Chapter 9
Kyoko walk through the hallway with Gokudera on her side. In her arm is a binder full with the notes and files for tomorrow's meeting, which she have just finished discuss with Gokudera and Reborn. It will be a big lie if she says she's not nervous at all for tomorrow. Sure she have attended some meeting at school as the excecutive comitee and class comitee member before, but this meeting have different weight of responsibilities and topic than those she have attended before. And that make her nervous just by thinking about it.
From what Gokudera have said to her, this meeting is determining whether they gonna keep their alliance with the said family or not. Tsuna have been hesitated to keep the alliance going, as that family keep breaking the rules behind their backs. But since they haven't found any real proof about it, breaking the alliance with minimum risk is still a hard thing to do. If they do any wrong moves to them, it could lead to a fight between the two family, even worse, a war. Even though Vongola is definitely winning in strength and ally number, Tsuna never wanted the fight to begin with. He's just too kind for that. Tsuna already said to her to avoid any unnecessary conflict, so that's what she gonna do. She's not gonna let him down. But now she's not really sure if she could really do this on her own.
"Don't over thinking it."
Kyoko snapped from her deep thinking and turn her head to Gokudera, who still looking straight ahead, but definitely saying that before. "What?"
"I said don't over thinking it. Just do what you think is right, and everything's gonna be okay," said Gokudera. "Jyuudaime and us believe in your decision. So whatever tomorrow's meeting result, it must be the best."
"But didn't you said that it's an important alliance to keep?"
"Only if they could stick to our rules and agreement. That famiglia's influence is quiet large in the underground world, and they acted as the police in that world, not as big as Vindice of course. That's one reason we still want them in. But in reality, they already broke some of their own rules, so it's like the chaos for the world itself. I wish I could just kicked their butt out from the alliances, but Jyuudaime said not too. Darn, they're too good for Jyuudaime's kindness," Gokudera gritting his teeth in annoyance.
Kyoko stares at him for a while, then faced her front again, "Say, if this famiglia is really no good, then why are we have an alliances with them in the first place?"
Gokudera growl to himself again before answering, "We're not the one proposing it. Not our generation to be exact. That alliances is one of the oldest, if I'm not mistaken since the reign of the Quattro. So one of our reasons to keep them is because of the old relationship between the two famiglias. It was said that they used to be a really humble famiglia, and the reason they became the underworld police is too try to suppresed that world's influences to the upper world, where people doesn't supposed to know. Guess as time goes on the famiglia is getting corrupt itself from the inside."
"Is there no one in that famiglia who's still in good nature?" Kyoko staring straight at his eyes with her question.
Gokudera who a bit surprised at the sudden stares stumble for a second, "Er...I don't know. The one who's leading the family now is actually not the direct decendent of the previous and first boss. He was the previous boss nephew. Because at that time the previous boss is getting sick and he didn't have any children yet, so he passed the famiglia just before his death. But just a few weeks later they have just founded out that the previous's boss was actually already pregnant, but it's too late. And no one knows where that kid is now."
Kyoko took that bit of information, and somehow something passed on her mind. She smiles widely at herself, and then faced Gokudera again, who have been watching her with confused face.
"Hayato-kun, I need to talk to Hibari-san again. Now."
Chrome walks out of the meeting room with Yamamoto at her side. They have just finished another meeting with the Ninth guardian. Chrome is reporting what Mukuro found while he's wondering around the alliances mansion that they've suspicious on. So far, nothing is worth to report or have any connection to the information that they wanted. No one seems to do anything suspicious, and that makes the Ninth's right-hand man quiet pissed off. Not that he put the blame on Mukuro, but on their lack of information in the first place.
What they're aiming now is finding the place and time of the mysterious alliances next meeting. By slipping Mukuro inside, they hoped to find out what that alliances is about. But so far, no clue. So now, Mukuro is ordered to stick into the boss of one of the famiglia that have betrayed them, but not controlling him. Only stick to know whatever he is doing and thinking. Since this famiglia didn't have any flame user, Mukuro didn't have to use the complex method like what he used in the Future World to spying Byakuran.
"That didn't went really well," said Yamamoto with not his usual smiling face. His face is a bit scowling at the ceiling, with both of his hands holding his head in the back. Chrome can't help but think that this face is really not suitable to the raven haired boy.
"Yeah. I'm worried with bossu..." said Chrome quietly.
"Me too. Somehow I have a bad feeling about all this. Like Tsuna somehow gonna get hurt or something," add Yamamoto. "By the way, is it really okay not too tell the gramps and the other about that guy's information?"
Chrome got quiet at that, and remembering that interrogation night.
They were all making a small circle in front of the prisoner room. Mukuro have just finished telling all of them (excluded Lambo who didn't have enough courage to went back at the scene) what that guy have just spilled out.
Tsuna's face turned grim at his mis guardian words, then faced them with not his usual face, "So you say their real aim is Shira-san's family? More spesifically their so called 'treasure'?"
"Kufufufu...it seems so. But he himself didn't know what kind of treasure that is. And he didn't know from what family the one who hire him too. What a useless guy, fufufu~"
"Treasure...Could it be something like Vongola and Shimon Ring?" Gokudera raised his suspicious.
"Or maybe it was something like Lambo's family? You know, that...er...10 Year Bazooka? Is that the name again? Ahahaha~"
"Maybe Shira-chan is an extreme person itself!"
Gokudera facepalmed himself hearing his fellow guardians. It's not that they're stupid or wrong, but the way they said it making all of this conversation looked like a game or something.
"Well, all of it could still be true, or maybe it was all wrong. We didn't have any clue now," said Tsuna. "But this is definitely not good. If we don't know what that 'treasure' is, we can't make a decision on how to handle this. Shira will definitely be safe while she's here, but I doubt her family is. Especially with how she said that her family is still struggling to stand for themselves."
"Is it possible that Shira-san herself doesn't knows about this 'treasure'?" ask Gokudera. "If they do have one, they should have published it to raised their value in other family's eyes to make their alliances attempt easier right?"
"Maybe she's just too shy about it~ Or she didn't have enough confidance to protect it herself if she lets anyone else knows."
"Hmm...Takeshi have a point there. That could be true too. In that case it will be even harder for us to protect them if we can't find out about it."
"Why are we trying to protect them in the first place?" said Mukuro.
"BECAUSE they are our friend. And my intuition said they're not a bad people, so I will trust them so," Tsuna glaring at the mist again. "The other personal reason is because of Enma-kun," Tsuna suddenly smiling slyly at his guardian. His guardian suddenly shivering at their boss's face. Since when did Reborn's bad side rubbed on their warm sky? They never knew.
"Kufufufu~ whatever you say Tsunayoshi-kun." Mukuro tried to looked not affected by his face by closing his eyes.
"So what are we gonna do now Sawada?" ask Ryouhei.
Tsuna thinking about it for a seconds, then turn to his cloud who's standing quiet far from them but could still hear them clearly. "Kyoya, could you put some CEDEF member to guard Santos mansion secretly? I know the Shimon is staying there too now, but as we can't tell them yet about this, I still wish to do this in secret."
"Hn..." is only Kyoya's answer. But it's enough for Tsuna.
"We will keep this to ourselves too for now. I don't want too many people know about this while we still haven't got any clue. Not that I don't trust all the people in Vongola of course. We'll try to find out about this 'treasure' as we see fit. Chrome, I hope you could spare a little time in your investigation for this too."
Chrome nodded to her boss, "Hai bossu."
"Kufufufu~ don't you dare put all the work to her Tsunayoshi-kun."
"Then half of it will be yours Mukuro," Tsuna smirking to the purple haired man. Making him quiet at the brunette's words, just realizing his own mistakes. He's been had by the boy!
Chrome return back from her memories, and nodded. "Bossu said so, I'm sure he didn't want to make others worried for now. And mentioning it to the Ninth will make Shira-san's position hard." Leaving out something like that when making an alliances is a big NO, since it could be seen as untrust between the two, and alliances is build by full trust to each other.
"Hmm... I don't think Shira-chan looked like any bad guy. Did you found something about them?"
Chrome shook her head slowly. "Nothing on the library as I can found."
"Ahaha~ sorry I couldn't help you with that. Hayato is forbidden me from entering the library."
She just nodded her head understandingly. Chrome saw him herself when the boy first enter the library and that incident happened. Yamamoto who never really good with studying somehow got dizzy over the books that filling all the library wall, and soon enough losing his consciousness while standing. It will be fine if he just passed out or something, but no he didn't. Instead his inner self unconsiously pull his blade out, and going rampage inside the library. It's such a horror for them to see the swordman still with his usual smiling and happy face slashing his sword around uncontrolled like a broken robot.
They needed Reborn himself to tie the boy up and get him out, but not before some racks of books got slashed over and destroyed. Good thing that those racks is containing not a really important books. But that is enough to prohibit the boy from entering the place ever again, especially since he can't remember it too.
"It seems like their family is out of Mafia business for a long time, so no record could be found there," add Chrome.
"Eeeh? Isn't that a problem then? Where could we know about something that no one ever know?!"
Chrome snapped her eyes at the rain's word and then face him timidly, "...there's one person. But I need bossu's permission."
Tsuna and the other is having a small picnic in the same spot they have been sparring before. The maids have brought them a big sheet for them to sit on the grass. The cookies and tea is ready in the middle, with all of them sit encircle it.
Ryouhei and Dino who fell to the pond a few minutes ago threw their shirts off to let them dry under the sun, making their chest visible to all people. That turned out as a bad action to do. Because it make the maids almost didn't make it to their spot when they bringing their refreshment.
When the 3 young maids came a few minutes ago, not long after both took off their shirts, they spotted the two boys sitting in the grass and notice their shirtless body. The three girls suddenly frozen in their spot a few meters away from Tsuna and the rest, and their face turned REALLY red and they mumbling something uncomprehensive with their body still frozen still.
Hana and Bianchi that notices the maids reaction just shook their head and facepalming, while their boyfriends still didn't realize anything and still laughing together at something near the pond. Not that they found their boyfriend's body not appealing, but seeing them everyday is capable to minimizing the effect on the Vongola's girlfriends. Guess the same can't be applied to others, cause when some innocence maid accidentally met with the Vongola's 10th generation male shirtless, this is what happened to them. And they will stay like that for another 15 minutes or so. Others even passed out the moment they laid their eyes on them, making Tsuna add a rule to his male guardians (and himself) for not wondering around the mansion shirtless. But somehow, Shira is the first one out of the family that didn't show any reaction to the boys.
Hana, Haru and Bianchi then decided to just pick the refreshments from the maids, not wanting to wait another 15 minutes or risking their foods away because they passed out on the spot still holding it. Shira just staring at the maids confusedly, not knowing what happened to them. Enma then took the job to explained to her, only with her says "Heeh~" as a response. She then took a glance at the two shirtless boy, and just tilting her head innocently. Trying to understand what the effect feels like, but not succeded.
"I wonder why Shira-san not affected by them," ask Haru suddenly as she pick one cake and started eating it.
Tsuna groaning under his breath when he hears his friend's curiosity, "I can't believe we're gonna discuss that."
"Discussing what?" ask Dino so innocently. They're still shirtless, and because the maids have gone (while squeling and holding their nose) now they didn't have any problem with it.
"Don't ask. Just put your shirt on as soon as they've dried," Bianchi shove a plate of cake to her fiancee. With him eyeing it for a second, making sure it's not purple coloured. "I didn't make those, you know that."
Dino laughing nervously at her while receiving the cake, "Yeah, sorry. Just getting cautious, you know."
"But I'm curious too. Is it because she is gorgeous in the first place?" Hana grinning at Shira who turned deep red.
"Ha-hana-sama! Don't say that! I'm not that-that pre-pretty..." Shira's blushing face is now facing her cake in her lap. Making all of them just laugh at her.
Her three famiglia's member just laughing smally under their face, with all of their mouth full with the delicious cake. It's not that often they got delicious cake, and more for their sister/boss blushing face.
"Or maybe~... You have seen something more awesome already that you're already immune from it," Tsuna's tone suddenly turned sly as he eyed his besfriend just beside him.
Enma choke on his tea as he notice Tsuna's tone and eyes on him.
"Enma-san! Are you alright?!" Shira fussed over him, and Tsuna's laugh getting louder than before. Making Enma glaring death at him.
"See? So what have you seen from Enma-kun, Shira-san?" ask Tsuna casually.
Shira just tilting her head to Tsuna while she rubbed Enma's back. "Eh? What do you mean?"
Enma who have recovered took over the question from her, "Well... She have seen me shirtless...once..." he mumble with blushing face.
"Well that's explains it," Hana grinning at him along with Tsuna. Both have become really loved teasing this cute couple in front of them.
"Eh? Is that true? I didn't remember it though," said Shira.
"That's because you passed out the moment you see him my dear sister," said Ramon still laughing a bit. He can't help but find this famiglia amusing to him.
"That aside, I still want to hear about this 'brother' of yours Shira-san," Tsuna turn the conversation over. With Enma's gratitude sighing beside him. "I'm really sure the one I meet in Japan is a man aged more than 25 years old. So what is this mean?"
"Ah...about that-" Shira's words got cutted out by her older brothers hand in front of her.
"Allow me to explain Tsuna-sama," said Ramon. When he got Tsuna's nodding permission, he continued Shira's word. "You have heard from my sister that our family once used to be a mafia famiglia right? Well as we have found out recently, the reason why our family dissapeared from the mafia world was because we lack the heir for it."
"Eh? But you guys are the heir right? How is that possible?" ask Dino while eating his cake.
"Our boss's requirement is not only he or she is the direct descendent from the previous boss, but that person also require to have the power the that only a boss from our bloodline will have."
"Like Tsuna-san's sky flame you mean?" Haru pointed out.
Ramon nodded his head at the brown haired girl, "But it's more strict for ours. Because this power really could only be wield by one person each generation, and so far only our famiglia have it. That is, an 'awakening' power."
"Awakening power?" all of them said simulatinously.
"It's more like a power to awaken somebody else's power that he or she didn't know that they have it themselves. Of course there is some rules and restriction with this, but that is generally what that power is."
"And so you mean what we see in Japan is because Clark-kun's awakened power?" Tsuna eyed the little boy again, only to find him still savoring his cake with such a happy face.
Ramon nodded, then he tap Clark's shoulder, making him turned his face away from his cake. "Show it to them."
"Okay~!" Clark happily put his cake and then jumped to his feet. He then close his eyes, and turned silent. A moment later, his body is covered by sun's flame, and along with that his body started to grow up, like they seeing him aging thousands time faster than it should be. His body getting taller, his muscle is visible, and his hair growing long a bit.
They all gaped at the scene as the aging started to slow down and the sun flame dissapeared from his body. Revealing a now grown up man that they have 'captured' before in the Japan Base. Clark smiling happily with his kid's smile at the group that is still gaping at him.
"THAT'S TOTALLY EXTREME!" Ryouhei who snapped out the first can't hold his voice and making his left and right neighbour turned deaf by his voice.
"Senpai! Lower your voice!" Haru shouts back at him while covering her ears.
"I do have to agree with him though, that is EXTREME," said Bianchi still eyeing the now grown-up man.
"I..incredible..." Tsuna said quietly, still can't get out from his shocked even by Ryouhei's voice.
"So it's like she power up his original sun flame?" Dino tried to analyze the mysterious power that he have just seen with his own eyes.
"I think it was something like that. I can't understand completely though. Because everyone ended up with different power, even those who have the same flame attribute," said Shira.
"But this is a really strong power. You could make an entire famiglia have this kind of power, then you'll be invincible. And everyone would pay you high to be awakened like this," pointed Hana.
"That is where this power restriction is," Ramon cut in. He then says for Clark to return back as he continued his explanation. With that Clark release his sun flame again and this time shrinking in his shirt. "This power could only be applied to Santos Famiglia's member. And even among our famiglia's member, only those approved by the boss and deemed worthy and loyal enough to our famiglia is able to receive this power. So far, only 5 of us is able to receive our power."
"Ah~ it's like a power that's given to your trusted family member huh? Now that's reassuring as not just anyone could have this crazy power," said Dino.
"But how you value someone's worth and loyalty? It can't be just by Shira-san's own judgement right?" ask Tsuna.
Ramon shook his head at that, "That is still a mystery even to us. We have tried it to our famiglia that even Shira-san deemed worthy, but they still lack something that we didn't even know. It's like there's some bigger power that controlled us from above."
Tsuna raised his eyebrow at that, bigger power?
"Hahi~ That is mysterious. But sounds cool desu~"
"Maybe you just got an extreme limited number to give power to!" said Ryouhei. Hana and the other raised their eyebrow at the boxer words. It's a rare thing for him to say something that smart!
"I couldn't be the case. Because he was tested before Ramon got awakened. And we trust him enough as we trusted Ramon."
"...It's because he's a jerk." Daymorn mumbling his first word ever since they sitting there.
"What was that my brother?" ask Ramon still with his calm smile, but Daymorn shiver at the sight and quickly turned away his face while saying "nothing".
"But this sure is new, I'm sure if you mention this in your alliances meeting they will consider this enough as your famiglia's value," said Tsuna.
"So far that's what we've been doing. As we have nothing else to blabber about," Ramon sighing deep from his own words.
Tsuna laugh at his face, "Don't worry. I'm sure you guys will be okay. And if you have any problem don't hesitate to ask us. We're friends right?"
Ramon and Daymorn's face snapped open suddenly at the brunette's exclaim, while Clark still busy with his 3rd plates, not caring about other things around him.
"F..friends? Aren't we just your ally..?" mumble Daymorn slowly.
"Our famiglia maybe an ally. But as a person, we are friends. Or at least that's what I think about it," Tsuna grinning shyly at them, making their face turned bright at the sight.
The others face turned bright too at their boss/friend's claim and face. As always, he is their beautiful bright sky. Even with his big title, he never lose this side of him.
"My brother's friend is my friend too. So don't hesitate to ask me too whenever Tsuna is not here in Italy. I'll always make time for you guys. Even though we may be not an ally, but I'm sure we will be soon," add Dino with his grinning face too.
Ramon turned back to his calm side and bowing his head at the two boss, "Thank you so much for your kindness. We will never forget this kindness of yours."
"Hey, don't get too formal. As I said, we ARE friends," Tsuna say again.
Ramon face the younger boy again, and this time smiling slightly, "Yeah...friends."
Shira's face turned really bright at the scene, and she faced Enma with that glowing happy face, showing him her big happiness. Enma smiling kindly to her with a small blush as he nodded his head for her happiness. He brought them to Tsuna to have them know that they're not alone in this dark world, and he is happy that his objective has been completed. Shira's face now is enough for his satisfaction.
Tsuna was about to ask another question when his phone suddenly buzzing in his pocket. He then excused himself from the group and walk quiet a bit far from them to receive the call.
"Hello Chrome? What's the matter? ...what? Fuuta?"
A/N : New chapter again~ Hello again to those of you that have just added this fic to your follow/favourite list. Hope you happy here ^^ I wanted confess one of my BIGGEST MISTAKES here. Somehow, as I write this I forgotten about Fuuta's presence, and almost never remember. I myself have just only realized this a few days before Seithr-Kary pointed out this to me. So I actually have planned to make him appear a few chapter after I realize it, and now he have been mentioned (finally!) in this chapter and he will make his appearance in the next one.
About Santos Famiglia's power, do you guys think it's weird? I hope not, cause I try to be original here, but still using the flames attribute nature. I'll let more power revealed next time, and give me your thoughts about it!
Also, I've been thinking to make drabbles about this story but not connected to this main story line, but this is just an idea. What do you guys think? It will be like what they do in their free times or some scene in a meeting where everything turned upside down cause of the Vongola.
I think that's from me. See you in the next chapter (I hope I could finish it soon) and give me your thoughts about this chapter okay~? ^0^)/
Guest : Thanks~! I hope you like this chapter ^^