Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Akira Amano

beta'd by CaleidoscopeS!


Chapter 6: Beginnings


-March 19-

-Namimori Middle school courtyard-

Seated in lines of plastic blue chairs, students trembled, hunched over and pale. Their grim faces were lowered, they were waiting, their hearts beating heavy and hard, in hope they all will get to survive. To survive just a little longer and live to be with their families again. Even the teachers and the parents on the front row followed that sentiment. Everyone silently, desperately prayed for mercy, as Hibari Kyouya was about to give his graduation speech.

Hibari Kyouya was about to give his graduation speech over an entire crowd large enough to fill a field.

The demon of Namimori, also known as the chairman of Namimori Middle school Disciplinary Committee, is presently on the stage. His arms were loosely crossed, while a ball of yellow fluff perched comfortably on his head. His icy, merciless grey eyes looked down upon the school cohort, gleaming in sadistic glee, feeding off their collective fear.

The entire Disciplinary committee stood straight backed, faces hard, pompadours stylish, a neat row some distance behind him.

"Namimori Middle." His ominous voice speared through the speakers, and it's a hundred times more terrifying to hear it ring amplified throughout the air, everywhere.

Hibari Kyouya is actually graduating.

Hibari has been a third year for how long, only the principal knows. No one knows his actual age, or why he's dutiful to the point of homicidal obsession with keeping peace and discipline within Namimori, or why he's suddenly and finally graduating. Continuing of course, to Namimori High. Such is obvious. But could this mean the days of terror within Namimori Middle might finally come to an end? Could they hope?

"It has been entertaining." Hibari spoke slowly, sharply, and no one dared to move or breathe.

"I've had my fun, with such bountiful, weak prey. But my absence will not affect the Disciplinary Committee."

Hopes for a peaceful, terror free school life, dashed.

"Discipline," Hibari said, "will be kept."

"Those who do not follow the discipline... will be bitten to death."

He leapt off the stage onto the ground with all the elegance of a jaguar on the hunt, and walked step by step out the school campus, the red armband still on his sleeve. The entire row of DC members bow fully in deep respect, shouting words of appreciation for the years, and stuff like "We'll miss you, chairman!" "Please come back soon!" with streaks of water over their hard faces. There's one rubbing his face with an arm.

And Hibari is gone.

The DC members dispersed on the stage, and the students huddle together, sighing big breaths of relief, hugging, holding each other close, because Hibari didn't go on some kind of graduation massacre after all! They're spared!

"Sassagawa Ryohei."

At that name the school cohort collectively hushed, and in a silent scramble, covered their ears, and each others, hiding their heads in their bags—

"EXTREEEMMEEE GRADUATION!"

With a booming wave the earth quaked, tables toppled over, birds dropped from the trees, and the speakers screeched, crying the horrendous volume. Students who couldn't save their ears in time fall on to the floor, twitching. Those who could muffle the catastrophic amplified shouting with whatever they had could only wince in pity, glad it's not them.

Who in the world allowed Sassagawa Ryohei a microphone?

A brave soul, face wrapped with multiple winter shirts, stepped towards Sassagawa on the stage and snatched the microphone away. She then stomped off, shoving the mic to the event facilitators, faces pale in shock for not having enough foresight to prevent this disaster.

Sassagawa then returned to enthusiastically addressing the cohort, with fiery passionate eyes and clenched fists, shouting his graduation speech that no one could hear, functioning ears or not. Those who could didn't want to risk it. The small handful of boxing club members jumped high from their places and wave, punching the air, ears long damaged from exposure. Sassagawa Kyoko, who was apparently born with ears of steel, or just as numb from day to day exposure, clap and laugh a little exasperatedly at whatever her brother was saying.

Finally he raised his wrapped fist high, gleaming in the sun's light, shouting something probably hot-blooded and of the highest measurement possible, then bowed. And left the stage.

One of the facilitators stumble up the stage to put the mic back on its stand, while another rushed to Sassagawa to give him his certificate that he forgot to take. And calls up the next top graduate who's up for a short speech.

The event continued, with half the cohort, parents and teachers out cold on the school ground, either fainted from fear of Hibari Kyouya, or the over passionate energy of Sassagawa Ryohei.

It's definitely a graduation to remember.

-o-o-o-

"Tsuna? You up yet?"

Yamamoto's voice...?

"Oh- he's up!"

"Mmm..." Tsuna stirred, groaning, and blinked his eyes open blearily. The sky is a washed-out blue, white clouds crawling lazily across, and wait why is he lying on the school field.

"Tenth! Damn that turf head, to do this to the Tenth's ears!" Gokudera punched the ground with his fist, cursing.

Oh.

Straining, Tsuna lifted up his head to look around. The courtyard was mostly empty now, with some students still out cold like he was, other students and parents who were waiting for them, a few remaining facilitators and volunteers packing up the place. Gokudera was sitting on his right, while Yamamoto was lying down on his left, facing the sky, arms behind his head.

"Did... were you also...?"

"Haha, nope! It just looked fun to lie down like everyone else, don't you think?"

"They're not doing it for fun, idiot!"

Tsuna had been too late in covering his ears properly earlier, and was sitting unfortunately close to the speakers. Suffering the brunt of Ryohei's most extreme—

"You're finally up, Sawada!"

"Eek!"

Ryohei suddenly arrived, face inches from his. With embarrassing ease, he pulled Tsuna up from the floor, making him stumble from the momentum. Black spots blotch his vision from all the blood rushing to his head, and Tsuna blinked it away hastily when he heard Kyoko giggle.

"K-Kyoko-chan? And Haru?" Tsuna spluttered, feeling his face heat up. How long have they've been watching him passed out pathetically on the ground? This is so embarrassing!

"Come on, Tsuna-san! Let's go!" Haru huffs, cheeks puffing. She hugged Tsuna's other arm with both of hers tightly, dragging him in hurried, determined steps towards the school gate.

"Hey wait - go? Where?!" Tsuna struggled in the opposite direction, trying to shake her iron grip off in a futile effort. He just woke up!

"To my Extreme graduation party, at your house!" Ryohei exclaimed, clenching a fist. Yamamoto laughed, confirming it with a bright 'yep!', while Gokudera clicked his tongue and scowls at them both.

"My house?!" Again?

"It was my idea."

Of. Course.

"Reborn!" Tsuna groaned, turning around. "Why- why do you always do this!"

Reborn smiled at him, standing on Yamamoto's shoulders with his hands hidden in pockets, dressed in a dark blue baby-sized graduation robes and cap. He's not even a student here!

"You should feel happier about this, you know." Reborn's smile dropped, small lips turning into a pout. "Kyoko seems very excited."

Kyoko nods, holding a dainty hand near her chest, humming with a small, impossibly bright smile.

"O-Oh. Then, we should. I guess we should get going, right?"

"Yeah!" Everyone replied at once, and Gokudera and Yamamoto pushed themselves up from the floor, dusting themselves off. Tsuna picked his carrier bag off the chair, sighing.

"Don't forget your bike, no-good Tsuna."

-o-o-o-

His mom had given him a bicycle as a New Year's gift.

She had said, then, a hand cupping her face, smiling and giggling as Tsuna gaped at the bike. About how proud she was that he finally has so many wonderful friends, and how much he's grown up these days! She hasn't bought Tsuna something nice for a while, she added. Oh, and this too, she laughed, when Tsuna gave her a hug.

The bike is a pretty simple one, sturdy, painted in a coat of pale yellow, with a decently sized wire basket to put things in. Its size is... reasonably suited to his short legs, so that's great. What's best is it'll definitely help him not be disastrously late when he doesn't wake up in time.

Reborn had bolted weights on his bike.

Tsuna groaned, desperately gripping the handlebars with tired hands, sweat staining his uniform, half whining half reconsidering where in his life did he do something so horribly wrong as to warrant the presence of Reborn. He peddled, with all his remaining strength, the stupid heavy bike up the last stretch to his home.

Once he's there, he leaves it in the front yard, and stumbled weakly to the door.

"Oh my, Tsu-kun!" His mom welcomed him back with a gasp. "Everyone is waiting for you, you know!"

"I-" Tsuna panted, clutching the door frame. "I know! Sorry!" He kicked off his shoes, considering briefly the merit of collapsing on the sweet, sweet embrace of the hallway floor, and if it's worth getting spotted by Kyoko.

"Did you run back here, Tsu-kun? You look like you ran a whole marathon..."

"I rode the bike..." he trudged, knees wobbly, slowly struggling up the stairs. " gonna, go change."

"Oh, well, make it quick, okay? The food is ready!"

"Yeah!"

Tsuna made it all the way back to his bedroom, when he hears the commotion from the living room rise. He could hear Ryohei's shouts, hardly muffled by his bedroom floor, welcome him back. Along with Gokudera's equally passionate shouting, and Yamamoto's laughing, Lambo and Ipin running around, Haru's exclamations, while Fuuta and Kyoko's voices were too soft to be heard... How do their neighbors never complain?

Quickly he pulled out one of his long sleeved shirts, a pair of trousers, and a fresh towel from his mess of a wardrobe. Tsuna cleaned up and changed, almost tripping in his rush. He can't quite feel his legs, but he really needs to get down soon, because he heard crashes and everyone had gone disturbingly silent.

Predictably, he tripped down the stairs despite all his concentrated effort not to. Because being in a rush, having weak, tired legs, and existing as a generally clumsy person with the worst luck in the world means a definite trip down the stairs in the worst way possible. Though, not quite the fatal kind of way.

"tsssct, ow..."

Tsuna hissed, berating himself internally at his clumsiness, and he heard his name being called; in all the different ways his friends call him, all at once. Reborn jumped on his chest, getting comfortable, and making it really hard to breathe. Especially with that... smug jerk face he's got right now. That face always means something bad for Tsuna.

"The TV's broken."

See? Always!

Tsuna gaped at Reborn, because damn it, that TV has been there for like, 6 years of his life! It's family by now! Tsuna craned his neck from the floor to peek at the living room, and true enough, the TV is broken. Sad and in pieces, glass glittering on the floor, beyond repair.

No one is meeting his eyes.

"Wha- What happened?!" They're not totally unable to afford another one, but... still. "I was up there for five minutes!"

"It's..." Gokudera piped up, fidgeting with his fingers and playing with his rings. "It's a long story, Tenth." Everyone nodded solemnly.

"Ah, is everyone ready for the party?" His mom peeked into the corridor, waving a stainless steel spatula covered in soap suds, face beaming.

Tsuna scrambled to get up from the floor, gulping. Half of his friends were frozen with cold sweat, half were shaking their heads frantically. Was somehow everyone complicit in breaking the TV?!

"Eh- uhm, uh. Well," Tsuna struggled on what to say. Mom liked that TV too. Tsuna doubts she'd get mad, but she could. And honestly, he didn't want her to be sad over that TV. What can he even say to a situation like this?

"An eagle flew in the living room, maman."

Tsuna stared at Reborn, as did everyone else.

"We can't use it for the party." Reborn continued, from the floor.

"Oh my, an eagle? What about the food?" Mom gasped at Reborn, eyes flickering to the living room door which had somehow already been closed. She held a hand to her mouth, brows furrowed in worry. She believed him?!

"I moved it outside," Reborn assured her, jumping (at Tsuna's expense) up to sit on Yamamoto's shoulder. "We could have an outdoor party, there's enough space. The weather outside is nice too."

"My, what a great idea!"

Reborn might have winked at Tsuna, if he could. Smug. Jerk.

"Then you kids go have fun outside! I'll deal with the eagle. Oh, what a mess it must have made..." His mom sighed, a hand on her face.

Well... at least she'll blame the 'eagle'.

-o-o-o

The small front yard party went on pretty well, despite the underlying, uneasy guilt that's hanging over them for wrecking the TV. Despite hearing the full story of what happened in those five minutes, Tsuna still can't comprehend how all of them, including Kyoko, had a hand in the destruction. Mom was pretty sad about the old TV, but she'll get it replaced. She's been thinking about replacing it for a while anyways, but never found the right time or reason too.

Reborn then finally informs Tsuna, that besides being Ryohei's graduation party, this was also a celebration for the rest of them making it another school year and finishing their exams.

Which, was nothing short of miracle for Tsuna, since more Assassins appeared around the end of January, and they've been kind of a huge killer nuisance ever since.

Tsuna, post flinging grunt assassins back wherever they came from, came very close to an emotional breakdown. Because he had somehow been hoping that the end of those scar faced assassins could keep the others off, and had to swallow the hard, bitter truth that this is going to be for life because of his bloody heritage. At least, more for now, because Reborn said it's easier to get rid of him before he grew up any stronger. At least, this time, they give up fast, and they don't stick around long enough to die in his basement. He does not want that to ever, ever happen again.

Besides, he had finals to worry about. Especially Reborn's "concerns" over his academic results and Reborn's Spartan "tutor methods" and Reborn's Italian Cram Sessions to worry about, than some Assassins who don't have Anything Better to Do than try to kill teenagers.

He's survived finals! With all his limbs attached and whatever sense of normality he has left!

"We're going to be third years soon, huh? Awesome!" Yamamoto cheered, grinning wide.

Tsuna did not share his excitement, considering he's already so far behind with his meager grades on the second year, so being a third year could only be academic hell. But... if it's with his friends, then it can't be that bad. Tsuna gave an uncertain laugh, and shrugged.

"Remember your New Year's resolution, Tsuna?" Reborn said, still on Yamamoto's shoulder. "You'll be as fluent as a native once I'm done with you."

"New Years...! I didn't make that resolution, you did! And- And people don't get fluent in just 5 months!"

"Well, you're halfway there, anyways." That's debatable. "You just don't practice enough."

Tsuna stared at Reborn, exasperated.

"Halfway there. Tsuna?"

"Well... I can kind of understand Italian now..." Tsuna shrugged slowly. It's just a peculiar thing he still can't comprehend at all how it's even possible. He's got this... weird thing.

He could understand Italian just fine in Hyper Mode.

That weird thing, Reborn found out around mid February. While on their way to get groceries before heading home, Tsuna had, in a stroke of luck, reached for a shining coin on the street floor and tripped on to his face. Fortunately missing a rain of whizzing, burning, deadly purple flaming arrows.

His bag wasn't as lucky.

"My bag!"

"Avenge your carrier, Tsuna." Reborn had said then, and shot Tsuna with a Rebuke bullet. Since more and more assassins came attacking wielding Flames, Dying Will Flames, (something which had come as a massive shock, two months ago); the usual explode-out-of-clothes-only-wearing-underwear-screaming-with-his-dying-will approach just doesn't quite cut it anymore.

Tsuna fell, blood flowing from his forehead.

Usually, it'd probably be a little weird seeing a target get nonchalantly killed by their presumably associate, but most of the mafia knows about the Vongola special bullets, so. It's not that big a deal. The hidden assassin muttered to themselves in the shadows, readying another resolution filled arrow. Mafia gets weirder and weirder everyday, who cares. They mumbled to no one.

Tsuna stood back up, a flame on his head, hands bare. He gave Reborn what could only be called a Look.

"Don't give me that look." Reborn pouted, his small hand twirling one of the burning purple arrows. "You've got an archer to fight."

Tsuna took a brief moment to feel out a general direction he should go in. No time to get gloves on, even if it's more inconvenient without it. The building to the left, he decided. He dashed a short distance and leapt up the fence, latching onto a ledge the building wall, and with a swift kick on the wall, threw himself into an open window.

Soon enough, the assassin was chased out the building, clutching a bow, followed by Tsuna holding a dark grey quiver and bare fist full of flammable arrows, snapped in the middle.

"Don't think this is over!" She spat, backing up into a wall.

Tsuna gave her blank, tired stare.

"I'll get you, alright! By next week you'll be dead! You hear me?"

The arrows in his hands sparked, and started to burn, and slowly melt in blobs of red hot metal, while the arrowheads remain unchanged. But the assassin was already gone.

Tsuna dropped the ruined arrows into the grey quiver with a noisy clang, and let his dying will fizzle out. The assassin said something about this being her last batch, so, that's good. Tsuna's had enough of weird mafia flames and their magic properties, honestly. And how did it even get so widespread for being a Vongola secret?

A grumble found its way out of his mouth, because, geez, another week of paranoia? He's got finals!

"Si puo capire quello che sto dicendo?"

"Uh- What?"

Reborn stared at him, with his big beady black eyes, and after a while, smirked.

Tsuna doesn't even want to begin thinking about how absurd it is, that being in his Dying Will lets him understand a whole foreign language. Still, after that day, Reborn started giving him Vongola Style Italian cram sessions with him in Hyper mode, so the language will be better buried in his subconscious. (Though academic studies still take priority.) He definitely understands a lot more of it now: reading, listening, that's... fine. He even finds himself thinking in Italian sometimes and, that's, super freaky.

Speaking it, on the other hand.

"Halfway." Tsuna sighed, dropping his head. Whenever he tries to say something in Italian it's either pronounced horribly wrong, or his mind goes blank. Reborn is on an impossible mission if he wants him to be fluent by next month.

"You bunch could try and learn some too," Reborn addressed the others, and reached into his suit jacket to pull out a mountain worth of DVD's, booklets, guides. Tsuna watched him blankly as he handed it out one by one. "As Tsuna's guardians, it's best if you all know it too. Learn them on your own time."

Life is not very fair to Tsuna. Scratch that, Reborn is not very fair to Tsuna.

"Lambo knows aaaaall the languages!" Boasted a mass of hair and candies running over Tsuna's lap. God, he's getting heavy. Following him a soft tapping of running feet, Ipin who was not far behind him. Moving swifter than the wind, she said "Lambo, liar!" and politely jump kicked Lambo onto the lawn.

Yamamoto laughed at their antics. "Hey now!"

"Lambo can speak all the languages better than Tsuna! Tsuna, tell him!" Don't cry, Lambo. You're almost done holding it in, come on.

"Ipin's getting very good at Japanese, isn't she?" Yamamoto said to Ipin, who beamed at the praise, face turning pink.

"Thank you very much."

"I guess Lambo does know a lot of languages for his age…" Tsuna set aside his plate. For a kid like Lambo, who's so bratty, annoying and destructive, he has his talents. Tsuna held a resigned smile, but let it drop, when he realised he wasn't exactly sure how old Lambo really is. "Wait. How old is he again?"

Lambo digs at his nose. "Five!"

"It is not five!" Ipin frowned. "Long time ago."

Tsuna thought back to when Lambo started living with them. When Lambo came with his annoyance, explosions and assassination attempts on Reborn… that was a couple of weeks after Reborn arrived and ruined his life. And that was two years ago. So they're about seven or eight years old now… except...

"Lambo…" Tsuna swallowed thickly. "When is your birthday?"

Lambo crossed his arms, smiling wide.

"Everyday."

Oh no. Even he doesn't remember.

"Ipin..?"

At that moment, Reborn stopped sipping his small cup of espresso, taking note instead of the pulsing, yellow glow from his pacifier. This phenomenon usually signaled the arrival of a hawk carrying a baby carrying a foot that pulverises Tsuna's face with its landing. However, Colonello doesn't seem to have any obvious reasons to visit a middle school celebration party. Though- it is a celebration for Ryohei, his student...

"Still so very shy." A gentle voice flowed from behind him, quiet as not to disturb anyone. Something about this voice felt familiar...

"師父!" Ipin jumped, not believing her eyes. "師父!"

"長時沒見了。"

Tsuna turned around, and there, cooly standing behind him was an infant. Clad in red clothes, with a small, very small, white monkey resting on his head. A bright, vivid red pacifier hung on his body. Ipin bowed, her hands together in a salute. He saluted back.

"Greetings, Vongola heir. Is Reborn treating you well?" The baby then said to Tsuna, smiling serenely.

"Fon." Reborn tipped his hat.

Is Reborn treating him well. Tsuna has absolutely no idea how to answer that question in Reborn's presence. It's pure hell he wanted to say, and he's sure Reborn would have loved to hear, but this… new... weird speaking baby…

"Hello." Tsuna avoided the question. "Are you... a friend of Reborn?"

"Reborn and I are... acquaintances. We've worked together before." Work. Just how mature are these babies? "I am Ipin's master. I'd like to appreciate the care you've given in keeping her. The reason I am here…"

Fon takes a moment to search within his sleeve. When Ipin talked about her master, Tsuna didn't expect him to be another baby. He was thinking more along the lines of an old wrinkly man... And strangely, besides him, Yamamoto and Reborn, no one else has yet to notice the arrival of Fon. Even while looking straight at him, Tsuna felt as if Fon might just vanish with a blink.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto whispered, nudging him with his shoulder. "this kiddo looks a lot like Hibari, don't you think?" He laughed. "A little brother or something?"

Tsuna gave a heavy side glance at Yamamoto, chilled by the thought. Why does connecting the two of them feel like a death wish?

"It is time for her to go to school." Fon passed a stiff large envelope, no, Tsuna corrected himself. An averagely sized envelope to Ipin. It just looked larger in his baby hands. Do all these babies have logic defying storage spaces in their clothes? "All the documents you might need are in there."

Ipin, eyes wide, held the envelope tight to her chest.

"Ipin, you're going to school?" Lambo pouted.

Tsuna blinked, coming to a realisation. "So are you, Lambo." He then whipped his head around to look around the front yard, to find Fuuta who was tracing a page in his large ranking book with his finger, saying something enthusiastically while Ryohei nodded beside him. Fuuta too… they've been putting this away long enough.

Looking back, Ipin and Fon were focused in a soft, serious looking conversation in chinese. It's good that Ipin has someone to talk to in her mother tongue again, Tsuna thought. He imagined himself having to live in Italy as a five year old and shuddered.

Hang on. If the kids are going to start school here, it meant that they'll be staying for many years more. Ever since they've started living here Tsuna sort of assumed they'll always be around, but thinking in terms of years felt heavier, more permanent. Man, is he going to see them all the way to high school?

Tsuna found it hard to remember how the days passed with just him and mom. A lot more quieter, maybe. A lot less explosions. Less destroyed walls.

Ipin walked up to him then, and with both hands she held out the envelope towards him.

"Tsuna-nii, I want to go school." She said, with her best effort. Tsuna nodded and took the envelope, which he'll have to give to mom later as the only actual adult in the house, but to see Ipin handing it to him so seriously, well. She really is a great kid.

"Is that all you've come to do?" Reborn said to Fon, and took a sip from his espresso.

"Sharp as ever, Reborn."

"Just asking." Reborn smiled. "After all it's rare for the wind to just stop and visit."

Tsuna gulped. He knew that tone. To anyone else, that sentence wouldn't have meant more than friendly wondering and his smile, innocent. But Tsuna heard that tone enough the past two years, and he knew without a doubt that Reborn was looking forward and hoping for Trouble.

"While there are... a few errands to be done, that I hope will not involve you," Fon hid his hands under his sleeves, sighing. "I do wish for Ipin to get a good education while she is here. That said, I'll be on my way now."

"Leaving already?"

"Oh- I'm sure you'll see me around for a while still. The mountains near here are very lovely."

"Why not stay here?"

"I wouldn't need to intrude. Besides, this house is plenty full."

"Tsuna could do with some outdoor living."

"Wha- No! Don't kick me out of my own house!"

"Reborn, you could really do with less spartan and more tutoring." Fon laughed lightly, shaking his head.

"You could do with less meddling yourself."

Fon smiled back. His unshakable serenity unsettled Tsuna, and his uncanny resemblance to Hibari didn't help. To hear that he'll be hanging around Namimori gave him a undeniably bad feeling that he tried to shake himself out of.

Reborn finished his espresso.

When Fon left, silent as the breeze, Ipin followed with him as he had needed to check on her training, along with her help on some directions around the town. Ipin promised to be back before dinner, the look on her face considerably brighter than usual. They have a lot to catch up on.

After the food was cleared and the party wrapped up, his friends went their separate ways, all except Gokudera carrying home some of Reborn's Italian guide books and cds. Tsuna and Fuuta helped to neaten and sweep up the place, along with washing dishes while mom cleared the living room of glass shards.

Eventually the sky's light started to tinge a vivid orange, the shadows stretched and lazed over the town, Tsuna blankly tapped at his worksheets while the kids watched cartoons that played from Tsuna's small tv, which was moved temporarily to the living room. Ipin's back, everyone's here, and it's still a while before mom would start preparing for dinner.

Now seems like a good time to breach the topic.

"Lambo-kun and Ipin-chan are at that age already?" Mom answered, looking up from a home appliances catalog, musing. "Time sure flies!"

"School? I can go to school too? Really?" Fuuta was almost bouncing at the news, hands curled into small fists, eyes sparkling.

"It's not that fun, you know." Tsuna grimaced, and now worry started to seep in. Fuuta and Ipin are thoughtful and gentle kids but some kids their age can get really mean. Nasty. Lambo, for one.

Ipin was already seven, her birthday being at the end of the year (November 25th, Fon said) and Lambo turns seven by May 28th (he found out in a call to the Bovino boss earlier, which he had to do himself, because Reborn held him at gunpoint when Lambo realised his 'everyday birthday' didn't guarantee him presents and he got Annoying beyond measure) which means they should go to elementary school as first graders.

It's a different situation for Fuuta who had just turned 12 two months ago. Next year, he'll be at the age to start middle school. Hearing that he had to wait till next year, Fuuta slowly ceased bouncing on his feet. If Fuuta was a puppy, his ears would have drooped in disappointment. But determinedly he shook it off, eyes bright and fists tight, promising to study as much as he can to be ready for middle school. Tsuna ruffled his hair.

But there's another problem. School starts in April, they've only have barely more than a week to find an elementary school and enroll them! By this time all the classes could be full already!

"I can pull some strings." Reborn said, leisurely swinging his leg.

"You'll help?" Tsuna was shocked.

"Anything to make maman's job easier." Reborn smirked and Tsuna wished he didn't. And your life worse, went unsaid.

-o-o-o-o-o-

-April 2nd-

-Sunday-

"Eek!"

Tsuna had forgotten about the assassin.

Tsuna grabbed Lambo, along with three carrier bags of Namimori pre-school uniforms, and scrambled, heels scraping the floor, arms flailing, into a street corner - missing a rain of flaming blue arrows by just a few steps.

It's been much more than a week since their previous assassination attempt, and since that archer assassin had not committed to her promise... Tsuna completely forgot about the whole ordeal. With nothing really happening besides the hustle and fussing and calling and legwork to set the kids on course for school, he's been blissfully dragged into a brief, beautiful and sweet sense of peace. Now he's dragged Lambo into danger.

"Wahh!" Lambo shrieks, clutching at his arm where a small red cut was slightly oozing. Urgently he waved it in front of Tsuna's face, till Tsuna grabbed him by the shoulders to hold him still.

"Shhh!" Tsuna shushed, flipping his head back to check behind him, and let Lambo go on the floor along with the carrier bags. He tugged his mittens on and shaked out two pills, groaning through his teeth. Lambo sniffled.

"Come on, Reborn dealt you way worse!"

Lambo continued to wail, and wailing, he brandished the purple time-bending bazooka. It's been a long while, Tsuna noted, since he last saw him use it. But now? Now is not the time! Even if it might be safer if it's with ten years older Lambo! Pink smoke and loud noises is the last thing he needs right now!

But even as he tried to present Lambo with emergency grape candies from his pocket and hushed, absolutely dignified pleading, pink smoke and loud noises is what he gets.

Tsuna coughed as he waved away the cloud of smoke, resisting the urge to groan and curse his life. He pauses before the pills, when he hears Lambo sob.

"L-Lambo?" Tsuna gives a brief look out the empty street, and turns back to check on Lambo. Who is still seven years old, and still crying. The handle of the ten-year bazooka clutched loosely in his hand, its barrel lightly oozing smoke.

"It's… out of shells?"

Get down get down get down

WHIZZ-! Purple zips through the space where Tsuna's head use to be, cutting through and clearing up the pink cloud. Lambo's wailing halts, trembling under Tsuna's cover.

"Lambo. Hold on to me." Tsuna hoisted Lambo onto his back, along with the carriers.

"We'll be back home soon."

-o-o-o-