Chapter 8: Searching For The Rain

"YAMAMOTO! YAMAMOTO! DAMM IT, YAMAMOTO! WHERE ARE YOU!?" shouted Tsuna as he ran around in the streets. It was Sunday and they still haven't seen Yamamoto. Ever since that incident, he hadn't shown up. Tsuna was very worried. What if he was in an accident? What if someone kidnapped him? What if-? He shook his head. It wasn't the time to think of the negative possibilities. His priority was Yamamoto and nothing else.

"Tsuna-sama!" someone yelled. Tsuna turned around, knowing that it was his friend. He was the only one who called him that. So, when he faced Gokudera, he smiled at him. He was very thankful that his silveret friend was willing to help despite his busy schedule.

"Did you find Yamamoto, Hayato?" Tsuna asked. It had been hours since they split up to find the said teen.

Gokudera looked down and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Tsuna-sama! I couldn't find him. I am a disgrace!" He immediately bowed down and started hitting his head on the hard cement.

Tsuna stopped him of course, not wanting his friend to hurt himself. "Hayato, it's okay. I'm not mad at all. And you're definitely not a disgrace. You're helping me, right? So please, stand up." he assured.

Gokudera was crying tears of joy and had sparkling eyes. He was touched by what Tsuna said. He could never imagine that he would be given this kind of attention. He only knew cold ones like what Ieyasu or other mafia famiglias had given him. 'You really are kind, Tsuna-sama. Thank you for treating me like family. I swear -no- vow to protect you, no matter what!' "What are we going to do now, Tsuna-sama?"

Tsuna's eyes are full of resolve. "We'll find him. We'll definitely find him."

'If Tsuna-sama is full of resolve, then I am too.' "Hai!" They began to wander the around the shopping district, hoping to find Yamamoto, but to no avail.

"Tsuna-sama, where should we look next?" Gokudera asked.

"In-" Tsuna was about to speak when someone familiar called him.

"Tsuna? Is that you?" Tsuna froze. He knew that familiar voice. That very voice made his life miserable.

"Tsu-kun?" It was his mother. He slowly turned around, only to be hugged by her. "Tsu-kun! It is you! I miss you so much! You never came back! I was really worried!" she said while crying.

Hatred was all over Tsuna. Seeing his brother was one thing, but meeting this woman? He wasn't ready. He still despised her. She was the one who ignored him, hurt him, and threw him away. "Who are you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Nana widened her eyes and tears fell from her eyes. She was sure it was Tsuna, her Tsu-kun. "Tsu-kun, what are you saying? It's me, Nana, your mother, don't you remember?"

Tsuna had an urge to snort in disgust. This woman was saying something that was out of character and he couldn't help but twitch, though he tried to refrain since he still had a facade to keep. "It appears that you're mistaking me for someone else or should I assume that it's your son."

"No! I'm sure that it's you, Tsu-kun! My son! Please, stop pretending! I know it's you!" She continued to cry.

Without any other option to keep her away from him, he smiled. Not that sweet and bright smile, a sardonic one. "Funny, you have the same name as my mother..." He glared at her. "But the last time I checked and this was a few years ago, she's dead."

Nana shadowed her eyes. She didn't expect that kind of response. To tell you the truth, she was just faking it from the very beginning because she needed him for something. And, of course, she knew that Tsuna came back because of Ieyasu. "Oh, so your mother is dead, I'm sorry." she said grimly.

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, too, that your son is missing."

And she snapped. Just like before, Tsuna ran away. The only difference was that they were in public. "You imbecile trash! How long will you keep that mask on! Just come back! You're the reason Iemitsu is starting to doubt us! You're the reason 'my' family is breaking!"

Everyone was staring at them. Not daring to call the police or stop them. Well, it wasn't every day you saw someone throwing tantrum in the middle of many people. She was about to hit Tsuna in the face when someone stopped her.

"You fucking bitch! Don't you dare hit Tsuna-sama!" Gokudera shouted as he tightened his grip. It was now his turn to save his friend.

"G-Gokudera-kun! W-What are you doing h-here?" Nana stuttered as she tried to smile, the smile she always used when she was around them. She didn't expect him to be here too. She knew the other day he was still Ieyasu's friend.

"Tch. Don't 'Gokudera-kun' me like I saw nothing. Now I know where that bastard got his attitude from. Like mother, like son." Gokudera loosened his grip and stood beside Tsuna protectively.

"N-No. I-I c-can explain-" She tried to talk to Gokudera because they needed him to their plan, but she was interjected.

"No need to explain. He saw it with his own eyes." Surprisingly, it was Tsuna who said that. "So, that man is on the verge of leaving you? Too bad. Let's just say it's karma moving on its own. Look, I don't know what you and Ieyasu are planning, but please leave me out of it. I have no business with you guys anymore." He began to walk away with Gokudera.

With a few more steps, he turned around. "But if one of my friends or family ever gets hurt because of you, then I will be more than happy to return the pain tenfold...Forget that today even existed. Come on, Hayato." The two friends walked away, leaving the fallen woman behind.

Around the corner, there was one teen with a shocked face. He just saw the whole event and he couldn't believe it.

In another corner, there was a baby shaking his head disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I never would have guessed that the kind, sweet Maman had that kind side of her. More like, that is her real personality."

"That was quite a scene, Tsuna-sama." Gokudera said. They were now walking to God-knows-where. They had no destination in mind or plan on to go next. They were really tired. It was almost night time and they still hadn't found Yamamoto.

Tsuna stopped and looked at the sky, remembering what he said earlier. He really meant it. "Yeah..."

Gokudera also stopped and looked at Tsuna. He could see the sad face he was making. He didn't want that. He wanted to comfort him, so he looked for a nearby bench and invited Tsuna to sit there. "So...you really hate your mother, huh?"

Tsuna looked at him with a sad smile. "She never even looked at me like she looked at my brother. Yeah, she took care of me, but that care was only an inch of what she did to him. It wasn't even an inch, maybe a millimeter?" He let out a shaky laugh, but stopped and clenched his fist. "I was always left behind."

Gokudera was speechless. He never experienced any of that. Yeah, his mother left him early and only met him a few times, but during time, it was filled with love, warmth, and happiness. "It's okay, Tsuna-sama. I'm here and I will definitely not leave you."

Tsuna tackled Gokudera and hugged him, letting his tears flow. He knew that he was showing weakness in front of him, but he didn't care. He felt safe. "Thank you, Hayato. Thank you." It was just like the time he hugged Xanxus at the shrine. 'Speaking of Xanxus-nii, I wonder how they're doing.'

Gokudera was surprised when Tsuna hugged him, but that was only for a moment because he heard sniffing and muffled sounds…His Tsuna-sama was crying and he wouldn't forgive anyone made him cry. He would be the storm who attacked all of the sky's enemies without rest.

He patted his back in a comforting way and remained silent. They were like this until Tsuna was stopped crying. A few more minutes, Gokudera was the first one to speak. "What are we gonna do now, Tsuna-sama?"

Tsuna was about to say 'Let's find Yamamoto' again, but his stomach growled. He blushed and giggled. "I guess we have to eat first."

Gokudera grinned. Tsuna was back to normal. "I know a good sushi place! Let's go there!" he suggested.

"Sure!"

Takesushi was the name of the restaurant owned by the Yamamoto family. It was a well-known Sushi house in Namimori. Its name was shining brightly even though it was almost dark outside.

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, the head of Takesushi and the father of Yamamoto Takeshi, was really busy in today's business. A lot of people were eating his famous cuisine. Now, the store was almost closing and Tsuyoshi was already cleaning up and preparing for tomorrow. That was when the door opened. He greeted the newcomers with a warm welcome without looking, but when he did look and see Gokudera, he had this stressed face and a strained smile. It wasn't that he didn't like the silveret, in fact, he was very fond of him because he was the one of the few people who saved his son from death. It was just because when there was Gokudera, there was always him, Sawada Ieyasu.

He looked at the person following the silveret, expecting to find a blond haired teen, but he found none. Instead, there was a short brunet who looked just like him. Because of this, he did not relax his face. "Hmm…If you're not with him, then what can I do for you two? By the way, when did you dye your hair, Ieyasu?"

Tsuna scrunched up his face. Not because the sushi chef thought he was Ieyasu, but for what he was actually thinking. That smile and attitude...where did he see that before? And who was him? "It's Tsunayoshi."

Tsuyoshi's face relaxed a bit since it really wasn't Ieyasu, but that didn't mean he could trust him. "Tsunayoshi? Hmm…That name's familiar...Ah! You're Ieyasu's twin! I remember you were together with your mother and him when you came to eat here a few times when you were still a child. Haha! Good times. So what brings you here? And together with Gokudera. Don't tell me that you're going to eat here. What about home?"

Gokudera scowled and Tsuna smiled bitterly. They were talking about family topics again. "I do not live with them anymore and no one is home right now. Anyways, you're right. We're here to eat, err…"

"I think it's the first time we've talked. It's Tsuyoshi. Yamamoto Tsuyoshi." he introduced. So, the rumors that one of the Sawada siblings ran away were true. But instead of getting angry at Tsuna for running away, he felt happy for him since he was now away from that accursed family. He was in the middle of thinking when a paper was passed to him. He looked at it and grinned. "Then, please wait until I get your orders."

Tsuna blinked when he heard the chef's name. Where did he hear that surname? Then realization struck him. Oh, right. Yamamoto Takeshi, their target. This man in front of them was Yamamoto Takeshi's father. The place they were in now was Yamamoto Takeshi's house. Great, they had been searching for hours and now they were at his place because of mere hunger. He playfully glared at Gokudera, who suggested the place and knew from the start that this was Yamamoto's home. Gokudera began to sweat bullets as he wrote their order on a piece of paper to keep him busy. He made a terrible mistake.

After Gokudera gave the paper to Tsuyoshi so that he was away for a while, Tsuna decided to speak. "So, you've been here a few times already?"

Gokudera bit his lips while playing with his fingers. "Yes."

Tsuna raised his brows. For him, it was quite fun to tease and see Gokudera not as enthusiastic. "Oh, and together with Yamamoto too! I'm pretty sure he told you already that this is his house." He smiled.

Okay, that was it. Gokudera felt was guilty. He got up and bowed again, but then he attempted to commit seppuku, grabbing the closest sharp object. "I'm very sorry, Tsuna-sama! I actually forgot that this is Baseball freak's house! I'll commit seppuku!"

"WAIT! Don't ever do that, Hayato! I don't want to lose a friend when I finally got one!" He snatched the knife in Gokudera's hand and set it aside. "It's nobody's fault. Just be thankful that we've got a lead to where Yamamoto is. Now, please don't ever do that again and stand-up."

Gokudera immediately stood up and started rambling about how kind and awesome his Tsuna-sama was when Tsuyoshi entered the scene holding their orders. "Here are your orders!" He put it on the table with a smile and then turned serious. "So, what about Takeshi?"

The two teens gulped and almost dropped their sushi just as they were about to eat. Tsuyoshi had heard their conversation and now the air around him had become cold, just like a professional hitman. Tsuna neatly placed the sushi back before speaking. "We just want to ask where Yama-Takeshi...-san is. We were searching for him since last Friday when he ran away from us."

Tsuyoshi knitted his eyebrows. His son just lied to him. Takeshi said that he was feeling sick, so he called the school. But to be running away from them, what could have happened? "Oh, is that so? But I just want to ask, what happened between you guys? What did you say to him?"

"I just said that he should be true to himself and drop that fake smile. You had that smile too when you thought I was Ieyasu…" Tsuna said bluntly, not caring if Tsuyoshi got angry at them. At least he was telling the truth.

Tsuyoshi finally relaxed. This boy had good observation skills. "So you've noticed. You're good for your age..." He smiled genuinely. "To tell you the truth, I tried to tell Takeshi to stop acting too, but he wouldn't listen. It's been like that for years. As for me, you're right. I am always like that in front of Ieyasu. I...dislike him. The way he just uses my son, it's unbearable for a father. He only cares about himself, his benefits, and his advantages. He's the reason why Takeshi never truly smiles."

After he said that, a loud 'bam' was heard throughout the store. The three of them looked for the source of the sound and found Yamamoto Takeshi at the door. "You have no right to talk about my friend behind my back! Even if it's you, Pops! I'm not like you, Gokudera! I would never leave a friend behind! I thought we were going to protect him!" Then he ran away...again.

They stared at him before they came back to reality. They didn't expect Takeshi to barge in and shout like that. Tsuyoshi was the first one to speak. "Please follow him and save him. I'm begging you. He isn't really angry."

"We will, Yama-"

"Tsuyoshi."

Tsuna smiled. "We will, Tsuyoshi-san." It was the last thing he said before he and Gokudera ran off to follow Yamamoto.

Tsuyoshi looked at them. "They really have a good heart. Thank you and good luck."

"Why can't they just leave me alone? Now even Pops is commenting about my act." Yamamoto said while walking endlessly to who knows where.

Drip.

Yamomoto looked at the sky and held out his hand. Drop. A droplet fell into his hand. "Rain? At a time like this?"

Drip. Drop. Slowly the rain started to pour and Yamamoto didn't care. Instead of finding shelter, he continued to walk like it wasn't raining. "The rain is gloomy today. I thought it was supposed to wash all the problems away." he said until he bumped into someone.

"Look who we have here. Yamamoto Takeshi, Namichuu's baseball star." the person said.

Yamamoto slowly backed away. He knew this person. It was his rival in baseball, the one he fought in last year's tournament.

That person noticed Yamamoto's action and smirked. "Oh come on, don't leave yet."

"What do you want?" Yamamoto tried to crack a smile, but failed, nervous about what was going to happen.

That person's smirk widened, if that was possible. "Oh, nothing much. Just want to get some revenge." he stated with a singsong voice and as if cue, bullies and thugs came out of nowhere and started to gang up on Yamamoto.

Yamamoto wanted to get away, but his body wouldn't let him, like it was stuck in glue. So, he let them beat him up and let the rain wash away his blood away. 'I guess this is my end. But it's better than having them torture me…' he thought as he was giving up with no hope left. He was about to fall unconscious when somebody shouted.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

He saw the bullies stop hitting him and faced the newcomer. He didn't know who it was, but he was somewhat thankful.

"Hahahaha! You call him a backup? He's just a little scrawny kid who can't even kill a fly, though the other kid looks tough." He could hear them laugh and mock the newcomers, and then everything was silent. A little bit later, he heard screaming and pleading. He tried to see what happened and looked at bullies. They were terrified. Others were already running away while yelling something about monsters. Now he wondered who they were. He wanted to see them, but he had no strength left.

"Bastards! And that's why you shouldn't mess with us!" he heard one say. And surprisingly, it sounded just like Gokudera.

He really wanted to meet his saviors and thank them, but his energy had drained away and he couldn't even lift a finger. Before the darkness engulfed him, he felt warm hands touch him, saw a mop of brown hair, and heard his name being called.

He slowly opened his eyes, expecting to be on the ground and wet because of the rain, but instead, he felt a soft mattress under his back. He quickly sat up and looked at his surroundings. He was in a room. His room. He was now confused. He didn't remember going to his room last night. But he did recall seeing a mop of brown hair.

"Glad that you're awake, Takeshi." Takeshi turned to the speaker. It was his father.

"W-What happened?" was all he managed to ask.

"After you left the store, Tsunayoshi and Gokudera chased you. I don't know what happened next, but when they came back, they were carrying you full of injuries. Plus, the three of you were drenched." Tsuyoshi explained and Takeshi stiffened. His guess was right. They really were the ones who saved him.

"Where are they now?" he asked, but his father stopped him.

"Woah, there. Don't rush, Takeshi, or your wounds will reopen. They're probably at school right now."

It wasn't his original plan to wait, but in his condition, his father was right. He better rest first before moving.

The next day, since his wounds were somewhat healed thanks to his father's medical care, he rushed to school, hoping to find the brunet. When he was front of their classroom, he slammed the door open and quickly search for him. Unfortunately, he only found Ieyasu in his seat and Gokudera with a worried look. No brunet, no Tsuna.

As he entered, he could feel the glare from Ieyasu, but he ignored it and went straight to Gokudera. "Where is Tsuna?" he asked.

"What? You suddenly care for him after what you did last night?" Gokudera retorted.

"Just tell me where he is!" he yelled. Upon realizing what he did, he lowered his volume. "Please…"

To Gokudera, it was very unusual for Yamamoto to shout or be angry. He was being true to himself now, so Gokudera answered. "He's sick."

"What? Then let's go to his place!" Yamamoto was eager to see him, but he stopped when Gokudera held his arm.

"Don't. He'll just get angry. Why do you think I'm here?" he said and Takeshi nodded in understanding.

"Then, after class?"

"Fine."

"Tsuna lives in this place? Neat!" Takeshi laughed. It wasn't his first time in this part of Namimori, but he didn't know that someone lived here.

"Behave, Baseball freak! Tsuna-sama may be asleep!" Gokudera scolded as he knocked on the door. "Tsuna-sama! It's me and I've brought company!"

They waited until there was a soft 'come in' before entering. When they entered, they went to the living room and saw Tsuna eating porridge.

Tsuna looked at them. He smiled at Gokudera, acknowledging him. But when he saw Yamamoto, he placed the porridge on the table and stood up, though he swayed a bit.

"Tsuna-sama/Tsuna?" the both of them questioned with worried faces.

Tsuna proceeded to walk, using the wall to support him. Where was he going? In front of Yamamoto.

Yamamoto had this big question mark above his head. He didn't know why Tsuna was heading towards him. He continued to watch him, wanting to support him, but the next thing he knew, his cheeks hurt. How could a sick person punch so hard?

"Are you an idiot?! We looked for you all over the place, hoping that you were okay, but what did you do? Let them beat you!" Tsuna shouted, a little shaky because he was sick. He almost fell. Luckily, Gokudera was there to catch him.

"Tsuna-sama, please stop! You're still sick!"

"I'm fine, Hayato." he assured Gokudera and faced Yamamoto again. "We we're really worried." This time, Tsuna spoke a little softly with coughs here and there.

Yamamoto's tears were already flowing from his eyes. He had seen this before. And it was before his mother died. She was also sick then and little Yamamoto was also beaten up by bad guys. When he came home, he was scolded by his mother the same way Tsuna did. But because of the serious illness his mother had, she passed away in his arms, not even letting Yamamoto apologize for what he did. Now, he wasn't gonna make the same mistake again. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry. I-"

"Shh, don't cry. I've already forgiven you, just don't do it again."

Yamamoto widened his eyes. It was his mother's words when he was crying.

"You're my friend, right?"

Yamamoto smiled. No, it was not an act, a fake, or whatever you say. It was a real, genuine smile. "Yes. And a true friend. Thank you and sorry..." He was glad he found his rightful sky and became friends with him. After all, the rain was supposed to be the one washing away all the problems of the sky. Not the other way around. 'In the end, I also left Ieyasu. But I know I made the right choice.'

Tsuna returned the smile. It was Yamamoto's first time seeing the brunet's brightest smile.

"Oh yeah! My pops said to give these to you! It's sushi. He said you didn't get any time to eat at our place because of me. Haha!"

Tsuna immediately beamed up. "Thank you! Yama-"

"Takeshi." Yamamoto corrected.

Tsuna giggled. Like father, like son. "Then, thank you, Takeshi!"

That was how Yamamoto found his true friend and how Tsuna gained another. It was really troublesome, but it was worth it.

If you thought that all their problems had been solved and there was only calm and peace, then you were wrong. The sun and moon were losing their shine and becoming dark. Spring was losing its cheerfulness. Outside, there was a white haired teen, the sun, running in front of the house, yelling "EXTREEMMEE!" at top of his lungs. Unbeknownst to him, his sister, the moon, and her friend, the spring, were surrounded by men.

A/N: Chapter 8! And here are some drawings for you!

alice vermillion dot deviant art dot c om / art/ He- Deserves- Better- Ieyasu-and- Tsuna-389 643 316

alice vermillion dot deviant art dot c om / art/ Vongola- Rainbow- colored-390 420 333

alice vermillion dot deviant art dot c om /art/ Vongola- Cake- 391 918 224

Ciao!

Beta'ed By: Pure Red Crane