AN: I admit that I could have updated faster, but when you have limited time on something, you want to do something fun right? I got obsessed reading some fanfics. I suggest Naruto fanfics 'Guardian of Fire' by Agni, 'Life in Konoha's ANBU' by Shezza, and 'Who I Am' by TwinTrouble.

Note: None.

Chapter 10: Clashing Catalysts

The rules to the match were pretty simple to Tsuna, he guessed that they had made the dual easier for Natsu's sakes, as he had never used a shinai before. But it was a good thing in Tsuna's opinion, though Natsu's didn't seem to agree with the irritated looks he was shooting the referee.

Natsu had a habit of letting his pride get in the way, and the few times he had, it had came back to be a royal pain in the ass. Some times more literally than it was meant to, for both Natsu and whoever hurt his pride. For example, one time it had ended with Natsu getting a scar from a fox on his rear, after he kicked the poor thing after it had stole his crackers of course.

Besides that, Tsuna was quite please with the rules. Natsu only had to hit Mochida three times to win, regardless if it was a proper point or not. This was good, since Tsuna was pretty sure that Natsu had a rat nest of an idea of how to get a point.

Tsuna shook his head in exasperation, drawing the tentative surveying eye of Yamamoto, as the referee began the match and Natsu charged in recklessly. It was only his honed reflexes from Reborn's spartan training that saved him from Mochida's calculated stab with his shinai.

"Idiot Ni-san!" hissed Tsuna with disapproval, "He's leaving himself open. Thank Reborn that he managed to kick those reflexes into shape."

"Reborn?" asked Yamamoto curiously, having heard Tsuna mutterings, while keeping his eyes on the dual in front of him. Mochida was going in for a low slash while Natsu ducked, his own shinai held awkwardly in his hands.

"All you need to know is that he's a crazy, spartan, fedora wearing, 40 centimeter tall, chameleon totting, triggerhappy tutor we got yesterday. If you see him, run for your life and hope you live to see tomorrow" said Tsuna, as he watched Natsu suddenly surged upwards, colliding his forehead against Mochida's chin and bring his shinai up to slam it into Mochida's shoulder.

"Ha, Natsu got a point!" cheered Yamamoto excitedly. When Tsuna didn't respond, Yamamoto glanced over at his friend, who was sending a glare at the referee that basically said 'If you don't raise that flag I'll rip you to pieces and judo throw you out the window after I hang your intestines on my front door and shove a rusty knife up your ass while-'

Cough. You get the idea.

Yamamoto could only thank god it was not directed at him while wondering how in the hell did the referee not drop dead and burst into flames that second and why he even dared to not raise Natsu's flag in the first place. Everyone knew if you mess with the twins, your life will be ruined.

Oh, look. Hibari found out, and ooh, the tonfas are out.

Anyway, under Tsuna's murderous glare and Hibari's sudden appearance of his tonfas, was enough to get the referee to shakily hold up Natsu's red flag and reluctantly say, "Sawada Natsuyuki gets a point. 1 to 0 as of now."

Tsuna's glare disappeared instantly, replaced by an innocent smile, as if he hadn't been silently threatening torture just a second ago, and turned his attention back to the dual. Mochida grunted in acknowledgment, having thought the rig would work when Hibari Kyoya decided pink was his favorite color. Meaning, NEVER.

Faster than Natsu could react, the spiky haired kendo captain slashed his expertly held shinai against Natsu's lower stomach, drawing a choked cough from Natsu before he leaped away.

"...Ni-san" whispered Tsuna, agitated, as the referee cheerfully announced that Mochida got a point, a complete 180 attitude change.

Natsu was panting, one of his hands around his stomach, and his face was twisted in a mix of mild pain and sheer determination as the pain forced him onto his knees. Tsuna gritted his teeth, glaring murderously at Mochida. No one hurts his twin and gets away with it, even if both parties were willingly.

With one painful breath, Natsu managed to stand up, bring his shinai up for a measly defense in case Mochida tried again. Mochida obliged, and attacked. Their shinais met with a clash, and then Natsu decided to do something completely borderline, he punched Mochida in the cheek.

Tsuna blinked, Yamamoto's jaw drop, and the referee stared. "Is that against the rules?" asked a random student in the crowd, saying everyone's thoughts out loud.

Every student turned to the only visible form of authority in the gym, a certain skylark, who had been leaning against the walls with his eye's closed. Opening one eye, the perfect glared before grunting, "Hn."

"..."

"Is that a yes or no?"

"I vote no!" declared Tsuna, "The Rules didn't say anything about no punching, they just have to get 3 points."

"That means Natsu got his second point right?" asked Yamamoto to the grumbling crowd, who was now staring at the referee, who frankly looked confused and slightly terrified.

A smile of poison laced honey from Tsuna, and the referee hastily lifted Natsu's flag before declaring in a high, half-shrieking voice, "Sawada gets a point. 2 to 1."

Grinning victoriously, Natsu shouted, "Make that 3 to 2", and suddenly shifted his shinai from it's defense position, causing Mochida's shinai to collide against his stomach again, before his own smacked into Mochida's stomach.

There was a stunned silence before the referee raised Natsu's flag and said in a flat voice, "Sawada Natsuyuki wins 3 to 2."

Tsuna grinned. Everything would be fine now. Though he would have to give the referee a piece of his mind later. As Tsuna sped off to gomp his brother, quite a few people observed with various reactions.

Gokudera Hayato wasn't an easy person to impress, and he wasn't one to be loyal to just anyone. The mafia life was hard, cruel, and more often than not, you'll die by the time you reach your early thirties. But it was his world, and he had to follow its rules.

Even if the rules had dragged him to the small island of an country, Japan, and then dragged him to the even smaller town of Namimori, who was located in the middle of nowhere. In all, the rules sucked but you better suck it up if you wanna live.

But at that moment, Gokudera really didn't mind it, even if he had originally been dragged over screaming and kicking by those arrogant stick-up-their-ass vongolas to be a subordinate of some green, no doubt spoiled kid.

Looking at his new boss, from a distance, Gokudera really did not mind. Sawada Natsuyuki was decent, if not exemplary, and not exact insufferably spoiled. The file had said he had just found out about the mafia just yesterday, definitely not enough to get training in. But he had displayed talent.

On the other hand, Gokudera's eyes wandered over to his boss's brunette twin, the other candidate had to go. From what the file said, and what he observed, Sawada Tsunayoshi would drag his brother down. Vongola, Gokudera, the Mafia could not risk a weak link such as Sawada Tsunayoshi in the Vongola Decimo. He certainly couldn't become Vongola Decimo as spiny and weak as he was now.

Take out a cigarette, Gokudera decided on what he would do. With his eyes flashing with determination, Gokudera plotted the untimely demise of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

He would eliminate all risk to his new boss, even this small harmless brunette that couldn't possibly hurt a fly.

Reborn smirked. Natsu hadn't done as well as he hoped, but he hadn't done worst either. He would have to work with him to put some logic in the boy's head though, charging into a battle was a grave mistake. Besides that, it was good for a first battle.

Nodding in self agreement, Reborn's eyes strayed to Tsuna. It had not been the boy's battle, yet he had ripped apart every seam and stitch of the kendo captain's plan. Reborn could confidently say that Natsu would have most likely lost without those tips that Tsuna had provided.

That, and subtle threatening the referee.

Faintly, he wondered how the brunette would far if Natsu and his positions were switched. Would he win? Or would he lose? Anything seemed possible with those twins, potential was obvious within them. Their peers respected them, but it was a healthy respect born through judgement of character, and trust.

Now only the future could tell what was in store for them. If they remained alive until then thought a part of Reborn darkly, the events of 8 years ago still ringing in his mind and the recent deaths of the other heirs looming over his head.

He gritted his teeth. He knew his orders, those two were the last hopes of Vongola. They had to lead the famiglia, regardless if they wanted to or not. Duty would have to shape the two instead of the love and hate that had shaped their predecessors (1).

Natsu was happy, the pride and smug satisfaction practically begged to be let out of his chest. He had won the duel, though he felt a twinge of pity for the beaten kendo captain, as the spiky haired upperclassman was dragged away by some of the disciplinary committee members.

He didn't have much time to pity before Tsuna slammed him in a hug, his twin's laughter ringing in his ears as he smiled.

"Yo!" Natsu greeted, and his twin let him go, smiling.

"You won, You won!" cheered Tsuna, his eyes sparkling as he resisted the urge to start jumping around like a hyperactive 4 year old that just downed a mountain of candy bars.

"Of course I did!" retorted Natsu with a relaxed grin as Yamamoto appeared between them, swing a shoulder over their shoulders.

"Maa Ma, You did a good job, Natsu!" complemented Yamamoto.

"Forget about that, look who's coming over!" whispered Tsuna excitedly, his attention having done a perfect 180. Natsu sulked-Tsuna wasn't paying attention to him anymore!- but turned his head to follow Tsuna's line of sight, and dropped his shinai, causing a resounding smack.

Hibari with his black coat swinging behind him, was walking a straight path toward the trio, the crowd parting around him. It was common knowledge that the skylark hated crowding, and no one in the school was masochistic enough to get on his bad side, besides Natsu of course.

"Suicidal Irritating Crazy Brainless Herbivore" greeted Hibari to Natsu, drawing at twitch from the blonde while Hibari proceeded to call Tsuna, "Obsessive Pointy Eyed Bunny Herbivore", and Yamamoto, "Killer Baseball Herbivore."

Tsuna supposed he should be happy that his name was more creative and more words than simply 'Herbivore' but seriously? 'Obsessive Pointy Eyed Bunny Herbivore'? Obsessive he could understand as he had OCD and had strange obsession with things like pineapples, felines, cleanness, and lots more, but what part of him looked like a bunny? And his eyes were not pointy, dammit!

"Hibari-san" he greeted with neutral tone, trying his best not to explode. Breath, Tsuna he told himself Do not yell at your sempai. Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale, Aah.

Unfortunately, Natsu had no such restrictions. "BASTARD!" yelled Natsu as he picked up his shinai from the ground and tried to whack the disciplinary committee chairman. Hibari ducked, and rose to meet the challenged with his metal tonfa's. As the two hit it off, Tsuna sighed and shook his head while Yamamoto laughed an cheered them on.

(1) This comes from a quote of Albert Einstein. He said "Love is a better teacher than duty."

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