Disclaimer: KHR belongs to Amano Akira.


Chapter 7: Failed Test of Courage

A few days later, in the hallway before school, Tsuna is looking out the window, smiling at the peacefulness that has followed the alleged 'kidnapping' incident. Jin and Sai had apologized over and over to Tsuna and the others for lying and endangering them, but Tsuna hurriedly reassured them it was fine. Still, it was kind of hard to look at the duo the same way now that he knows they're in the Mafia as well.

Speaking of which, Jin and Sai have been surrounded by girls ever since they returned to school, the entire class asking where the two went. They have no answer besides they went on a trip. Tsuna had stared in disbelief at the answer, even more so when others accept the story without any qualms.

Sighing at the ignorance of everyone, Tsuna turns when he hears Gokudera storming down the hallway followed by Yamamoto.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera calls. "What are you doing here?" Gokudera glares at Yamamoto behind him. "And why are you here too, baseball-freak?!"

Yamamoto, his arms behind his head nonchalantly, grins at Tsuna. "Because you guys weren't in the classroom," he replies. Glancing at the window and then at Tsuna, he remarks, "Wow, it's warm in here. Getting some sun, Tsuna?"

"S-sure, Yamamoto," stammers Tsuna.

"I-it's him." A nervous voice catches their attention farther down the hallway. Students scattered throughout the corridor stare at a certain prefect strolling down the hallway, black jacket flapping as he moves. "T-this is bad."

"H-Hibari-san," acknowledges Tsuna.

"Yo, Hibari!" Yamamoto greets the prefect.

"You guys?" Hibari growls. "I'll bite you to death." H-Hibari-san hasn't changed at all, thinks Tsuna, his eye twitching. Hibari glares at the trio once more before continuing down the hall. They collectively expel a breath they don't know they were holding.

"I've had enough of scary stuff," complains Tsuna.

"In that case, I shall give you something new to fear!" a recognizable squeaky voice puts in. Tsuna stiffens at the voice. Turning to a fire extinguisher case nearby, he watches in disbelief as it opens to reveal Reborn Leon-fanning himself while sitting on a bench and eating watermelon. "Ciao-su."

"That's not the right season for that!" Tsuna yells. "Actually, Reborn, why are you popping up like that again? And what do you mean by 'something new to fear'?" Reborn simply smirks.

"Is it a new enemy?" Gokudera asks immediately.

"We're doing a winter test of courage," announces Reborn.

"Huh? A winter test of courage?" Tsuna repeats, thinking of some strange situations. "So that's why you're dressed like that?!"

"Well, we can't do it in summer," Reborn says matter-of-factly. "Plus, you've gone through a lot lately, so I thought you could have some fun."

"That's not going to be fun!"

"Yeah? What a shame. Kyoko was going to come." At that, Tsuna's reply does a 180.

"Oh? She was?" Tsuna places a hand on his chin, thinking about it. In a test of courage, people are put into pairs to walk around, so perhaps Tsuna would be able to spend more time with his idol Kyoko. If that happens, he can prove his bravery to her.

"Pretty cliché," Reborn states, breaking Tsuna out of his daydream.

"Don't read my thoughts!" Tsuna yells at him. The other two, however, are not as reluctant.

"Sounds fun!" remarks Yamamoto. "Team up with me, Tsuna!"

"No way!" objects Gokudera. "I'm the boss's right-hand man. I'll be the one by his side to protect him! Got that?!"

"Tonight at nine, then," declares Reborn. "We'll meet at Namimori Cemetery. Oh, and those JiJie two are invited, too."

"Jin-kun and Sai-kun?" Tsuna clarifies.

"Who else? I'll announce the teams then." With that, the arcobaleno returns to his steamy room.


Later that night, Tsuna, in a light green hoodie, treads nervously to the designated place. But there's no one there to meet him.

"They all left before me," he thinks. Walking down the concrete path, he glances at the rows of graves and tombstones. Some of the gravesites contain flowers from loved ones, others have received small tokens of favor. Small trees only add to the ominous state, casting shadows over the dark place. Tsuna shudders. "Cemeteries are pretty scary at night. And no one's here yet…maybe I should go home?"

The thought of walking with Kyoko keeps him from sprinting home in an instant. I might be paired with Kyoko, he figures, so I can't let myself be defeated by something that's not even scary.

"Ba-boo!" a gloomy voice says. Tsuna freezes. Looking down, he sees a spiky-haired face staring up at him, a ray of light showing off its soulless black eyes and a creepy smile. "Ba-boo!"

Shrieking, Tsuna stumbles over his own two feet and falls on his behind, flashlight flying out of his hand. A few moments later, he realizes it's just Reborn.

"Don't scream like a girl over nothing, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn scolds him.

"Y-you freaked me out!" Tsuna replies. A figure walks up behind the hitman, further freaking Tsuna out. It glances around nervously as if searching for something. The figure wears a stiff navy vest with white trim and cobalt blue hair pulled back by a pin.

"Sai-kun, what are you doing here?" Tsuna asks. "Is Jin-kun here too?"

"I'm here to do the test of courage, too," Sai tells him. Under his breath, he mumbles, "Overcome my fear, my ass. Stupid boss had better not be plannin' anything…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Since you two were late, everyone's already started," Reborn tells the two. "Your other partner's been waiting for you." A hand grabs hold of Tsuna's left, and the brunette lights up, mind automatically thinking of Kyoko. It's a small hand…a cold one…and it's sticky?

"Who's this brat?" Sai points to a certain afro-haired five-year-old in a cow-print shirt who is sucking his thumb, snot dripping down his face. Two yellow horns are situated in the curly locks.

"Lambo?!" Tsuna shrieks. Then at Reborn, he demands, "What is this?! What is this about?!"

"I never said anything about teaming up with the girls," Reborn replies.

"No! You can only break my heart so much!"

"Stop complaining, Sawada," Sai berates him. "At least you're not alone."

"Anyway, the test of courage has already started," Reborn gets them back on track. "As for the course, there are signs with arrows on them leading the way. Also, to enhance the mood, your only light will be a single candle."

"Wait, Reborn-sama!" Sai exclaims. But Reborn simply jumps over a headstone and disappears. He and Tsuna watch disbelievingly. Turning to Lambo, Tsuna reproaches the little boy.

"Oi, Lambo! That's gross! Don't put your finger in your mouth!" Tsuna scolds him. "And straighten your horns! You're too scared!"

"Lambo-san's not scared…" the boy protests weakly. "Ghosts aren't gonna…ghosts aren't gonna…"

"This isn't the time to pretend to be okay," Tsuna says. "Geez…if I'd known Kyoko-chan wouldn't be my partner, I wouldn't have come in the first place. Maybe I should just go home…"

"Tsuna's a coward…"

"You be quiet!" Tsuna sighs. "But the others have already begun. What would they think of me if I just went home?"

"Lame," Sai remarks, answering Tsuna's question. As much as he tries to hide it though, Tsuna can tell Sai's at least a little bit nervous.

"But to be honest," Tsuna continues. All three of them stare down the seemingly empty cemetery. I'm terrified! Tsuna screams in his mind. Turning to Lambo quickly, he grabs the little boy and declares, "Lambo, we're running through this thing and getting it over with!" Lambo nods, still speechless. The two take off before Sai can tell them to wait.

"End already!" Sai can hear Tsuna shouting as his friend disappears into the distance. Pretty soon, the cemetery is dead quiet again. Glancing around, something catches Sai's attention.

"Ah…they forgot their candle," he murmurs. Picking it up and sighing, Sai starts walking after them. "I guess I should get this over with."

"Is that another pair?" Tsuna wonders out loud after a minute of running with Lambo. Before the duo walks another group, Gokudera and I-Pin by the looks of it. The people in front of them stop. "Wait, Gokudera-kun!"

"Yes?" Gokudera's voice replies as his head turns. There's only one problem.

Gokudera has no face.

A blank face stares back at Tsuna for a moment, then Gokudera's neck elongates and snakes around in the air. "What is it?" the faceless head asks.

"A ghost!" Tsuna screams, falling over.

"Sawada?!" Sai calls, catching up. A worried expression plays on his face, but he's secretly amused by Tsuna's reaction. "What happened?"

"I-I'm not sure…"

"Awesome, it worked!" Gokudera exclaims smiling. He exposes himself from behind a tombstone holding a bamboo pole that the blank head is attached to. "You did it, I-Pin!" The head rotates, and the silver hair is pulled off by a small girl with a pigtail.

"Win!" I-Pin agrees.

"I'm satisfied that I was able to scare you," says Gokudera.

"What are you too doing?" Tsuna asks them.

"Huh? Didn't Reborn-san tell you?" replies Gokudera. Tsuna and Sai listen to his following explanation. "At first, we were going to pair up and walk around the cemetery, but the girls started saying that they wanted to switch sides and scare people instead." That's totally what Haru would do, thinks Tsuna, but Kyoko-chan too?

"So, the ones who were going to be scared became the ones who'd do the spooking," finishes Gokudera.

"He so didn't tell me that!"

"Well, maybe it was hard for him to say," Gokudera says as a reply. "The others all wanted to be the ones doing the scaring, so there wasn't anyone left to spook except you, Moriyama, and Lambo."

"What the hell?!" cry Tsuna and Sai at the same time.

"That means everyone's waiting for us?" Tsuna yells.

"That's right," confirms Gokudera. Turning away, he tells the trio, "Anyway, we're off. See ya! Have fun, Juudaime!"

Tsuna glances around nervously again. "What should I do…" he wonders quietly. "Where are they all hiding?" Looking at Sai and then Lambo, he adds, "Well, at least I'm not alone…"

"The brat's out cold, Sawada," Sai points out. And the boy is. Drool drips out of Lambo's mouth as he snores. A whoosh of wind blows past, and Tsuna freezes. Sai tenses up. Hands fly to his sides but find no hook swords there. The two of them wonder who's trying to spook them this time. Sai can hear Tsuna muttering to himself about not being afraid. Turning quickly, they see…

"Kyoko-mmph!" Sai's comment is muffled by Tsuna's quick hand. Kyoko stands on one foot, wearing a red parasol costume with a giant face and mouth sticking its pink tongue out. Kyoko is sticking her own tongue out; her hands protrude out the sides of the costume. Wow, she's cute! Tsuna thinks. Kyoko-chan's trying her hardest; it's so adorable!

Sai rolls his eyes at Tsuna's (stupid, in his opinion) blushing face. Hearing the call of some wild animal, he whirls around and sees a looming yellow monster with a red face, fangs, and brown appendages shouting into the wind. It holds a knife in one hand.

"Are there any crying children here~?" a feminine voice comes from the open mouth. She's doing the whole Namahage thing again?! Tsuna questions. You know, that's not even a ghost!

Sai watches as Tsuna battles mentally between different responses to this situation.

"Oh no, a ghost!" Tsuna cries sheepishly while blushing. A manicured hand taps him on the shoulder. Creakily, Tsuna rotates his head. Bianchi, head seeping blood, smiles at him. A purple snake protrudes from her right eye and mouth; a screw protrudes juts out from her forehead.

"A real one!" Tsuna yelps. Screaming, he darts down the path, crying his eyes out.

"You did it, Bianchi-san!" exclaims Haru.

"I told you," replies the pink-haired girl, "it's all about the teamwork."

"Yeah!" agrees Kyoko.

"Who'd have thought that Sawada could change so quickly?" Sai murmurs. "So who are the two you're with, Kyoko-san?"

"Ah! Sai-kun!" Kyoko recognizes him. "These are Haru-chan and Bianchi-san!"

"Are you a friend of Tsuna-san, desu~?" the girl in the Namahage costume asks as she takes off the mask. "Haru is pleased to meet you!"

"Hey, kid," the other called Bianchi greets Sai. Sai nods back at them, blushing slightly.

"I gotta go," he excuses himself awkwardly. He stares at the kid Tsuna had called 'Lambo'. Kneeling down and placing the boy on his back, Sai thinks to himself, Guess I should bring him with me…

"See ya!" Kyoko and Haru call after him.

A few minutes later, the cheerfulness of the girls has disappeared behind Sai, and Lambo hasn't woken up. But then, out of nowhere, a squiky noise begins to follow his steps. Sai pauses, his heart beginning to thump. Only one thing can make that flopping noise that sounds like a heart beating. The noise freezes as Sai does. Dark blue eyes dart to the side, as if trying to look behind him.

"Stop trying to scare me," he says to the darkness. "It won't work."

Continuing to walk, Sai hears the ker-splish ker-splahsh of his pursuer. In his chest, his heart beats in a rapidly increasing rate, ba-thump ba-thump.

Again Sai pauses.

Again, the noises pause.

Silence hangs over the cemetery, the smell of the salty sea wafting like a fog. Something breathes warm and moist breath onto his neck. Turning around like a mechanical dancer that hasn't been calibrated recently, Sai widens his eyes at the sight.

Behind him, giant, bulging white eyes stare right at him. A slackened mouth gapes open, and spiky yellow appendages stick out from its head, back, and rear. Its scaly body is mostly white, but with a line of blue runs down the spine. Slits in the cheeks shudder unevenly, as if gasping for air.

"Fi-fi-fi-AAAARRRGGGHHH!" Sai shrieks. He promptly faints on the spot. Somewhere far off, he can hear a certain illusionist's laugh and his own friend's voice.

"Wonderful work, Hazé."

"Kehehe…you owe me for this, boss-chan." Then he relents, "Though I guess seeing that look on your idiotic partner's face was worth it, kehehe."

"Oh, come now. Sai isn't an idiot."

"Whatever, boss-chan." Black smoke engulfs the area. "And don't worry; I won't tell anyone 'bout his fear. After all, that's classified…kehehe."


The next day at school, Tsuna and Sai are staring into face, dark bags hanging under their eyes. Their dazed looks amuse their friends.

"Ugh…Sai-kun?" Tsuna says tiredly.

"Yeah, Sawada?" replies Sai, who's even grumpier than usual.

"How did they scare you?"

"…I-I don't wanna talk 'bout that. You?"

"I didn't actually think that cemeteries really had ghosts of friends' boyfriends."

"Is that so?"

They both fall backwards in their seats, passed out from exhaustion. Listening in, the others can hear Tsuna muttering about 'Romeo' and 'afterlife', while Sai's talking consists of incoherent blubbering like a fish out of water.

"How did you frighten Sai-kun, Jin-kun?" Kyoko asks the boy's friend. Jin grins a Cheshire grin – from ear to ear.

"I simply utilized his fear to my advantage," Jin tells her.

"What fear could that piercing-idiot have?" Gokudera asks gruffly.

Jin chuckles, but doesn't answer. He turns back to his bento, which just happens to host a lovely bit of tuna fish.


A/N: Can any of you guess what Sai's afraid of?

So, I'm not really sure if it's alright to use direct text from specific chapters/episodes of a manga/anime, but...too late now. Also, I'm kinda assuming you know what happens to Tsuna and the others while in the graveyard, so I didn't really write about that. Besides, this will have more a focus on the Jijie Family (or is it a Triad if it's base in China?)

Anyway, I'm glad you like Jin and Hazé . As for Sai, I'm really trying to work on developing him more because he's a bit flat. If you have any suggestions on how to do that, please tell me.

Comment, review, criticize, compliment, fave, follow, ignore, whatever; but, as always, thanks for reading!