Fon took another sip of his tea as he flipped though his messages. A letter from the Triads, into the trash. Three assassination requests, espionage request, and a letter from Verde that boiled down to 'come here and let me do science on you'.
Fon hid a smile behind his sleeve as he set that letter aside. It was fascinating to see how the scientist reworded it each month.
His Flames instinctively unfurled and Fon set the teacup down.
Somebody familiar was heading towards him. A brief flame check and Fon sighed. He swept the letters into a box sitting next to him for later perusal.
The door slammed open, bouncing off the wall from the force. "It was unlocked." Fon said mildly.
"Carnivore uncle." Kyoya growled. Fon scanned him. His nephew looked a touch more roughed up than usual. Did Reborn start throwing mafioso into the town like he threatened to?
"Kyoya, why did you feel like coming in without warning?" Fon asked. Kyoya rolled his eyes, dropping something unceremoniously to the floor.
Fon stood, walking around the table to get a better look.
It was a young child with brown fluffy hair. Unconscious but likely not from the drop. "Did you pick up an apprentice?" Fon said, walking closer.
Kyoya hissed, sounding remarkably like a cat. "Uncle." Half warning.
Fon ignored the warning. Kyoya was powerful but not at his level yet. As much as it angered the teenager.
"I know my sister would like grandchildren but I feel kidnapping isn't the answer." Fon continued, hiding his amusement. Kyoya looked like he dearly wished one of the attempts on Fon's life had worked.*
"The herbivore was poisoned when two outsider herbivores attacked it." Kyoya said. Fon winced on the inside. His nephew was definitely in a bad mood.
"Did you… Inform them of the rules?"
"They ran away with another herbivore's property. Cowardly herbivores." Kyoya snapped, hands twitching towards his tonfas.
Fon put that through his Kyoya translater and blinked. Obviously those two must be at least reasonably powerful if they had escaped his nephew. "You rely too much on your brute strength." Fon said, leaning down to check for a heartbeat.
He skillfully ignored Kyoya's angry hisses and swayed to avoid the tonfa swing. There was still a heart beat, slow but strong.
Fon hummed, pulsing his Flames out.
And wobbled slightly.
Powerful Sky, possibly Luce or above powerful. And another Flame, that felt odd. "Kyoya did you really kidnap Reborn's student's younger brother?" Now that he looked, he recognized the younger. They had bought some gyoza from him when I Pin was going off for her 'mission'.
"Kidnapping implies the herbivore struggled." Hibari said instead. Fon sighed, slightly exasperated.
"That's not how it works Kyoya." Reborn was going to be a pain. The hitman would have happily dump chaos on his doorstep if giving the slightest provocation. Or no provocation at all.
Kyoya huffed, turning away from him. Fon ran a chubby hand down his braid. "The child will be recovered soon."
The poison wasn't much. Dangerous for children, but the boy would have needed a much higher dose. The Sky flames had already been eating away at it.
Fon stretched. "And if that's all, my apprentice requested I check up on her seal." Apparently seeing Kyoya set her off. Fon had a sneaking suspicion there was more to it than a slightly off seal.
"Go play with the herbivores then." Kyoya said. Fon smiled peacefully and kicked Kyoya's legs out from under him.
With the serene grace only attained by dealing with the other Arcobaleno for years, Fon ignored Kyoya's snarls to leap out of the open window. It was alright, Kyoya wouldn't make too much of a mess.
Tsuna stirred, wheezing slightly.
He felt worse than the time Reborn made him climb a cliff while he had the flu. Everything was achy. Tsuna slowly pushed himself up, glancing around to take in the room.
It definitely wasn't home. Sparse but with a few tasteful decorations that leaned more to China than Japan.
And the Hibari sitting on the windowsill. Tsuna was 90% sure that wouldn't be in his room. Unless it was to murder him in his sleep.**
Now, how to delicately ask the reasons why he was here in a way that would not have Hibari at his throat. Something intelligent, that utilized the diplomatic skills Reborn had taught him (Tsuna could barely think that with a straight face).
"Was I kidnapped?" Tsuna asked. Reflexively, he winced. That was not what he planned to say.
"Kidnapping is against Namimori's rules." Hibari said casually, shuffling his tonfas.
Tsuna reconsidered, bringing up memories of the circuitous conversations he had to have with Hibari and Mukuro. "Was I taken from somewhere without me or my family's consent?"
Hibari glared and Tsuna shut his mouth with a snap, repressing the urge to shriek. Hibari got vicious when he shrieked too loudly.
The prefect eyed him like a vengeful God wondering if the heathen should be struck down for insolence or given a brief period of mercy.***
Then Hibari snorted, turning away and rolling out of the open window with graceful ease. Tsuna felt a pang of jealousy at the neat exit. Usually the most graceful he got jumping out of windows was when his Guardians decided his office was the perfect place for a battle royal and he was flinging himself out of the crossfire.
Sighing, Tsuna stood, wobbling slightly. Something on his Sky tugged, an unspoken question and Tsuna tugged back. Agreement.
Tsuna grabbed onto the windowsill, pushing up until he was sitting on the edge, legs dangling in the open air. Less than four feet to fall and the window opened into a deserted but fairly clean alley.
He sat for a moment, gasping quietly. It wasn't as bad as before but his muscles felt tingly and lax, as if every part of his body had fallen asleep at the same time.
He should probably make sure Hibari didn't nearly kill himself. Oh for the halcyon future days when Hibari had known some concept of restraint. Or at least patiently waiting to ambush the person.
By the time Tsuna was safely to ground, Natsu was turning the corner into the alley. The corners of Tsuna's mouth turned up in a smile as Tsuna rubbed the fur under the lion's current gold plaid scarf, eliciting a purr.
Hibari had already vanished from sight.
Tsuna rubbed at his forehead. "Did we memorize the quickest route to Kokuyo?" Nope.
Natsu rumbled, stretching. Tsuna felt his grin slip into something a bit more wicked. "Well, if it's just a quick ride and we're already near the edge of town…" Kudos to presumably Fon by the flame traces he was picking up. Good location for a house, unnoticeable and easy to slip out of town.
Tsuna giggled maniacally, reaching out with his Sky. Natsu's form seemed to waver like a heat mirage. When it settled, Natsu was fully grown. A rumble echoed through the air.
"Yeah yeah." Tsuna said, reaching up to readjust the scarf. Natsu crouched as Tsuna readjusted his grip before swinging up onto the lion's back.
"Do you think we can make you bigger later? Riding a giant fiery lion into battle would be hilarious." Tsuna said. "Maybe Cloud flames could help? I should ask Skull about that."
He missed his partner in crime in running far away.****
Natsu stood before bounding down the alleyway in quick easy strides. Tsuna squawked, gripping the scarf tighter. They'd have to be careful, practice taught them Natsu couldn't retain lion form if Tsuna was using his flames for other reasons like a Mist illusion.
Tsuna may have a slightly unhealthy interest in chaos but Reborn was doing a fine enough job pulling in civilians.
The alleyway opened into a quiet side street Tsuna recognized from one of his many adventures. Natsu turned off into the next alley instead of staying there, weaving through the network of backstreets.
He may or may not have zoned out most of the time. Paranoia had nothing on Hyper Intuition.
So when Natsu arrived at the edge of Kokuyo Land, Tsuna squeaked as he tumbled off Natsu's back. He had told his lion to be more careful and to slow down before stopping but no.
Natsu gao'd, shrinking back down. Tsuna wobbled slightly, taking a deep breath. Alright, he could do this.
Navigating the abandoned buildings wasn't even hard. Honestly, Tsuna felt a little embarrassed looking back at his experience, years of experience picking out how they had simply stumbled from one trap to the next.
Though if he and Natsu had to wriggle into a hole barely big enough to fit them to dodge the bloody twins one more time, he was going to use Zero Point Breakthrough to cover as much area as possible, and screw the consequences.
Of course Mukuro had to be far enough along with his flames to be able to lace the area with them. No illusions for Tsuna.
Though it did make him feel better about his experience. He didn't have enough Mist knowledge to pick it out from memory but Mukuro had probably been using the Mist traces to lead them by the nose. Tsuna had all the luck when it came to insane geniuses.
Thank the gods Belphegor had already been snapped up by Xanxus.
So when he finally got to the area (in the end, he found it because Hibari broke the wall and the rubble nearly hit him), Tsuna was done.
No Ieyatsu to try to coddle him, and no Reborn to dodge.
Tsuna reached up to grab his bow tie as he stepped into the room. Hibari's eyes immediately slid to him but Mukuro has a hair slower on the uptake. So when Tsuna smacked him with Earth flames, Mukuro stumbled, nearly falling to his knees.
Hibari reacted like he scented blood in the water, lunging forward to land heavy blows on Mukuro's unguarded head.
Mukuro snarled and the room warped. Tsuna gasped as vines wrapped around him, constricting his throat. He clawed at the vines, wheezing for air, but he couldn't damage these they grew back even as his blunt nails tore at them, his younger body was too weak-
Something bit his hand and Tsuna yelped. He jerked backwards, the vines phasing out of sight.
Tsuna cursed in five languages, looking down. Natsu blinked up, mock innocent even as tiny droplets of blood welled up from the puncture wounds.
He forgot how good Mukuro was, even at this age. Tsuna glanced up. Hibari barely seemed affected, Cloudy enough to reject and tear at the reality Mukuro was trying to create.
But even Hibari had to take a second to dodge the vines. Tsuna locked eyes with Mukuro. "Kufufu, the second son of the Vongola Lion has arrived."
"The son of a bitch is screwing with reality. Wow, this is definitely what I wanted to wake up to this morning." Tsuna sniped back. Surprise everybody, Tsuna doesn't like being choked.
He had years of dealing with Mukuro's snit fits. Younger Mukuro with his elaborate plot had nothing on the time Mukuro orchestrated his death and attended the funeral. With no disguise.
Tsuna ducked, a fireball barely singing the tips of his hair spikes.
It wasn't real but it felt real and now he really wished he had accepted the offer from Squalo for the lessons the man had called: "How to deal with your psychotic Mist who delights in other people's pain". (In reflection, was Squalo talking about Mammon or Fran with a title like that?)
Tsuna was almost surprised when his Intuition pinged him. And then there was a grip around his shirt collar and he was getting dragged up to look a savage Ken in the eyes.
Internally he was banging his head against the wall because between Natsu and the poison, he couldn't muster the Sky flames.
Tsuna's wheeze attracted Hibari's attention because out of the corner of his eye, he saw the prefect's eyes slide towards him and then Mukuro lunged forward with his trident.
And oh dear gods if Mukuro got the ability to possess Hibari, they were probably going to die, future knowledge or not.
Natsu was going to be so pissed.
Tsuna reached and it felt like burning himself because his conduit wasn't quite close enough, even at his throat. And Ken was starting to shake him like a rag doll.
He brought up all the Earth flames he had and threw Natsu at Mukuro's head.
Natsu yowled as he hit Mukuro, biting and clawing at whatever exposed flesh he could reach. Mukuro shrieked, ripping Natsu off and throwing him at the nearest wall. Natsu landed with gentle ease. Which was then ruined by the cat bolting out of the room.
Tsuna noted that he should kick Mukuro at the nearest opportunity.
"Impudent brat." Ken snarled. Tsuna forced himself to relax as the shaking slowed. And then he grinned up at Ken, refocusing on what was in front of him, not behind.
"Yeah but I'm an adorably chaotic one." Tsuna said. And then he swung his body up to kick Ken in the teeth.
Ken howled, reflexively dropping Tsuna to catch his beast teeth as the teeth threatened to slip out. Tsuna landed on his feet, landing right on the tips of Ken's toes.
Tsuna used the distraction to bolt across the room, leaping over the fissure in the floor as it formed.
He was nearly to a hole in the wall when the ground around him softened, turning to quicksand. "Fucking hells." Tsuna cursed, leaping up and twisting to catch himself with his Earth flames.
Tsuna stabilized into a wobbly hover over the floor, even as it seemed to collapse into the void underneath him.
"You're better than I thought you would be." Tsuna huffed a sigh, looking up at Mukuro. Behind Mukuro, through the cracks in the wall, he could see Hibari on the ground.
Stupid Sakura disease.
Tsuna bit down on his lip as Ken stepped forward, growling. Mukuro held up a hand. "I'd rather you not harm the new bargaining chip. With this, your brother will hand himself over. And then I'll have everything I need."
"Fine Mukuro." Ken said, backing out of the room.
"And we were having such a nice chat." Tsuna said, having a theatrical sigh. Distract the psychopath. Jokes on Mukuro, he had been playing the game for years.
The ground beneath him returned but now it seemed molten, on the verge of eruption. He knew it wasn't real but he could feel the heat wafting up and he didn't have the Sky flames to rip through it and not enough Earth flames to zip away.
Natsu tugged mentally and Tsuna brushed him off, refocusing on Mukuro. No need for Natsu to enter the danger zone.
"I suppose I'll have to use plan I." Tsuna said, lips curling into a smile. Mukuro cocked his head, oddly bird like.
"And what would this plan be?" Mukuro said. Tsuna was full on grinning now even as Mukuro stepped forward, bringing his trident up.
"I don't know, never got around to making it. Probably was just running away now that I think about it." Tsuna said. Mukuro's free hand flexed, and Tsuna cocked his head to the side.
"I won't be giving my bargaining chip that opportunity." Mukuro said. But he was vaguely interested and focused on Tsuna.
Tsuna hissed out a slightly maniacal giggle as the dregs of his Sky flames tugged. "I think I remember what Plan I was."
He made sure to savor the look on Mukuro's face when the outer wall crumbled to reveal Ieyatsu. Who promptly punched Mukuro across the room.
"DEFEAT MUKURO AND SAVE TSU FISHY WITH MY DYING WILL!"
Who knew you could go into Dying Will mode through sheer determination?
(Tsuna did).
Omake
"I'd rather not work with the man who put my family in danger!" Ieyatsu hissed, glaring at Kawahira. Kawahira smiled disarmingly back and Ieyatsu growled.
"Don't be so rude to our ancestor Yatsu." Tsuna said, absent mindedly shuffling through papers on the desk. Paperwork hiss.
Ieyatsu did a double take. Gokudera tripped and disintegrated a hole in the floor with his Storm. Ryohei wasn't even listening. Tsuna delighted in Reborn's expression. It wasn't every day you saw a man look like his world was flipped upside down. Without actually being flipped upside down.
Kawahira gave a whole new meaning to the saying 'slapped in the face with a fish'.
Tsuna took in the room, faux innocence on his face. "Am I the only one who looks at the genealogy charts?"
Okay technically he saw it in his past timeline and then double checked it in this timeline but same difference.
"Giotto had a grandfather. Records are a bit blurry on his name but said great grandfather has no logged parents. I double checked with Yuni who provided me with Sephira's diary. The name and timing correlated with another earthling, one who passed soon after Giotto's birth."
Tsuna shrugged. "Technically, it's probably an adopted relationship, but yeah you could say Kawahira is distantly related."
Tsuna reflected on the wisdom of hiding cameras in Ieyatsu's office. With these reactions, he'd have enough blackmail for a very long time.
He might have a bit more if he told Ieyatsu their ancestor's real name but honestly. Hamaguri?
What is with their lineage having an obsession with clams?
*Kyoya used to practice assassination by attempting to kill Fon. Tsuna had face planted into the desk when Fon calmly told him because of course this is what the Hibari family was like.
**Hibari used to make attempts. So many attempts. Thank the gods Mukuro never found out or they might have collaborated.
***Sometimes he worried about the wording he tended to use to describe Hibari.
****Tsuna, Skull, and Enma had a club. A club that preferred a very large buffer. Club meeting were usually spent creating elaborate escape plans. Plans that were then use to escape Reborn crashing the meeting.
This chapter was hard to write. Between Fon and Mukuro, I had to fight and rewrite this.
Mukuro was particularly annoying because he's an insane genius but a powerful one considering the Ring Battles. And he wouldn't have training time at Vendicare so he was near Arcobaleno level early on. So Hibari must have done some damage before Tsuna and company arrived.
Also first ripples in the timeline. Due to Tsuna's poisoning and kidnapping, Hibari confronted Mukuro a lot earlier before the countdown attacks. And Ieyatsu showed up very angry.
I'm happy I got this done. Please Favorite/Follow/Review if you liked it! I love having reviews to read over.
Also, I'm going to start cross posting this story to my Archiveofourown account, under the name of Poker, so don't be worried if it pops up there!