Reborn keeps extensive files on all the members of the current generation. Of course, it is not widely circulated knowledge, he is one paranoid hit man. It comes with the territory. And as an exceedingly paranoid man, he does not file the bulging manila files alphabetically. As a matter of fact, if one were to find these files (and get past the series of traps along the way, know the seven and half passwords and be able to pass the retina scanner to achieve that feat) one would find them to be seemingly in no order, other than that of familial alliances.

Should one search the third cabinet from the right (the first is a fake), one might find, wedged in the very back (behind a particularly nasty poison cooking trap) the files of Gokudera Hayato and Miura Haru. Were one to open these files, they would be very surprised. The file of Gokudera Hayato tells only things that anyone could find out, while asking the searcher to read Miura Haru's file for more information. At this point, an alarm would sound and the would-be spy would flee, rather than open the remaining file. Not that it'd help, since the file is blacked out nearly completely and most of the rest of the information is fake. Haru is not a fool and while she may respect Reborn, she certainly does not trust him.

However, there is one piece of information that is perfectly accurate in both files. 'Highly competitive.' The difference between these two lies in the following paragraph. For Gokudera, it is 'To be encouraged to participate in Family competitions.' For Haru, it is 'Never to participate in Family competitions.' This is not due to some innate difference in ability. In the beginning, Haru was classified as a 'Non-participant' because of her status as a female and her somewhat shaky position in the Famiglia. She had no combat potential to be polished and no real use to the Famiglia to be exploited, other than that of a distraction and a pretty decoration. There was no need for her to participate as anything other than a witness. Now, it is because of the work that Haru does for the more shadowy parts of the Vongola Empire that makes keeping her more exotic talents hidden a must.

For Gokudera, the reason for his classification is very simple (or as simple as any or Reborn's reasons ever are). There is nowhere near the amount of natural aptitude for battle in Gokudera that there is in some other members of the Famiglia, so Family events to polish his skills and shine light on his considerable intelligence are a must. The other reason for his nearly forced participation lies in his difficulty to connect to people. If he is to be the right hand man of the Vongola Decimo, he must be capable of diplomacy and what better way to train than amongst the Guardians, where the worst that can happen is a minor scuffle? Nowadays, it is simply because a hit man has to take his laughs where he can get them.

Should the spy have taken Haru's file with them and even gotten back to their base to try to glean some info from it, they might be puzzled about the sketch of a gun shown at the bottom of the last page, neatly hidden amongst the petals of a cherry-blossom. Some days after that, they'd find the barrel of the very gun in the sketch against the back of their head.

Haru may not have had much potential for open combat, but she was very good with the more covert operations that required a quiet entrance and a room locked behind her. A muted thud and a wet squish later, a slim gloved hand picks up the file and Haru leaves the room like a ghost, leaving behind only the glassy eyes of a corpse and the faint scent of cherry-blossoms that will fade before any of the thugs at the base get to the room. She leaves the base as silently as she entered it and soon enough, the file of Miura Haru rests next to the file of Gokudera Hayato in the third cabinet from the right behind a particularly nasty poison cooking trap.

The next night at the Inheritance ceremony, Haru smiles at the men and women present, pretending not to notice all the whispers and assessing glances aimed at Tsuna and the rest. She is half-hidden in an alcove behind a large plant, watching the proceedings. She will not interfere (since, technically, she shouldn't be here) but that does not mean that she isn't going to be well informed about the state of the Famiglia. She's a fast learner, and neither Reborn nor Bianchi is a particularly coddling teacher. She had to learn the value of information, true or false, very fast.

There are comparatively few weapons to be spotted (even concealed ones), considering that it is a mafia gathering, but Haru manages to spot a one or two on most everyone. Only the Shimon family is free of weapons, almost suspiciously so, but Reborn was very clear in his instructions to leave the Shimon family alone until they find out what they want, and since they have not caused any harm that the Vongola could definitively trace back to them, her hands are tied, even though there were very few people capable of causing Yamamoto's wounds and the only ones possibly skilled enough in the area were the Shimon family.

When the Sin is brought out, Haru slips away while everyone is focused on the little vial. Whatever happens now, she would only be in the way and she cannot afford to lose her relative anonymity just now. She turns silently and touches the little gun strapped to her thigh underneath the dress. The little alcove is left empty, except for a little droplet of moisture that is quickly absorbed by the carpet.


Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is property of Amano Akira and I make no profit from it. A giant thank you to the people that reviewed. Please keep doing so in the future.