. "Tsubame… I see. I… will tell my boss. But please be careful."

"Man, you really need to loosen up, Asari," said Tsubame, standing up. "And, by the way. Those two foreigners outside, you know them?"

Two foreigners…? They couldn't have… Asari lookedup, and at the corner of the front window, he saw several strands of blondhai rsticking up.. ... They…

Tsubame opened the front door. Abruptly, accompanied by a few yelps, Giotto and G fell onto the floor through the doorway. The two landed in a painful-looking heap.

"Ow! G, your hand-"

"Sshh! Shut up, Giotto!" the storm guardian hissed angrily. Although it was already too late.

"… Giotto, G… you two really followed me all the way here?" Asari asked with the disappointment in his voice clear. "Actually… nevermind. Giotto, I have something I want to tell you."

Giotto stood up and brushed himself off. "Hmm? What is it?"

The he smiled, the happiest the two Italians had seen in a while. "She's coming back with us. To Italy."

xxx

Staring out of the window of the second floor, Asari let out a short sigh.

"You went to Italy just for me, Tsubame… And yet when we finally return to Namimori, you're no longer with us."

Forlornly, he picked up his flute and stared at it. Music usually did make him feel better, but he wasn't in the mood for playing at that moment.

He looked over at the corner of his small room, where several baseball bats were lined up against the wall, along with a few balls and gloves. He frowned. Baseball…

His gaze shifted to his four irregular blades, displayed neatly on the wall of the room. It had been a while since he last touched them, and even longer since he last used them in combat. He doubted that he would ever need to use them again. So much for the famed rain guardian of the Vongola Famiglia.

Asari opened the bottom drawer of his desk. It was mostly empty, save for three items: a pocket watch, a ring, and a cap.

He picked them up and set them down on the desk. The golden pocket watch that Giotto had given each guardian, the words 'Givro eterna amicizia' engraved on the inside. The Vongola ring of the Rain. A design that looked like a silver shield, with a rain drop in the middle.

And the third, an old baseball cap. A simple navy blue cap with the letter 'N' sown onto the front in a brownish-red. He felt something in his heart twitch.

"Takeshi…"

xxx

"Ah~! School was really fun today, huh?" Takeshi laughed.

The three of them, Tsuna, Takeshi, and Hayato, strolled down the street on their way home. The others had things to do that afternoon, so they were still at school. The three friends, however, were in a relatively good mood that day.

"Mhmm!" Tsuna agreed with a happy nod. "And we don't have that much homework today, either. Maybe we should do something today?"

Hayato grinned. "I agree, Boss! We should do something special, since we're alone today!"

Takeshi looked over and frowned thoughtfully. "Well, actually…" he started hesitantly, before stopping to scratch his head.

The other two gave him a questioning look. He ruffled his raven-black hair in frustration.

"Well, I was planning on practicing some baseball in the backyard when we got back, y'know? So… Sorry for being so inconvenient."

Tsuna gave him a little smile. "It's okay, Takeshi. Everyone has to do things sometimes. Besides, baseball is important to you, right? You don't have to apologize."

"Hey, don't make that kind 'a face, you baseball idiot," Hayato scoffed, seeing that Takeshi was about to object. "The Boss is being generous here, so go ahead and accept it. Otherwise you're gonna kill yourself being too polite all the time."

You're really gonna kill yourself if you grow up like that dad of yours. Just loosen up a bit, Takeshi! No harm in that, right?

He chuckled quietly. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Thanks a bunch, you guys."

In the distance, their house came into view, a large, somewhat traditional-style Japanese building. It was nice to live on the outer parts of Namimori; it was more open and peaceful. More room to practice.

"Alright then. I guess I'll see you guys later!" Takeshi called with a wave, opening the small, wooden gate to the backyard. Tsuna and Hayato waved back before entering the house.

When they were gone, the boy let out a sigh, but not particularly happy or sad. He set his bookbag gently down on the back porch and turned to the pile of equipment on the floor next to him. One baseball bat propped up against the wall, two gloves, and one ball.

He picked up the baseball and tossed it into the air a few times. Next, he took the bat and held it out like a swordsman brandishing his blade. He smiled.

The joy only lasted for a while, though. Looking out into the empty yard, covered in red and orange leaves, Takeshi felt a pang of sadness. He was alone.

Why am I thinking this now? It's not the first time I've practiced baseball alone in the backyard.

With the bat, he walked out into the middle of the open space. Preparing himself, he swung as hard as he could, which was at least hard enough to break a window or someone's arm.

He paused to imagin the kind of sound that it would make if he hit something with it. Definitely loud. Probably like a gunshot.

Takeshi took a deep breath and resumed his practice. Swing. Swing. Swing. And he continued like that, alone.