AUTHOR's NOTE: I actually don't have a lot of notes to add to this today except that we're nearing the halfway point of the story.

Thank you so much for sticking with me.

As always, KHR & the affiliated characters don't belong to me, but the original cast and current story line do.

See you next week ^_^


Target 06: Preparation! It's Nearly Final Exams

Haru arrived at the warehouse several minutes late and entered warily, shocked when she wasn't immediately attacked. Her eyes moved over the interior, hunting for her tutor, but she hadn't seen her yet. Tsuna-san was back in town, but there was something else going on and with Haru's own training, she hadn't been able to find time to do more than say hi in passing as they headed to school. She wasn't quite sure what to do with herself, she wasn't sure she was ready for Tsuna-kun to see the changes in her—if he could. Dani told her that she'd changed quite a bit and it was starting to show and after her day with Kyoko and her best friend's quiet questions, Haru was worried. Kyoko had also told her that all of them were distracted still despite having come back from whatever thing had drawn them away from Namimori.

She wandered the warehouse aimlessly for a while, wondering if Dani was actually late for once. She ran across a pile of fabric and make-up on the table and she frowned. "It's final exam time."

The words echoed and Haru turned to see Dani perched on one of the piles of boxes that had been empty only moments before. "Hahi?"

The redhead jumped down from the boxes landing on her feet and straightening. "The cherry blossoms will be in season soon and you'll be entering your third year of school," Dani said. "Wouldn't it be better to get this out of the way so you can properly study for your high school of choice?"

Haru's eyes went wide as she realized that Dani was right—she'd been so occupied with everything else, she hadn't really noticed the time passing. "What is my final exam?" Haru asked slowly, her fingers running over the fabric idly.

"You have one week," Dani said, holding up a red-tipped finger. "That week will be prep time; though don't be surprised at a couple pop quizzes. You will hone your ability to disguise yourself with make-up and clothing—more effectively than when you were trying to test your dear Sawada Tsunayoshi—and continue to train the other skills you've acquired with me. Your exam will be over a forty-eight hour period after that week. I will inform you the day before. You can and will be attacked at any point in time by either myself or a few others who have agreed to help me with this over that forty-eight hour period. If you manage to survive, I will consider you a rookie hitman and you will no longer be required to participate in nightly practice with me."

"Then what happens?" Haru asked.

"What you do with yourself after the exam doesn't matter to me, Miura-san, our contract will be over," Dani shrugged. "I am going to be leaving soon to take care of a few things that I've been putting off to see this thing through. Good luck—you'll need it."

With that, Dani vanished and Haru settled herself slowly in the chair, her eyes going around the warehouse slowly as the memories of these last grueling weeks ran through her mind.

Final exam…

Haru shivered and then straightened. "Haru will pass," she stated firmly and turned her attention to the fabric and make-up.

Haru woke the next morning and turned over and looked at her alarm and shot straight up out of bed. "Hahi! Haru's going to be late!"

She nearly jumped into her school uniform, barely taking time to wash her face and brush her teeth before she raced down the stairs and out the door. Even though she couldn't manage to light the flame every time, she felt a little bit better with it on her hand. She needed to learn how to use the Flame better before her final exam or it was going to be next to impossible to survive.

Butterflies kicked up in her stomach at the thought, but she shoved them down and focused on the things at hand.

On the way to school, Haru slowed her steps about three blocks away and frowned a bit. Someone was following her. A quick glance around didn't identify anyone suspicious, but she could feel something just on the edge of her mind. She ducked into a crowd and then circled around a building to come back through the alley and glanced out. A person was stopped and looking around with an almost frantic air and Haru's eyes narrowed. "Found you," she said softly.

She picked up a couple stones from the ground as the ring started sparking. She carefully aimed for the confused person who suddenly looked in her direction and let the rocks fly, hitting him directly in the head before she bounded away and took cover behind one of the trash dumpsters.

"The Vongola bitch was over here, I saw her."

Haru's eyes narrowed. Vongola…bitch? Tsuna-san would be furious to hear that, but not more than I am…

She pulled out a couple of the cards she'd finally talked Dani into letting her use, just to see how they worked and concentrated on the ring again, causing more sparks to trace up the find grooves on the cards and then she sprang out. "Right here," she snarled and flung the cards at their feet and watched only a moment to make sure they detonated before she bolted off.

She dodged through a few other areas and then hit a wall and whirled around seeing the two men, now bloodied up stalking towards her. "Got you," one of the men growled.

"Nowhere left to run," the other smirked.

"Who said I wanted to run?" Haru asked softly and pulled the hairsticks out of her hair and flung both of them.

Neither realized what was happening until the sticks sliced the sides of their necks only to clatter on the ground.

"What's that supposed to do, bi—"

The man's words cut off midsentence as he suddenly froze in place and crashed to the ground in front of her with his companion. Haru hurried by the two still forms and gathered her hair pins and put the caps back on and slipped them into her hair. "Knock out drug?"

Haru jumped and saw Dani landing on the wall above where she'd been trapped.

"Haru won't kill if she doesn't have to, Dani," she said. "This works just as well or better. They're not going to remember a thing. Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she said and dropped down lightly onto the ground.

Like Haru, she was dressed in their school uniform with the school approved bag in hand.

"I was heading there when I saw these guys," Haru said, "I was already running late anyway."

"I suppose we can say that we took the same bus and there was an unexpected delay," Dani said. "Shall we? We've got a math test just before lunch."

"Hahi?"

Dani cocked her head at her and then laughed. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"What's it over?" Haru asked as they began to return to their route to school.

Dani rattled off the material and Haru breathed an inward sigh of relief, most of it was just review.

They arrived to class and made their apologies and excuses and were allowed to take their seats.

They made it through the test and to lunch and Haru practically collapsed on the roof as shaking set in.

"Are you all right, Miura-san?" Dani asked, worry tingeing her voice.

"F-fine," Haru managed.

"Ah," Dani said and plopped down on the roof beside her. "Welcome to the world of hitmen, Miura-san. Nothing is ever going to be the same again."

"I know that," Haru said, inadvertently dropping the usual third person she referred to herself in. "This is just the first time…"

"It won't be the last," Dani said. "How are your studies progressing?"

Haru looked up at Dani through a screen of bangs. "I suppose you'll have to see next week, won't you?" she said.

For a moment Dani looked stunned and then a throaty laugh echoed. "I see, holding something in reserve, Miura-san?" she asked.

"You're one of my teachers, but you will also be one of my opponents, ne?" Haru asked.

"Well, yes…"

"Then it's better if Haru doesn't tell you, isn't it?" the brunette said.

Dani laughed again. "You're starting to pick up on some of the more subtle nuances of this world. Good for you, Miura-san."

Haru turned her attention to her lunch and focused on what was coming next.

After school, she met up with Kyoko and Chrome and smiled at I-pin. "Hi," she said cheerfully.

"Haru-chan," Kyoko beamed. "Chrome and I-Pin wanted to join us today."

Haru smiled. "Let's go," she said.

As they were walking she felt like something was drilling into the back of her head, it didn't feel murderous, but it felt…

She turned and met Chrome's single purple eye and her own widened as their gazes crashed for a moment.

Kyoko and I-Pin left the house to run to the store for something they'd forgotten and Chrome and Haru were left at the table to wait. "When?"

Chrome's voice echoed in the silence and Haru glanced up sharply.

"When what?" Haru asked.

Chrome Dokuro shook her head. "Don't try and play innocent, Haru-san," she said softly. "This close to you, it is impossible not to feel the change."

"What change?" Haru asked faintly.

"The change to the way you carry yourself, the way you're always looking around like trouble is coming, the way that you keep fiddling with that ring you're wearing," Chrome said. "Kyoko has probably noticed too, but she's far too good at pretending she's not seeing anything—the way she always does for Boss and her brother."

Haru hesitated for a long time before deciding that maybe she could confide in Chrome, after all, Chrome was Tsuna-san's Mist Guardian. "I…" she swallowed. "Don't tell Tsuna-san yet? I want to do it myself…when I'm done."

"Done with what?" Chrome asked.

"Training."

The dark-haired girl's eye widened and then everything came tumbling out of Haru's mouth before she could stop it.

At the end of the story, silence fell between them and they heard the front door open and Kyoko and I-Pin chattering.

"We will talk more later, Haru-san," Chrome said. "I won't tell Boss. For now."

Haru lowered her head. "Thank you."

"Do you want me to train with you?" Chrome asked.

Haru's eyes widened. "Would you?"

Chrome smiled. "Yes. It will give me something else to focus on."

Haru saw a shadow pass over the girl's face, but she had a feeling that Chrome wasn't really willing to talk about it at this point.

Haru sat on the roof a few days later, her eyes going out over the school grounds. She and Chrome had only been able to practice for a few days before the other girl suddenly became ill and was unable to help anymore. Kyoko had assured Haru she was looking after Chrome, but Haru was still worried. "You don't have time to worry about the girl you've been practicing with, Miura-san."

Haru jumped and turned and saw Dani leaning against the doorjamb, watching her with an inscrutable expression. "Your final exam starts after midnight tonight," she said. "You won't have anyone to help you anymore. Be prepared for anything."

As she was walking down the stairs Haru realized that she wasn't wearing her Midori Middle School uniform anymore.