Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from KHR…

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Chapter 8

"I'm surprised you're actually still here, Sawada."

Tsuna froze, his writing hand stopping with the pencil hovering over his essay.

It was Study Period: break for the teachers, torture for the students.

Slowly, Tsuna raised his head to meet Mochida's gaze. Mochida smirked. "I heard from my brother that those two loser kids you always take around had to cheat to pass a test. Well, I suppose stupidity runs in the family."

There was a funny roaring sound in Tsuna's ears, as if he was standing beside a waterfall instead of sitting in a classroom. Then, without letting any emotion become visible to the bastard sitting in front of him, Tsuna looked back down at his essay and continued to write. He could sense the stares of everyone in the class; the animosity between Mochida and himself had become the highlight of the day. Any new development to it only increased their interest.

Mochida didn't seem perturbed that Tsuna had ignored him and went back to his work. In fact, his smirk only widened as he continued, "Aren't you afraid they might have a little… accident today? Like maybe an accidental fall from the roof that they always-"

BANG!

In one swift movement, Tsuna had dropped his pencil, reached forward, snagged Mochida by the front of his uniform, jerked him out of his seat, and slammed him against the desk. To say that Mochida was shocked was an understatement. Tsuna was both smaller and less muscular than Mochida, but, without any trouble at all, Tsuna had managed to haul him out of his seat and was now holding him in such a way that he couldn't move an inch in fear of breaking a bone as Tsuna's clenched fist dug into his chest.

"Congratulations, Mochida." Tsuna said calmly. "You have finally, finally, pissed me off. What would you like as a prize? Broken ribs? Or maybe just a broken jaw?" Tsuna forced more pressure into the hand holding Mochida in place and the bully let out a soft whimper as he felt his ribs crack.

"Tell me what you did with them." Tsuna growled. When Mochida didn't reply, Tsuna snapped at him, "Hurry up, or I'll break every bone in your body." No one in the room doubted this and Mochida knew it.

"I told my brother to take them to the top of the roof and drop them over the edge," Mochida babbled. "But it was just a suggestion and I didn't really mean-"

"Save it," Tsuna let the boy go, turning and striding for the door, not even bothering to grab his things. He had been careless and hadn't thought to ask Lambo and I-Pin what they could do in terms of self-defense. If anything happened to them, it would be his fault.

As Tsuna ran out of the building, he had to hold back the frustration building up inside him. What a school this was, where students got revenge on other students by going these low extremes.

Glancing up at the roof, Tsuna noted that the fastest way to Lambo and I-Pin would be over the rooftops. From his sleeve, a card, attached with almost invisible string, shot upward only to embed itself into one wall of Namimori High. Using his momentum, Tsuna retracted the string and swung himself up to the roof. With well-practiced ease, a simple flick of his wrist sent the card flying back into his hand.

Running on the rooftops proved to be harder than Tsuna thought it would be. The sloping sides and occasional metal fences slowed him down even more. But he needn't have worried. By the time Tsuna reached the Primary Section, five semi-unconscious boys were slumped in different positions on the ground. By the roof door, Lambo and I-Pin stood, looking wide-eyed but safe.

And standing amidst all of this was the same raven-haired boy he had seen this morning.

Eyes narrowing, Tsuna landed behind him. "Who are you? And why have you been watching me for the past two and a half weeks?"

Tsuna didn't flinch when cold, winter-grey eyes turned to meet his own brown ones. Then, quite suddenly, the boy in front of him disappeared. Tsuna felt a rush of wind pass him before stopping behind him. Just as quickly, Tsuna also disappeared and reappeared behind said boy, as twin tonfas slashed down at where he had been standing only half a second ago.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment until the raven-haired boy smirked and lowered his weapons. "I expect nothing less from someone in the Vongola Family."

Tsuna raised his guard immediately. With a flick of his hand, three cards appeared in each hand. If one had looked closely enough, they might have been able to catch sight of the thin, silver-tinted edge that signified that a lethal blade had been carefully and meticulously melded with the card.

"I'll ask again," Tsuna hadn't raised the cards in front of him yet. Somehow, he sensed that this boy didn't work for Millefiore but it didn't hurt to be cautious. "Who are you and why have you been watching me?"

The other boy gazed impassively at him before giving a name. "Hibari Kyouya."

Tsuna immediately recognized the name. Hibari Kyouya, prodigal assassin and a genius to boot, and rumored to have even more kills than the whole of Varia. But not dangerous; at least, not to Tsuna. Shoulders relaxing, he slipped his cards away and sketched a quick bow. "Thank you for protecting my charges, Hibari-san. I probably wouldn't have reached here in time."

Hibari raised an eyebrow. "They were breaking school rules. As are you, herbivore."

Tsuna pointed out cheerfully, "I've been late for the past two weeks and you didn't try to attack me then."

Hibari frowned before slipping his tonfas away. "You are not an opponent I would wish to surprise." He said simply. "The fact that you could keep up with my speed only confirms that."

It was Tsuna's turn to arch an eyebrow. "Oh? So if we were to have a fair fight, you would attack me then?"

Hibari began walking away. "I would win" was the arrogant reply.

Tsuna stared after him, utterly bemused. Complete opposite to Yamamoto from what he could tell, and yet both made him want to try harder to break that exterior mask and find out what was underneath it. Smiling, Tsuna waved. "Ja ne, Hibari-san! I'll owe you a fight!"

Tsuna felt more than saw the assassin stiffen in surprise at the lack of fear and friendly departing words but didn't call him out on it. He had more important things to attend to at the moment.

"Lambo! I-Pin! Are you two alright?" Tsuna quickly gave them a once over, checking for any injuries he might have missed. But both children shook their heads.

"We're fine Tsuna-nii," I-Pin assured him. "Hibari-san arrived before they could do anything to us."

Tsuna nodded in relief. "I see; thank goodness for that."

The three of them exchanged a few more words before each of them hurried back to their own classes. Tsuna sent one last glance in the direction that Hibari had left in. The assassin had made it clear that he knew Tsuna was in the Vongola Family. But not once had he mentioned that Tsuna was also Vongola Decimo.

By the time Tsuna slipped back into class, Mochida was gone. Asaka-sensei had already started her lesson but broke off when Tsuna came in. There was an awkward pause. Tsuna knew all the teachers had been warned not to punish or scold Tsuna in any way that might leave at the end of Vongola's wrath, so Tsuna spoke up.

"I seem to have developed quite a temper, sensei. I will go apologize to Mochida when I see him next." Which will be never, Tsuna thought, as Asaka-sensei nodded in approval. No one hurts my Family and gets away with it.

Tsuna blinked in surprise at that last thought before suppressing a small smile. The Ninth had never said his Family could only consist of his six guardians.

"Hibari-san?"

Hibari glanced up at the looming figure of one of his fellow members of the Disciplinary Committee. "What?"

Kusakabe chose his words carefully. "Are you worried about something? You seem a bit off today."

Hibari pondered this, wondering if he should get offended. Deciding it was too much trouble, he simply shook his head before heading off on his rounds just as the bell rang. He paused by a window, watching again as the new student rushed out of the school and towards the Primary Section. Frowning inwardly, he wondered what it was about this boy that had him so interested. After all, it wasn't everyday Hibari let someone off the hook for breaking school rules, much less for over two weeks. Getting annoyed, he turned and stalked off down the hallway.

Whoever Hibari caught breathing the wrong way would be very unfortunate today.

Another chapter done! Please review!