Author's Notes: Whew, just got back from a trip and now I'm off to Anime Expo! YEAH AX 2012 BABY! Maybe I'll see some of you there? HAHAHA. Anyways, since I'll be spending the next few days or so partying it out with some hardcore cosplayers, I decided to update before I went since I don't know how often I'll be able to use the computer there. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: All the lovely characters in Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belong to the amazing Akira Amano. I do not own or claim to own anything.
Chapter 11: Lambo's Problem
"...and then I hit the ball with a pow and then it was a homerun!" Yamamoto finished cheerfully as he recalled his story.
"No one understands what you just said, baseball idiot," Gokudera exclaimed angrily. "Learn to explain properly or don't speak at all."
"Yamamoto! That was an EXTREME story!" Ryohei yelled excitedly.
Gokudera growled. "You shut up as well! Why do you keep following us anyways, turf top?"
"Because Sawada is an EXTREME person! And why does it matter to you, octopus head?"
Kyoko giggled lightly at the chaotic scene before her. Tsuna let out an exasperated sigh, but a small smile made its way up his face nonetheless. He really did enjoy hanging out with his friends in such casual and relaxed manner.
Tsuna's intuition suddenly flared up, jolting the brunet out of his relaxed state. His muscles tensed and he readied a defensive stance as his eyes scanned the surroundings for the source of danger.
Gokudera noticed Tsuna's shift in demeanor. "Is something the matter, Juudaime?"
"There's someone over there." Tsuna said, finally pinpointing the unknown presence in the nearby bushes. Everyone immediately stopped talking and stared warily at the bushes Tsuna had pointed out. A sudden shifting in the bushes made everyone tense up.
"Herbivores, I do not condone crowding." A voice said coolly. The person strolled out of the bushes. Tsuna was mildly surprised to see that it was none other than the infamous prefect of their school.
"Oh, so it was just Hibari-san." Tsuna said cheerfully. "We weren't crowding, Hibari-san. At least, we weren't crowding around you, right?"
"Back-talking is very unbecoming of you, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari replied in a silky voice. The others watched the conversation with a kind of muted amazement and cautiousness. There was no one in their school who did not know of Hibari Kyouya's fearsome reputation. It was even said that he single-handedly took out an entire Family one time just because they rubbed him the wrong way. Yet Tsuna was speaking to him in such a casual manner, almost as if they were 'friends'.
Hibari examined the still smiling Tsuna for a moment. "All the students at this school fall under three categories," the prefect suddenly said. "There are the herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. Nearly everyone is nothing more than a lowly herbivore," he continued in a dismissive tone. "There are a few potential omnivores, but none of them are seasoned enough to make a worthwhile opponent. Of course, I am the only carnivore."
The prefect took a couple of steps closer to Tsuna. "I have watched you for quite some time, Sawada Tsunayoshi. What puzzles me is that while you act like an herbivore most of the time, there are times when I sense an almost carnivore-like aura from you...like now."
Everyone blinked after hearing Hibari's unexpected speech. It was obvious that no one expected the prefect to be capable of uttering more than a couple of words.
Tsuna's smile brightened. "Wow, Hibari-san! It's very impressive that you managed to see my true personality."
Hibari blinked at Tsuna's sudden confession, then smirked. "So the whole herbivore presence is just an act. Fight me then, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari summoned his two tonfas and readied them in front of him. "I wish to see how strong you truly are."
"As if we'd let you do that, you bastard!" Gokudera immediately growled, jumping defensively in front of Tsuna.
"I could care less about what you want." Hibari said dismissively. "Herbivores like you aren't even worth my time. Now, Sawada Tsunayoshi, prepare to be bitten to death." In a single flash, Hibari swept past the other students to reach Tsuna, one tonfa aimed to deliver a blow to the brunet's head.
"Juudai-!" Gokudera was about to yell a warning, but he realized belatedly that it was not needed. Tsuna had already repelled the blow, stopping the tonfa from hitting him with a single hand.
"You don't need to be so eager now, Hibari-san." Tsuna said with a slightly exasperated tone.
"Wao." Hibari's eyes widened slightly. "You are very interesting indeed, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari yanked his tonfa out of Tsuna's hand and then proceeded in his attempt to land more blows. He whipped his tonfas at Tsuna with blinding speed, his weapons an indiscernible blur before him. Tsuna dodged Hibari's attacks through a series of sidesteps, concentration etched in his face as he continued to evade the speedy blows.
"Wow, Hibari-san, you're really strong!" Tsuna exclaimed when the two of them had reached an impasse.
Hibari narrowed his eyes and readied his tonfas once again. "Enough of your running around. Fight me seriously, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
The prefect was about to charge in again when the school bell suddenly rang, signaling that school was to start in five minutes. With a disgruntled expression on his face, Hibari summoned away his weapons. "We'll finish this another time, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Now get to class before I bite you all to death, herbivores."
As Tsuna walked past Hibari with the other students in tow, he called back cheerfully. "See you later, Hibari-san! I'll make the fight up to you some other day, okay?"
Hibari glared at the brunet's retreating back. "Don't you have any survival instincts?" He remarked coolly. A smirk suddenly appeared on his face. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, you're turning out to be a very interesting herbivore indeed."
He had to find help. That was the single thought that ran through Lambo's head even as he tried to hold in his tears. He ran into the school courtyard, head whipping wildly around as if he could locate his savior. But who can he ask for help? An image of the kind brunet who saved them yesterday suddenly popped into his head. Lambo didn't even know his name or where he could find him, but all he knew was that the brunet helped them when no one else did. He immediately sped off in search of his mysterious savior.
As luck would have it, Lambo nearly ran into the very person he was looking for when he turned the corner of the school building.
"Oh, hello," The brunet began pleasantly when he caught sight of Lambo. "Weren't you the…"
"Please help Lambo-san!" Lambo all but bawled out. "T-They took I-Pin and Fuuta!"
Tsuna's eyes widened, but he seemed to understand the situation at once. "I-Pin and Fuuta? Those are the names of your two friends, right?" Lambo nodded, rubbing his watery eyes and sniffing all the while. He was shocked when he suddenly felt himself scooped up and pressed protectively to a warm chest. Lambo looked up wonderingly from Tsuna's arms. "Don't worry, Lambo, we'll help you get your friends back." Tsuna said resolutely. "Gokudera, Yamamoto, Sasagawa-senpai, let's go."
Unsteadily, Lambo pointed out the place where he last saw his friends. When they returned to the school courtyard, they saw the same men who tried to take Lambo yesterday stationed around the area. Tsuna's eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the two other children bound and gagged at the men's feet, their expressions one of obvious terror.
The man in the middle, obviously the leader from the looks of things, smiled a shark's smile when he saw Lambo. "So you've returned, eh? I hope you thought carefully about my proposition. The fate of your little friends depends on your answer after all." The man kicked Fuuta, causing him to whimper in pain. "So you better answer carefully."
"L-Lambo-san does not want to go with you." Lambo answered shakily. "L-Lambo-san will rescue I-Pin and Fuuta."
The man laughed uproariously at Lambo's words. "So you brought reinforcements?" He simpered. "How cute. Too bad they won't do you any good though."
At this point, Tsuna stepped forward. "I suggest you let those two go right now." Tsuna said coolly. Lambo shivered at Tsuna's icy tone—there was no trace of the brunet's previous warmth in his words.
The man laughed again. "Who do you think you're threatening, brat? If you think you can mess with our plans today, you're dead wrong." He shook the two captive kids roughly. "We have hostages if you haven't noticed."
"I will use force if I have to." Tsuna continued in the same cold tone. He took out his two Guardian cards and held them out deliberately in front of him. "I want you to let those two go." Tsuna's eyes flashed orange. "Now."
Anyone with half a brain would be able to recognize the obvious underlying threat in Tsuna's words. "Maybe we should come back another day, boss." One of the subordinates whispered nervously. "Look at his cards—he's a Summoner!"
However, the man continued to stubbornly hold onto his pride. "So what if he's a Summoner? We'll just crush them all the same." He jabbed at finger in Tsuna's direction. "Go take them down!" But before he could realize what had happened, all of his subordinates had already been knocked unconscious in the blink of an eye. "W-What the hell?" He exclaimed angrily.
"Those who disrupt the order of the Vongola Institute will be thoroughly bitten to death." A new voice said coolly.
Everyone turned to face the newcomer. "Hibari-san?" Tsuna said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
"Do not misunderstand, herbivores." Hibari replied. "I'm only cleaning up the unneeded trash from this school."
At this point, the man realized that he was in deep trouble. "Y-You're Hibari Kyouya!" He said, pointing a shaking finger to the indifferent looking prefect.
"Hm? And what of it?" Hibari asked idly. He readied his tonfas in front of him. "Unwanted herbivores who loiter on school grounds shall be bitten to death."
"No! Wait, please! I'm..." As Hibari thoroughly 'bit the man to death', Tsuna and his friends quickly ran over to the two other kids and freed them from their bounds.
"Are you okay?" Tsuna asked softly, stroking their hair. At once, both Fuuta and I-Pin crushed themselves into Tsuna with tight hugs. "There, there. It's okay now." Tsuna murmured consolingly as both kids continued to hold onto him.
Tsuna suddenly felt a light tug on his pants and looked down to see a hesitant Lambo. "Lambo-san thanks you for helping him save his friends." The child said hesitatingly.
"I-Pin too!" The girl immediately added.
Fuuta smiled brightly. "Thank you for helping us...um..."
"My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna said with a smile. "You can call me Tsuna, if you want."
"Okay, thank you, Tsuna-nii!" Fuuta exclaimed. "I'm Fuuta de la Stella."
"I-Pin is I-Pin!"
"And I am the great Lambo-san!"
Tsuna smiled fondly. "It's nice to meet you all." The brunet turned to I-Pin. "Oh, I recognize you. You're Fong-san's student, right?"
I-Pin looked up wonderingly. "Tsuna-nii knows I-Pin's master?"
"Yeah, he's a friend of my tutor." Tsuna ran his fingers through his hair. "I understand if you don't want to answer the question, but can you tell me why those men keep coming after you? They were the same ones I saw yesterday, right?"
The three children exchanged glances. Fuuta threw a worried look at the cow-suit clad child before saying, "They want Lambo for his power. That's why they keep coming after us."
As Tsuna frowned in thought, Gokudera asked. "What are you going to do, Juudaime?"
"We can't leave them alone." Yamamoto said with a frown.
"Yeah, that wouldn't be EXTREME at all!" Ryohei agreed.
"Don't worry, I wasn't thinking of leaving them alone at all," Tsuna reassured. "Actually, I think it's best if they stayed with me for the time being, but I have to talk this over with Reborn first..." Tsuna noticed the prefect walking back to where they were and called out cheerfully, "Thanks for your help, Hibari-san!"
"I believe that I already told you that I was merely clearing out the trash from the Vongola Institute and not providing you assistance as you have mistaken." Hibari replied coolly. Once again, he readied his tonfas in front of him. "Fight me, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Now is a good time as any."
"Not now, Hibari-san. I have to take care of them first." Tsuna gestured to Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta.
"I do not care for your excuses." Hibari smirked and brandished one of his tonfas. "Fight me now."
Tsuna's eyes flashed orange. "I said later, Hibari-san. I know you don't care and want to do nothing more than to spar with me, but please be patient a little longer until I get these kids settled down." Tsuna's eyes bored into Hibari's own. "I know that even you're not heartless enough to just leave them to fend for themselves."
Hibari lowered his tonfas. "Fine." He said silkily, surprising everyone that he actually agreed so readily. "There will not be a repeat of this, Sawada Tsunayoshi." And with a swish of his prefect's jacket, Hibari left just as suddenly as he arrived.
"That damn prefect." Gokudera growled. "Who does he think he is, talking to Juudaime like that?"
Yamamoto looked on curiously as Tsuna picked up Lambo and I-Pin in one arm and held onto Fuuta's hand with the other. "So where are we heading to right now, Tsuna?"
Tsuna gave a light smile. "We're going to go meet my tutor...and the rest of the Arcobaleno Affiliation."
Author's Notes: Looks like everyone's favorite prefect finally makes an appearance! As always, any and all reviews will be greatly appreciated!
-Bird of Dreams