Tsuna had returned in time to go to work at Pink's, but as Monday came around again, he dreaded what it would be like at school. Not only would he have to deal with Cheri, but whatever his classmate's reaction was to Jack's death. Part of him wanted to say screw school, but the things he was learning there were required for the Ninth's curriculum. He had to make up for the fact that he had been blissfully unaware of the mafia world until a few years ago. The advantage that others had due to being knee-deep in Family affairs since birth had to be balanced by his effort.

So he shut down his emotions and went. He didn't have to feel to learn. The past week had given him the ability to act without feeling.

The reaction from most of his classmates was to be expected. Tsuna could quickly tell who had killed before and who hadn't due to the looks they gave him. Looks of sympathy from the former and looks of disgust from the latter. There were a few that didn't seem to care either way. He was taken aback by a few looks of awe and respect which made him want to hurl.

Overall, though, there was a sense of fear when people looked at him. They'd seen his combat abilities and knew how strong he was. Add the killing factor into that and no one could see anything but a monster. With the exception of Cheri. Cheri still saw him as human. One in which she wanted to see bleed. The look of hate and loathing she'd given him first thing in the morning had shocked him completely.

He didn't understand how deep it ran until he'd heard some boys talking in the bathroom, not noticing his presence.

"Demon Cheri's going to rampage soon, isn't she?"
"Looks like it."
"Tsuna isn't going to know what hit him. She gets even scarier when she's like that."
"She hasn't went off in what, two years?"
"Something like that. Not since her brother was killed."
"Heh, and now her lover, too."
"They were lovers?"
"Oh yah, it was a secret, though. Their families don't get along, but it was fine as long as they kept it quiet in public."
"Poor guys."
"Che, nothing special to it. Happens all the time, you know that."
"True, true..."

The boy's voices trailed off as they left the bathroom. Tsuna just leaned against his stall door and groaned. Sparring would be interesting, that was for sure.

Cheri gave a loud battle cry as she went for his throat again, putting all her rage and anger into trying to kill him. Her speed had increase exponentially and Tsuna was having a hard time even with the use of his gloves. He thought about hovering in the air out of reach, but that wouldn't solve the problem.

If he wanted his friend back, he'd have to face this head on. He was the object and reason for her rage, so it was only fair he kept at it until her hate and rage was spent. He was already covered in small, shallow cuts where she'd almost got through to him, but she hadn't yet landed a critical hit. She was a fury of stabs and slashes and he now knew why they called her 'Demon' Cheri. He could swear it was a whirlwind of teeth and claws he was fighting instead of human. But still he kept at it, trying to let her ease her pain by allowing himself to become a physical target.

He was glad now that he'd asked Reborn to make arrangements so that this would be a private spar. The rest of the classes were inside, training in the gym. Even the blinds on all the classroom windows had been pulled shut. Other than him, Cheri, and Reborn, no one would be there to witness the outcome either way.

They'd been going at it for almost an hour now, Reborn signaled. Tsuna nodded and dodged another blow, simultaneously making his biggest mistake of the match. He allowed his foot to get caught in a crack and he tripped. Before he could catch himself, she stabbed, her dagger going hilt-deep into his shoulder as she pushed him onto the ground. She jumped on top of him, straddling him as her second blade went for his neck.

Midway, she pulled back and stopped. All her rage disappeared in an instant. The reason was what she saw reflecting in Tsuna's eyes. Kill me, they begged. Seeing his suffering out in the open for the first time, she began to cry. Her dagger dropped forgotten on the ground and she put her face in her hands and wept. Tsuna sat up, ignoring the fact she was still sitting on him. He ignored the pain and blood from his shoulder wound and the forgotten dagger still lodged deep in it. He ignored everything but her heartache. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her while she cried for both of them.

It was all he knew how to do anymore.

Tsuna had handed Cheri off to one of the teachers in the gym before he died of blood loss again. Then he let Reborn stop the bleeding in his shoulder before binding it with thick bandages. Thankfully, the wound had been a clean one. Reborn didn't think he'd need stitches if he was careful.

"That was pretty reckless, Tsuna," he scolded. The truth was that he'd seen the look in Tsuna's eyes the moment Cheri had stopped. The memory of it rattled even Reborn. For the most part, Reborn had been watching from afar, restricted by the Ninth's orders regarding Tsuna's new training. It was getting to a point, though, that even Reborn wanted to step in and stop it. That look in Tsuna's eyes had finally clenched it. He was definitely going to have a talk with the Ninth later.

"I know," Tsuna said quietly. "But it was what was needed." Reborn paused and nodded. At least the boy's heart could still feel other's pain, even if it had stopped feeling it's own. Tsuna stood, putting his clothes back on and re-holstering his Glock against the small of his back before heading out to meet Xanxus.

"What the hell happened to you?" Xanxus asked, curious at the numerous cuts and bruises scoring his entire body. Tsuna hadn't yet had time to apply a cover-up ointment on them.

Tsuna laughed, "Girls are scary when they get riled up."

Xanxus gave a crooked smile, letting the rest of the car ride be done in silence. This time, they headed to a mid-class area. They entered a well-tended apartment building without notice. As they went up the stairs instead of using the elevator, Xanxus briefed him. "This is a warning instead of punishment. You know the deal. We go in, scare them, make them fear for their lives, then leave."

"The target?" Tsuna asked, turning to the business at hand. Xanxus stopped in front of their target's door.

"His name is Michinni. This trash has been trying to get his hands on the blueprints to Gola Mosca so that he can sell it to some shitty foreign government." Tsuna's eyes went hard.

"Got it," Tsuna said as he kicked the door in, his eyes cold and dark. He was going to scare the man, yes indeed.

Tsuna pulled off his bloodstained shirt and threw it in the trash. After taking a shower, he poured himself a drink, wanting nothing more than to relax. He'd overdid it a bit today. When they'd crashed in Michinni's apartment, they'd found he had somehow already gotten his hands on the blueprints. Although he hadn't had time to make contact and send them anywhere, Tsuna had been enraged. He'd decided, on the spot, to bypass warning and go straight to punishment. In the end, Xanxus had been forced to pull him off the man before punishment turned into execution.

Tsuna gave himself a little insane laugh, surprised at how easy it had been to hurt the man. Maybe it had been the effect of the anger. Maybe it had been the memories of all the corpses in the New York lab that did it. He didn't know. But he wasn't sickened at what he'd done. He just felt tired. Incredibly tired.

Noticing a piece of paper on his dresser, he went over to look. It was a letter from the Ninth, signed with the Dying Will Flame. Tsuna's eyes widened at what it said.

Tsunayoshi,
Due to the fact that your birthday is coming up in a few days, I have decided to send you home to Japan so that you may be allowed to celebrate with your Family. Your plane leaves in the morning. Sleep well tonight and enjoy the rest this will allow you from training.
Vongola the Ninth

He'd completely forgotten about his birthday, he realized. Had he really been gone that long? Tsuna smiled. It didn't matter. He was going to get to see his Family again.

Tsuna stepped of the Ninth's private jet with his father and Reborn behind him and let out a small sigh coupled with a content smile. It felt good to be home. The air suddenly smelled fresher and he felt cleaner. It was as if everything in Italy had been a long nightmare instead of reality. He quickly followed his father to where a car waited, not wanting to waste a moment by walking.

"Does anyone know we're coming?" Tsuna asked curiously.

"No, the Ninth decided to send you back at the last minute, so the arrangements came before calling anyone," Iemitsu smiled. He was glad to see a look of happiness on Tsuna again. Almost as glad as Tsuna himself was.

"In that case, instead of going straight home, can you drop me off at Yamamoto's?" He knew Gokudera was probably with him and those were the first two people he wanted to see. With a nod, Iemitsu gave instructions to the driver. As the sushi restaurant came into view, Tsuna's heart suddenly clenched. He didn't know why, but he had a very uncomfortable feeling.

"Don't worry, Tsuna," Reborn said seeing the sudden apprehension in his student. And the hint of shame. "They're still your Family." Tsuna looked at him with wide eyes. When the car stopped, the boy forcibly made himself relax.

"I'm going to go see your mother," Iemitsu said as Tsuna got out of the car. Reborn jumped out, as well, not wanting to leave Tsuna alone. The car drove off and Tsuna turned to the restaurant. Hesitantly, he went inside.

"I'm coming in," he called. Before he could get his head past the curtain separating the doorway, he heard the sound of scrambling inside. The next thing he knew, he was being tackled by two very excited boys. As he fell to the ground he heard them yell happily.

"Tsuna"
"10th!"

He lay on the ground, the two boys on top of him smiling widely. He gasped for air and tried to overcome his surprise. Once he did, he responded how any normal boy would after finding themselves tackled by his friends. He gave a loud war-cry, the largest smile imaginable on his face, and tackled them back. It quickly turned into a playful wrestling match in the middle of the street, bringing looks of amusement from passerby. As their excitement finally wore off, Tsuna let go of the headlock he had Gokudera in and lay on his back panting.

"It's good to be back," he said to his friends. They, too, were panting and sprawled out on the street in front of Takeshi Sushi, both bearing large and brilliant smiles. Dirt and dust covered all of them, but thankfully no bruises or blood. About that point is when Yamamoto's father came out and threatened them all within an inch of their lives for making such a scene in front of his shop. But even he seemed to be holding back a very large smile that kept trying to break free. Finally, he gave Yamamoto the rest of the day off as the boys stood and dusted themselves off. With a smile, they wordlessly decided to go for a walk before Mr. Takeshi could change his mind.

"You've gotten taller, Tsuna," Yamamoto said as they turned a corner, no obvious goal in mind. It was true. Although he was still shorter than his two friends, he'd somehow closed the gap a bit during the time he was in Italy.

"Must have been the food up there," he said, not wanting to think of any other possibilities.

"So when did you get back?"

"Just now," Tsuna answered. "I had the car drop me off here since I knew Gokudera would probably be with you."

"I'm honored, 10th!" Gokudera said with shining eyes.

"So fill me in. I was only able to call that once, so I'm dying for news," Tsuna begged.

As they wandered around the city aimlessly, the two boys filled him in. Lambo and I-pin were now eight, having had their birthdays since Tsuna had left. Lambo was the teacher's pet of his new school, which made Tsuna laugh at the irony. Tsuna's mother had gotten I-pin a set of contacts now that she was old enough to keep from loosing them. Fuuta had been worried about Tsuna, although he wouldn't tell anyone why. All they could say was that he'd been doing a lot of rankings since he'd been gone. Ryohei was doing well, although his membership count for the Mountain's boxing club had went back down to three after hitting a record high of eight. They couldn't tell him anything about Hibari or Chrome. The former being too hard to deal with and the latter not willing to allow anyone into her 'home' to check on her. Gokudera claimed when he tried, every time he went inside he found himself walking back out. Tsuna assumed it was Chrome's illusions at work.

"What about the girls?" He asked worriedly.

"They're doing good," Yamamoto answered simply. Tsuna noted a moment of hesitation in his voice, but decided not to push it. He'd find out what it was sooner or later.

A sudden scream rended the air, causing both boys to look up. Ahead, they saw a woman yelling and pointing at the man rushing toward the three of them. In his hand was a purse that he'd just snatched. As the man came near, Yamamoto and Gokudera both moved to grab him. Before they could even land a finger on him, though, Tsuna acted. He reached up and grabbed the man's throat as he tried to pass, throwing him to the ground in an instant. The man quivered as he looked into his captor's eyes.

"Apologize," Tsuna growled and the man immediately began nodding his head in agreement. Tsuna let him go. The man ran back to the woman and returned her purse, all the while sending scared looks back behind him. Back at where Tsuna was watching his every move dangerously. After fulfilling his captor's orders, the purse-snatcher ran. He ran as if he thought his life was forfeit. Tsuna just watched him go.

"10th..." Gokudera murmured in awe. The sound of his voice seemed to shake Tsuna out of the coldness that had descended onto him. He turned back, looking at his two friends.

"Sorry, it's habit to do it myself anymore," he said with a wide smile planted firmly on his face. He began walking again, trying to put his mind back at ease. Behind him, Gokudera and Yamamoto barely noticed in time to follow. While Gokudera was in awe, the emotion Yamamoto had was something far different. Worry. He was disconcerted by the sudden change he'd just witnessed, far more than his cocky smile showed.

"Ah," Tsuna exclaimed, breaking into Yamamoto's train of thought. "Since we're so close, lets head over to the Mountain. I've got to check the books at some point while I'm here and we can see Ryohei at the same time." They both nodded and Tsuna led the way.

Black Glove Mountain had been Tsuna's training facility for the previous year and a half while he was still in school. While half of the huge facility housed his private training area, the other half was a recreational gym that was open to the public. Although, the people that frequented the gym would probably go nuts if they knew the staff were all retired mafia. The Ninth had given it to Tsuna, intending it to be his first step into management. Therefore it was his responsibility to check up on it.

"I better get business out of the way first," Tsuna said as he walked past a very surprised attendant into the manager's office. The manager jumped to his feet, stunned by the sudden entrance of his boss who had been thought to be in Italy.

"Tsuna-dono," the manager greeted. Tsuna waved him to sit back down.

"I'm just here to check the books. No need to get all serious." He picked the account ledger off the manager's desk before the man could react. As Tsuna looked over it, his eyes narrowed. Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at each other, sensing another harsh fluctuation in their friend.

"Change that," Tsuna finally said. "I'm going to be borrowing your office for a bit." The manager nodded and bowed himself out, sweating.

Tsuna went around and sat in the manager's chair. He began to lean back to relax while Gokudera and Yamamoto took up the other two chairs in the office. Absentmindedly, Tsuna reached back and pulled his Glock out of the small of his back, laying it on the desk so he could be more comfortable while he read over the ledgers. His friend's eyebrows flew up in surprise. Tsuna didn't notice, being too engrossed in what he was reading.

The aura around Tsuna seemed to get colder as he picked up a pen and started circling item after item on the page before him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity for the two other boys in the room, Tsuna looked up.

"Gokudera," he asked, "Could you please bring me the manager." Gokudera nodded and took off, insanely pleased by the request while also disturbed by the cold rage in Tsuna's eyes. Before Yamamoto could formulate the question cycling through his head, Gokudera returned with the manager in tow.

"Is there something wrong, Tsuna?" The manager asked as the door shut behind him, his eyes darting to the gun sitting openly on his desk. He seemed to pale as Tsuna continued staring at him. Tsuna tossed the ledger at the manager, who managed to catch it after it bounced off his chest..

"How many errors did I circle?" Tsuna asked icily. The manager counted.

"T-Twenty-seven, sir."

"And what would you think if an accountant made twenty-seven errors?" Tsuna continued. The manager turned whiter.

"T-that they were bad at math...?" The manager gave a faltering smile at his joke. Tsuna smiled in return, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"That's possible," Tsuna said reasonably. He leaned forward onto the desk carelessly from where he sat. "But what if your accountant never made any errors before you left town? He was never bad at math before."

"I-I--" he began to stutter. Tsuna interrupted the sweating man before he could get started.

"I'd say they were trying to take advantage, wouldn't you?" Tsuna picked up his Glock, making everyone in the room jump. "I'd say they were skimming money from what wasn't theirs." He smiled at the manager, making the poor man's eyes nearly pop out of his head. "But you wouldn't do that, now would you?"

"N-no, Sawada-dono."

"What's the name of your Family?" Tsuna looked at him, the fake smile gone from his face. He obviously wasn't asking for the man's last name.

"V-Vongola, Sawada-dono."

"Now, I know you wouldn't steal from Family, so fix it," Tsuna said as he stood and re-holstered his Glock and pulled his shirt back over it to hide it. He made to leave but stopped before he got to the door. Leaning over to the facility's manager's shoulder, who looked like he was about to wet himself, he whispered, "You don't want to know what happens to Vongola accountants that are bad at math."

Opening the door, he walked out, leaving the manager and his two friends standing behind him in shock.

"This is bad," Reborn said, popping up onto the desk in the office. The two boys were watching Tsuna's back as he stepped into the elevator, heading to one of the upper floors.

"What happened to him?" Yamamoto asked quietly while Gokudera was trying to decide if he should be in awe or worried.

Reborn answered with a frown, "He was pushed hard in his training. I'm not allowed to go into details, but I can say he's almost at his limit. Tsuna's at the brink and a single incident could push him over. I had the Ninth temporarily send him home to keep that from happening. I didn't think there would be any problems here for him to have to deal with." He looked at the sobbing manager in the floor with disgust.

"Brink? Incident?" Gokudera asked. "The 10th couldn't possibly--"

"He's only human, Gokudera," Reborn interrupted. "He can break just like anyone else." Gokudera finally decided on worry as he looked at Reborn and Yamamoto.

"W-We better go check on him," Gokudera said. With a nod, Yamamoto followed him to the elevator. Stopping in on each of the floors, they couldn't seem to find Tsuna anywhere. When they checked the empty ones, they finally found him on the top floor.

Tsuna was sitting sprawled out as if he'd fallen to his knees. He was staring out one of the massive windows covering one wall, unable to even notice the ding of the elevator as his friends arrived. His shoulders seemed to twitch as he continued to be lost in thought. Wanting to break him out of it, Yamamoto laid a hand on his shoulder. Tsuna looked up and for a moment, his mask slipped. Anguish covered his face and sadness filled his eyes before he could hide it.

"Are you okay, 10th?" Gokudera asked, disturbed by the sight. Tsuna turned, looking back out at the skyline.

"I won't break," he whispered as his shoulders twitched again. Yamamoto tried to think of something to say as the silence filled the room.

"What happens to those that are bad at math?" Yamamoto asked, using the first thing that came to mind in hopes that Tsuna would start talking. Tsuna didn't even look up. His voice was hard as he replied.

"I cut off one of their fingers."

Yamamoto swallowed, hard. Both the swordsman and Gokudera were speechless. The idea that a finger was cut off didn't disturb them so much as the fact Tsuna had said 'I'. While they tried to think of something to say, the door to the elevator dinged and Iemitsu walked out wearing his road-work disguise. The blond-haired man ignored the two boys and went over to Tsuna, handing him a bottle that they didn't recognize. Still Tsuna didn't look up as he took it absently and sipped carefully. He seemed to sag as whatever was in the bottle hit him.

"Thanks," he whispered. His eyes lost their blank stare and he seemed to return to himself. After a minute, he looked up at his friends, truly noticing their presence for the first time. "I'm sorry," he said softly, apologizing not only for the scene they'd witnessed, but for seeing him like this. Tsuna looked away in shame, unable to meet their eyes anymore.

"Tsuna..." Yamamoto whispered.

"You don't have to apologize, 10th!" Gokudera was caught between his desire to make Tsuna feel better and his desire to hurt the invisible something that had caused him to be this way. Trying to make him feel better, he said, "Just relax, 10th, I can take care of anything you need."

Tsuna looked up in shock for an instant before he turned and vomited, once again bringing silence to the room. Gokudera's eyes widened, not understanding what he'd said to make his boss react like that. He'd only meant he'd do anything to make his boss feel better, but saying it had made his boss feel worse. As for Tsuna, he had been instantly overwhelmed by images of Gokudera doing all of the things he'd been having to do in his training with Xanxus. The image of his friend soaked in blood and cutting off body parts was more than Tsuna could take. Iemitsu leaned over, rubbing his son's back while he continued to heave. Yamamoto and Gokudera stood stock still, now completely unsure of what to say or do or even be next.

"You two go home," Reborn said, popping out of nowhere again. "You can't deal with this, so you're only in the way. He'll be fine again by this afternoon. For now, just give him some time alone."

The two boys nodded, their eyes wide with worry and shock as they walked to the elevator. They silently watched the doors close on the trembling back of their friend and brother. The same thoughts were running through both of their heads.

What had happened for Tsuna to be like this and what could they do to fix it?