Summary for current...arc?
Tsuna learns that the Puniamo Family is after him and the Vongola's Boss decides that it would be safer if Tsuna left Italy. The safest place the Vongola Boss could think for Tsuna was Namimori, a small, nondescript town in Japan, far away from the main action with the Mafia in Italy. But what he doesn't anticipate is that Tsuna still manages to get involved in Mafia problems.
Chapter 9
The next morning, the Rain Guardian went to pick up his new charge. He rang the door bell, grinned, and said, "Good morning! Whoa...what happened to you?" He took a step back from Tsuna's apartment door, seeing as the...creature that greeted him looked more like a zombie.
"Good morning..." Tsuna said and let the man in and quickly engaged the locks again. "I couldn't fall asleep when there's a Mafia family out to kill me."
"Don't worry too much about it!" the Rain Guardian waved it off with a laugh. "Here's your passport, Giotto…or should I say, Tsunayoshi Sawada? I don't know why the boss chose Tsunayoshi as your name. It's sort of a mouthful. I'll just call you Tsuna. Sounds enough like Tuna."
Tsuna sweat-dropped. Tuna…?
"You don't like the name?"
"I-It's fine!" Tsuna said and grabbed his bags. "Let's go already! Thinking about who's after me kept me awake last night."
The Rain Guardian obliged and helped Tsuna carry his things down. "I'll be posing as your uncle from your mother's side," he told him while they waited for the elevator. "I actually do have relatives there, which makes it easier. I do business here in Italy but I was born and raised in Japan. Level 1," he called out to the elevator.
"You don't look Japanese," Tsuna muttered as he eyed the man. When the man laughed, he realised that he wasn't speaking softly enough and reddened.
"I suppose I don't. Ah. That's our ride," the Rain Guardian said and pointed to the black car idling just outside the doors. The car itself was ordinary and blended into the others that were on the street although its coating was so new and clean that it reflected Tsuna's face clearly.
The driver opened the trunk and helped put the luggage in while Tsuna followed the Rain Guardian into the back of the car.
"Our plane takes off at six, but there's no need to worry. There's barely any traffic on the way to the airport this early in the morning. Do you have any questions?"
"Wh-where will I be living and what about the paperwork for school? Wouldn't I need a uniform?"
"We're enrolling you at the start of the new school year so you have a few months to deal with all of that. Or was it a few weeks? I can't remember. Was it March? April? Mm…that sounds about right."
"A-And where will I live?" Tsuna asked again.
"Oh—there's a house in the residential area near the school. I have the information on my phone. Here's a map of Namimori. You can study that if you get bored," he said with a grin and handed Tsuna a folded map of his new home.
~EO!~
Mukuro's finger tapped against his knee in an impatient rhythm while his other hand supported his head.
Chrome and Yamamoto sat on either side of the blue-haired teen, giving him side-long glances. Mukuro looked at them with a frown.
"What?"
"You're not acting like yourself," Yamamoto said with a nervous laugh, not forgetting what happened the last time they were in close proximity with each other.
Mukuro's eyebrows raised and considered it. "Kufufufu. I suppose not. Tsunayoshi's life is just so boring at the moment."
"He's moving to Japan," Chrome pointed out.
Yamamoto nodded with a grin. "That should be interesting! I can't wait to see his reaction when he finds out Donato is in his class."
"Kufufufufu… not only that…but the two of you will be joining him shortly."
Byakuran had decided that if it came to it, he would be sending Yamamoto and Chrome down to the mortal realm as Tsuna's backup.
"I thought it was only a possibility of us going," Chrome said in her quiet voice, her eyes showing worry.
"Once Byakuran finds out what is going on, it's most likely going to be war."
Yamamoto widened his eyes and his smile dropped from his lips. "You really think the Fallen Angels are behind the murder?"
"Kufufufu," Mukruo chuckled. "Killing the Advisor from the council? After he is gone, there are only five angels of the council left. The imbalance of the council's power will become apparent if we have to fight. The archangel must appoint a new Advisor and find the killer."
"And Byakuran's attention won't be focused on…something," Chrome murmured. "But what? What is it that they're trying to distract him from?"
"Kufufufufu... Whatever it is, I look forward to finding out."
Yamamoto shivered at the feeling of his friend's evil aura. "Mukuro, you have to stop enjoying things like that."
"Why? We all suffer no matter where we are—on Earth, in Heaven, or in the seven Hells. And I can happily say that I've been through all of them."
Yamamoto shook his head and didn't bother to reply. He wondered if anything could change Mukuro's thinking. It had been so long since Mukuro came to them and ever since he had contact with the Fallen Angels hundreds of years ago…he grew slightly darker.
It was only Mukuro's ability to keep that darkness in check that kept him out of Byakuran's grasp. If only they could make Mukuro see the better sides of life, like how he did when Tsuna was around.
Many years ago, not long after they met one another, Tsuna had befriended Mukuro and did his best to include the strange angel in their group.
On one such event, Tsuna, who was returning from his trip to see Byakuran, spotted Mukuro in a dark place. "Mukuro!"
Mukuro had turned and smirked at Tsuna. "Well, if it isn't Tsunayoshi."
"What are you doing here?" Tsuna had asked when he landed next to Mukuro.
They were standing at the edge of their home, looking down into the empty and endless valley which separated them from the Fallen Angels and Hell. Darkness had called up to them in sweet and enticing swirls of everything they would ever want in life. Tsuna had ignored it in favour of giving his friend his full attention.
"Kufufufu. I am merely thinking of what is down there."
"You know what's down there."
Mukuro acknowledged the statement with a nod. "The last time the Fallen Angels fought us, we were newly made and didn't know anything about this world. We only saw the aftermath of the battles."
"It was enough," Tsuna had said.
"Oh yes, it was enough. Our world is filled with war, Tsunayoshi. Without war, there is no peace. Without peace, there will be war. Darkness makes up our world."
Mukuro had continued to gaze down into the emptiness. He asked, "What's the difference between down there and up here?"
"We can choose how we want to live up here," Tsuna told him. "Down there, in the darkness, you don't have an option. Here, we can change our beliefs and act for the worse or better."
"There is that," Mukuro had admitted with a snort.
"So," Tsuna said, giving Mukuro's shoulder a slight nudge. "Do you want to come and watch the mortals' new inventions in action? Or are you going to brood here forever?"
Back then, Mukuro was willing to follow Tsuna. He had chuckled and took flight to watch another milestone being made.
"Look," Chrome said, interrupting Yamamoto's thoughts. "He's on the plane with the Rain Guardian."
Tsuna was looking around in interest, having not been on a plane since his parents were alive. Since his and the Rain Guardian's seats were relatively far from the other first class passengers, he began to ask him questions about the Mafia. The Rain Guardian answered his questions and steered the conversation away from those that Tsuna shouldn't know the answers to yet.
"There's nothing else for us to see," Yamamoto said with a sigh. "Until he lands."
"How is the investigation for the Advisor's murder?" Chrome asked after a paused.
"Last I checked, they didn't have any leads. We could talk to the Investigator," Yamamoto suggested. Chrome nodded. By the time they return, Tsuna should be in Japan.
"I heard they found something," Mukuro said with a chuckle.
"Really? What did they find?" asked Chrome.
"Kufufu. I didn't stay to listen."
Yamamoto laughed nervously. Or you were too far away. But he decided to not voice that thought.
"Then we'll meet with the Investigator," Chrome decided.
They flew over the congregation halls where angels met up to exchange news or to meet up with friends, past the gardens, and past the first few administration buildings. They landed on the front-second level balcony of a round building built from blue glass. The angel standing on guard remained where he was as they walked up to the end of the balcony. Another step would bring them plunging down to the main floor of the building. They tilted their heads up, looking at each of the open-air rooms, where they could see angels working behind desks or looking into pools of water, communicating with another angel.
Yamamoto pointed at an angel on the fifth level, who had the dark blue uniform of the Investigator. "There he is! Investigator-san!"
The Investigator looked for the source of the shout. Seeing Yamamoto waving wildly from the main floor, he grinned.
It was easy to see when an angel was or wasn't welcome in this building—a smile was an invitation. A scowl meant that you should get the hell out before something bad happens. So Yamamoto was fairly certain that they weren't going to be blasted from the sky anytime soon.
"I see that you still have some Japanese roots to your speech," the Investigator commented when they landed in his spacious office.
"Hahaha! I can't help it, I was born there!" Yamamoto said.
Chrome asked, "How is the investigation?" She took a seat on the carpeted floor next to a rectangular pool of water that currently showed her reflection. "Mukuro-kun said you had a lead."
The Investigator nodded and sat opposite to Chrome. The other two took seats next to the girl.
"That's true, though it was a small lead. There were small traces of angel dust found on the Advisor's face."
Mukuro's eyebrows rose. Angel dust from other angels could temporarily incapacitate certain angels. The easiest way he understood it was that angel dust is like an allergy—his angel dust couldn't harm Chrome or Yamamoto but, he smirked inwardly, it was an annoyance for Hibari, although Hibari's angel dust was harmless for Mukuro. Tsunayoshi's however, affected both of them.
But they only knew this because they were so close to one another; council members kept to themselves and it was rare that anyone would know whose angel dust affected them. It was akin to a weakness for any angel if an enemy found out.
"Kufufufu! This is very interesting. Whose dust was it?"
The Investigator sighed. "As if I would tell you. In any case, I don't know. Unless the angel has committed a crime or I have had direct contact with their angel dust, I wouldn't know." He directed this at Mukuro, who chuckled to himself.
"So," Chrome murmured, "the Advisor was distracted as the dust was thrown on him and then he was killed."
"That's how it looks," the Investigator said. Then he leaned back on the palms of his hands as he looked at them expectantly with a cocked brow. "We just need the culprit now. I'm all ears if you have anything to tell me."
Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head. "Well...sorry...we just wanted to know. It's a bit terrifying that there's a murderer out there!"
The Investigator waved a hand dismissively. "You and every other angel. Run along, then. I would say keep your heads down but that won't help you at this point."
Chrome paused at the edge. "What do you mean?"
"I suspect that something bigger is happening—the Advisor's murder is only the beginning," the Investigator said. "Whatever it is, everyone will be dragged in."
Chrome stared at the Investigator for a second longer before nodding. Then she stepped into air.
~EO!~
"Do you think that they'd let me get a part-time job?" Tsuna asked as they left the plane.
"Why would you want a part-time job?" the Rain Guardian asked.
"I need to pay you back. You're paying for everything! I should do something, right?"
The Rain Guardian laughed and ruffled Tsuna's hair. "Tsuna, it's okay. Decimo's not a stickler for money when it comes to helping those he likes, so treat it as a gift. You don't give back gifts, do you?"
"N-No…but I repay them."
The Rain Guardian let out a startled laugh. "Oh, alright. Hm. Let's see…I didn't know anyone who had a part-time job when I went to Nami-chuu. To be honest, I was really focused on baseball! I'd get up early, train, then go to school for a few hours' rest, then I'd go to the baseball club meeting for some more training. I'd go home to help out my pops at our sushi restaurant. Occasionally, we'd have a game with some other middle schools, which is always fun. Oh, and I'd help out the other sport teams if they're short a few members."
Tsuna sweatdropped as he listened to the Rain Guardian ramble on about sports. How did this man end up in the mafia?!
The Rain Guardian had grown quiet by the time they reached the parking lot, where the man led them to a white car. Tsuna stood to the side, watching the Guardian as he loaded his luggage into the back seat.
Tsuna would be the first to admit that he didn't know the Rain Guardian well. But after spending so much time with the man, he learned what everyone else did: that the Rain Guardian was always talkative and open to conversation.
Now he was quiet, as though deep in thought.
Just as Tsuna buckled himself into the front passenger seat, the Rain Guardian continued his story of his middle school years.
"And then I met Decimo." He chuckled softly. "I still remember the days when he was right next to me in almost every remedial class possible. I didn't get close to him then, though we were friendly. Did you know? Our Decimo went through a lot through his teenage years. His old classmates probably wouldn't recognise him now if they bumped into him on the street!
"He became my best friend and we ended up doing everything together. Even when he found out that he was part of the mafia by blood, I followed him. I met the Storm Guardian first. And then the others followed, as though it was meant to be."
"That sounds nice," Tsuna said nervously. Usually, it's not a good thing to be associated with the Mafia, right? Did the Rain Guardian regret following his friend so deep? Tsuna snuck a look at the Rain Guardian and found his answer as clear as day on the man's face.
He didn't regret it for a single moment.
Oh, how Tsuna wished he had friends like that.
"I should probably remind you to keep some distance between yourself and the disciplinary committee."
"Really? Why?"
"Do you remember the Cloud Guardian? He used to lead them when he was in middle school and high school. They're definitely not as fierce as when he used to run it, since most of his followers joined The Foundation, but they like to live up to the image. So: don't be late, don't linger, and don't cause trouble."
Tsuna shivered and nodded firmly.
The Rain Guardian laughed at his reaction and began to point to different areas of Namimori as they left the highway.
"Down that street is Takesushi, my family's restaurant. If you have any troubles, feel free to drop by. Just tell my dad, Tsuyoshi, that you're a friend of mine."
"I wouldn't want to trouble him…"
"It's fine," the Rain Guardian said reassuringly. He slowed the car and parked it. "And we're here!"
Tsuna peered out of his window and looked appraisingly at the average sized house that sat in a row among many others.
It didn't stand out in any way or looked particularly fantastic to Tsuna, but he felt an attachment to the house, as though he already considered it home.
Now it's just missing some bombs and kids running around. Tsuna frowned at the thought which was totally unexpected. He shook his head to clear it and said, "It looks great!"
"Let's take a look around. There are three bedrooms and a bathroom on the second level. On the first level, there's a kitchen, living room, a guest room, washroom, and a screen that leads to the back yard."
Once he was settled in, Tsuna reassured the Rain Guardian that he would be fine on his own; he had been looking after himself for the last few years. Sure, it was a new country, but it couldn't be that different.
"If you're sure…"
"I'm sure. Thanks for all you've done."
"I'll be around. Call me if you need anything, alright?"
"Okay. Thank you," Tsuna said with a bright smile directed toward the Rain Guardian. The Rain Guardian smiled back and waved as Tsuna closed the front door.
He let out a sigh and bolted the door, keying in the security that he was given. Curious, he pressed a few more keys to see who else had permission to enter the house.
He saw the names of Decimo and his Guardians. He skimmed down the list and sweated more with each name he read on the list.
.
.
.
Basil
Bianchi
Colonnello
Dino
Fuuta
Hana
Haru
I-Pin
Kyoko
Lal Mirch
Nana
.
.
.
Tsunayoshi
Though none of the names were familiar to him, he still felt uneasy, but trusted the Rain Guardian that anyone who had access to this house was an ally and wasn't out to get him.
However…it would be stupid not to ask why. He took out his phone and hesitated only for a moment before calling the Rain Guardian.
"Tsuna? Any problems?"
"Ah—well," Tsuna said when the Rain Guardian picked up on the second ring. "Um…a long list of names showed up when I checked to see who had access to the house. Is that…normal?"
"A long list of names?" the Rain Guardian repeated, puzzled. "Oh! That's right! We gave you one of our safe houses. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. Haha, it must have slipped my mind. Some of our close family members can enter the house, so don't worry if they suddenly show up."
"Ehh! How do I know if it's them? I don't know half of these names!"
There was a long silence at the other end of the line.
Part of the reason why Tsuna was in Japan was to get away from their enemies in Italy, of course. So it was expected that the boy would be jumpy if strangers started to show up at his doorstep. But that house was the safest one in Namimori, not including their underground base, which was only used in absolute emergencies.
"You'll have to trust me, Tsuna."
"O-Of course I trust you, but…"
"Anyone who walks through those doors is safe." The Rain Guardian winced. "I take that back. What I mean is that none of them mean you any harm. No, that's not right either."
"What!"
"C-Calm down! They aren't the real enemy. Some of them might hurt you on sight, but they're not prone to killing people without asking questions first. And besides, they're our allies. Most of them might come off as a bit strange, but they mean well." The Rain Guardian nodded to himself, satisfied with that explanation.
"S-So there's no actual way for me to know if it's an enemy or not," Tsuna stated.
"Well…no—yes! Yes, there is! Okay, go upstairs to the attic."
"The attic?"
"Yeah, I just remembered something the kid said…yeah, go up. The stairs should be next to the master bedroom."
"Okay…?"
He heard the boy walk up the stairs and open the door.
"Got it. You want me to go up?"
"Yes. Sorry, it's probably a mess. To the right, you should feel a light switch. Got it? Now, in one of the boxes you'll find a photo album. Feel free to look through it. I'm sure no one will mind if you do."
"Ooooh, I get it," Tsuna exclaimed. "This way, I'll know if they're part of your family if they show up…"
"Yes! Heheh...Sorry about the confusion," the Rain Guardian said.
"I-It's okay! Um, I'm fine now. Thanks."
"Alright. Ciao!"
~EO!~
Yamamoto stiffened and grasped Chrome's arm. Chrome's other hand grabbed his. "No," she gasped out. "No, he can't do that."
Yamamoto swallowed and looked at Chrome with worried eyes. "He's already showing signs of being unstable. What will happen if he sees people from his old life?"
"We have to stop him!"
Mukuro dropped from the sky. "Kufufufufufufufu…You can't stop him."
Yamamoto stood in protest. "But if we don't, it might make his condition worse! You saw what happened when he first wielded a gun and how fast he picked up martial arts. Who knows what would happen if he also started to get flashbacks of his old life by looking through photographs that are probably going to show events that happened in our own universe?"
Mukuro smirked. "Exactly. Who knows what would happen? Just relax, Takeshi. And watch events unfold."
Helpless to stop his friend, Yamamoto watched Tsuna carefully open the cover for the old photo album. The first picture that greeted the young boy's eyes was one of Nana, Iemitsu, and a baby Tsunayoshi sleeping in Nana's arms in the hospital. The smiles directed at the camera were filled with joy at having their first baby.
Tsuna stared at the picture for two minutes, taking in the features of the mother and father, as well as the child.
The next few pages were filled with pictures of young Decimo growing up in Namimori. Occasionally, Tsuna would stop and stare intently at the faces in the pictures.
"Decimo's family," Tsuna murmured.
"His own family," Chrome said to herself. "With his memory faulty, it's no wonder he's focused on them."
When the pages finally ended, Tsuna closed the album and set it aside. He looked into the box and grabbed another one. Now, the first one was of Decimo and his friends as teenagers. Tsuna gasped at the picture and dropped the album to let it land on the dusty floor.
"You don't think that he recognized us, do you?" Yamamoto asked nervously. "That wouldn't be good."
"Kufufufu…recognized you as Yamamoto Takeshi, his previous Guardian, or recognized you as Yamamoto Takeshi, one of his friends in the Elgan Order?"
Yamamoto shot Mukuro a withering look. "Don't even think that! You know what the only thing that could make him to remember his angel life is. Because of that, I really hope he never remembers. Not until he returns to us."
Mukuro showed one of his rare faces of being serious. "It might be better if he does."
"Mukuro-kun?" Chrome questioned with knitted brows. "How can it be…oh. You're talking about the increase of strength, aren't you?"
"Kufufufu. Of course, dear Chrome. If we are to fight this war, we will need every hand available. And Tsunayoshi's strength is unmatched."
Yamamoto agreed. Though the action right now was happening in the Elgan Order, Earth was affected, too.
Chrome stared down at Tsuna with a sorrowful look. "He's started to cry."
Yamamoto's voice shook as he laughed and said, "He misses us that much, huh?"
~EO!~
Tsuna wiped his tears. He wasn't sure why he was crying in the first place. He had gone through the first two albums without a hitch, but after the third, when even more pictures of Decimo's friends and family made their appearances, he noticed that his vision was getting burry and his breathing ragged.
It didn't make sense that he was crying. Sure, he missed his own family and the few friends he ever had, but not that much! He was never one to cry, so why did it start now? There was an ach in his chest that he couldn't understand.
Tsuna put the album down and just sat there. Maybe it was stress. Maybe everything that happened to him finally caught up to him. He wiped his eyes and started down the stairs and outside for some fresh air. He had to get moving. Get his mind off…whatever it was that bothered him.
He felt better after walking a few blocks around the neighbourhood. His feet had taken him to the zoo, to the shopping district, to the arcade, to the amusement park, and to the shrines. Then, he stopped at Namimori's middle school. He didn't even know how he got there; he didn't research where the school was and yet he had found it on his own.
His heart lightened as he looked at the old building and at the tall fence that surrounded the sports fields. He looked at the gate, which was closed. He had an image of seeing himself running in a panic, trying to get through those gates before they closed on him. He laughed to himself at the thought, since he had never been late to school if he could help it.
Maybe it was the Rain Guardian's warning that had him thinking about what would happen if he turned up late. He would probably be ordered by the teacher to get a late slip and stay for detention, or to take up cleaning duty. Who knows? It can't be that bad.
But he shivered at the thought of arriving late. Tsuna shrugged it off and continued walking.
Tsuna's attention was attracted to a blonde picking up a can from the vending machine down the street. He continued on his way but stopped with a frown. That figure looked familiar…he turned back around to look at the stranger again.
The other teenage boy had opened his can and was taking his first sip, glancing up at Tsuna. Their eyes met and the boy spat out his drink and spilled the contents onto the pavement.
"Giotto?"
"Donato!" Tsuna stared at his best friend in shock and joy.
"What the—GIOTTO!" Donato's grin widened as he charged at his friend and engulfed him in a bear hug. Tsuna returned it with just as much enthusiasm, both of them probably cracking each other's ribs in the process before letting go. "What are you doing here?" Donato asked in disbelief.
"I moved here just today! I didn't know that you were in Namimori. Otherwise, I would have told you!"
Donato punched Tsuna's arm. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Japan, jerk!?"
Tsuna winced and smiled. "It slipped my mind."
Donato scoffed and reverted to Japanese. "Slipped your mind my foot. You don't even tell your best friend that you're going to Japan. I should pound you to dust right now."
"Come on, I said I was sorry!"
Donato glared at Tsuna for another second before laughing. "You were always so easy to rile up!"
Tsuna smiled and laughed inwardly.
"So why are you in Japan?"
I don't want him to get involved with the Mafia because of me...and who knows what he'll do if I tell him? "Things weren't really working out for me in Italy, so I decided to move. My…uncle…helped me get things done." Lying to your friend now? What else are you going to do?
"Your uncle," Donato said slowly. "One who hasn't ever been mentioned before?"
"Apparently, I have an uncle," Tsuna said. "I didn't find out about that until recently." Not really a lie, right?
Donato looked thoughtful but shrugged. "So have you seen much yet? I could give you a tour."
"Y-Yeah, that would be great!"
"Man, I still can't believe you're here, Giotto," Donato said as they walked.
Tsuna grinned and looked his friend over. He really couldn't say that Donato changed a lot. He still had his blond hair, though it was shorter than how he used to wear it. He was dressed as impeccably as always, except for his shoes, which were covered with mud—nothing unusual there either.
"I really should have told you," Tsuna said in response to his friend's reaction. "And I changed my name from Giotto."
"Why would you do that?" Donato exclaimed. "Giotto is such a kickass name! Giotto's one of—!" Donato clamped his mouth shut.
Tsuna waited for him to finish. When he didn't, Tsuna said, "Wouldn't I blend in better if I had a Japanese name?"
"I guess," said Donato grudgingly. "But really? Man, that sucks. So what's your name now, non-Giotto?"
"My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi," Tsuna said with a smile.
Donato's eyebrows raised and he considered the name. "Well, that's not too bad. Sawada's also cool."
Tsuna sweatdropped. "How is that cool? It's just a name."
"It's just a—?" Donato repeated with a gasp.
How can it not be cool? First, his friend was named after the Giotto, of the Vongola! Well, maybe not him, but they still shared the name! And Giotto, in Donato's opinion, was the most kickass boss of the Vongola ever. Plus, not only did his friend change his name, which was a bummer, but he changed it to Sawada, the name Primo took up after he left Italy. That was one fo the reasons why Donato was so eager to go to Japan, the country where Primo decided to make his second home and take the name Sawada Ieyasu as his own. How could anyone not find it cool to be named after Vongola Primo? One day, he would have to educate his dear friend, he promised himself.
They spent the rest of the day together in Tsuna's new home, though Tsuna was anxious with inviting his friend over to Vongola's safe house. The evening went on without a problem and Donato left before the sun set.
"It's better for everyone to stay off the streets at night."
"What do you mean? It's that dangerous here?"
"Recently, yeah. More guys are ending up in the hospital than normal and the police are worrying. So lock your doors and windows."
Thanks for reading!
Updated 2016/05/06th
-LLM
