SailorStar9: This is Chapter 10 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, will it kill you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and the pairings.

Chapter 10: Arrival

"Wait." Irie voiced. "I didn't expect you to defeat the Phantom Knight. That was beyond any calculations I made, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Shoichi..." Spanner blinked.

"Irie Shoichi!" Tsuna powered up.

"Wait a moment, Sawada Tsunayoshi." the Cervello warned.

"Both of you are from Cervello..." Tsuna recognized the two women. "Why are you with Irie Shoichi?"

"Lower your fist first, and then we can talk." Irie advised.

"Talk?" Tsuna echoed.

"That's right." Irie concurred. "I want to talk to you about things from now on for awhile."

"What's there to talk about?" Tsuna demanded.

"Did you not hear me?" Irie demanded. "I'm telling you to lower your fist first. If I detect any bit of resistance from you, they will lose their lives." his eyes trailed over to the containment chamber.

"Everyone!" Tsuna gasped. "Irie, what did you do to them?"

"I put them to sleep, that's all." Irie shrugged. "Due to their rampage, this base suffered serious damage. I used a Flame-resistance nanocomposite armor wall to force them into a dead end. When they couldn't escape, I used sleeping gas to knock them out. However, if you make any reckless moves, we'll use a different kind of gas. Once I trigger this remote, they will die immediately. If you want to save them, do as I say."

Left with no choice, Tsuna powered down.

"Okay, do it." Irie gave the order.

"What are you doing?" Tsuna demanded.

"Don't panic." Irie assured. "I'm just nullifying the sleeping gas. Watch carefully, they'll soon wake up."

"Damn, my head hurts." Gokudera muttered. "What a terrifying nightmare. I actually attacked the 10th?"

"Where..." Kusakabe stirred. "Is this? Kyo-san, Ami-san, Chrome." he looked over.

"Out of all the darn traps, we just had to fall for the simplest one, didn't we?" Ami muttered.

"Everyone!" Tsuna sounded.

"10th!" Gokudera bumped into the wall. "What is this? We were caught?"

"It's useless." Cervello remarked as Gokudera slammed his fists against the barrier. "That capsule won't break from physical force."

"The Cervello women..." Gokudera growled. "Why are you here?"

"Your lives are under our control." Irie warned. "It's better that you don't act recklessly. We need to talk. Would you behave yourself for now?"

"Talk?" Gokudera snapped. "You want to talk after you lock us up? What a joke! My Box's gone!" he realized. "My Ring too..."

"Resistance is futile." Irie cautioned. "All the Rings and Box Weapons have been confiscated by me. Of course, I took steps to prevent you from using your powers, Hibari Ami."

"Restraining chain." Ami mumbled, her eyes trailing to the metal link around her power orb on her wrist. "How the hell did you get those?"

"This is bad..." Kusakabe realized. "At this rate..."

"Sawada..." Lal Mirch awoke. "Don't mind us! Do it!"

"Lal is right!" Ami barked. "Destroy that device at once!"

"That's right, 10th!" Gokudera agreed. "That round device, if you destroy it, we might be able to return to the past! Don't mind us!"

"Don't!" Chrome objected.

"You still value your life in this situation?" Gokudera demanded.

"Honestly, your ignorance really annoys me." Irie sighed. "If you destroy this device, the troubled ones will be you."

"What are you talking about?" Gokudera snapped.

"Take a look." Irie turned. "Witness it with your own two eyes. Inside this device are... those who switched with you after using the Ten-Year-Bazooka. They are your future selves."

"The us from this era?" Tsuna echoed.

"That's right." Irie confirmed. "But what you see now is just a hologram image. Actually, your bodies from this era have been disassembled to a molecular state and preserved inside the machine. Even if I don't explain, you should know what will happen if you destroy this device."

"What will happen?" Gokudera wondered. "Shouldn't the us from this era..."

"Having been exchanged by the Ten-Year-Bazooka's effect..." Kusakabe trailed. "Shouldn't they be in the era ten years ago?"

"That is correct." Irie stated. "In reality, someone shot by the Ten-Year-Bazooka will switch with their future self ten years from the present. But, by using this device, we prevented your future selves from staying back in the past and had them stay here. If your future selves of this era went back into the past and did unnecessary things, that would cause a disturbance in the 73 Policy."

" 73 Policy?" Tsuna echoed.

"Wait, you even know about the Ten-Year-Bazooka." Gokudera gaped. "Don't tell me..."

"So the one that used the Ten-Year-Bazooka and shot us, sending us to this era..." Reborn started. "That was you?"

"That is correct." Irie confirmed. "Ten years ago, I made use of this era's science technology so that the Ten-Year-Bazooka could hit you. For example, in the case of the Arcobaleno, when exposed to non-73, their bodies become immobile. "

"I see," Reborn noted. "That's why I felt my body was restrained at that time."

"But why?" Tsuna pressed. "Why would you go through all that trouble just to get us to this era? Please answer me."

"Do you want to know?" Irie mused. "I guess so."

"Irie-sama, don't say any more." the Cervello warned.

"No, I will answer him." Irie insisted. "It's simple. Byakuran-san wants to terminate this world and create another world. For that reason, the Vongola Rings are needed."

"Vongola Rings?" Tsuna echoed.

"In this world exist a large number of Rings with hidden power," Irie explained. "However among them, the Vongola Rings and Mare Rings are special. The seven Vongola Rings, the seven Mare Rings, and the seven pacifiers of the Arcobaleno. Seven of each makes a total of twenty-one Rings, which are known as the 73 . 73 Ores are the cornerstones that created this world."

"How can this be..." Tsuna was stunned.

"You're free to believe it or not." Irie remarked. "At least the ones whose duties are to protect the 73, and assimilated themselves with the 73 , the Arcobaleno, can't deny what I said."

"What is going on?" Tsuna was confused.

"Lal, you guys are involved in that?" Ami turned to the female Arcobaleno. "Even Master..."

"Wait a minute," Tsuna voiced. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"This discussion is over." Irie declared. "I'll leave the rest to you."

"Yes sir." the Cervello chorused as Irie walked off. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, hand over the Sky Vongola Ring." they demanded. "If you don't, you can bid your Guardians farewell. Even if you breathe only a bit of the gas this time,you won't even last seconds."

"Wait, Irie." Reborn voiced. "Our talk isn't over yet, there's one part of what you said that I can't agree with."

"Let's not waste time unnecessarily." the Cervello stated. "You have no right to choose. This is an order, not a negotiation. Hand over the Sky Vongola Ring within three seconds. If you don't, the Guardians will be eliminated."

"Wait a minute." Tsuna protested. "You're from Cervello, right? Tell me, why are you working with Milliefiore?"

"Three." the Cervello started the countdown.

"Damn woman!" Gokudera snapped. "If you think you can use us as hostages, then you're wrong! 10Th, don't mind us! Get rid of those bitches!"

"But there's no way I can do that." Tsuna insisted, fumbling for his Ring.

"Do it, Sawada!" Lal Mirch barked. "Even after you give them the Sky Vongola Ring, they'll still eliminate us! Don't mind us!"

"One!" the Cervello was about to press the button when two shot were heard. "Irie... sama..." the two pink-haired women muttered, dropping the remote and passing out.

"Please don't be offended by this." Irie remarked, gun in hand. "I just want you to sleep for awhile. It's hot." he adjusted his collar, dropping his gun. "I'm all worn out. For a moment, I was worried what would happen to Sawada Tsunayoshi and the rest of the Family. Now that I'm not nervous anymore, my knees can't stop shaking. You guys did well to get this far," he flopped on the ground. "I was waiting for all of you. I'm your ally."

"Our ally?" Tsuna echoed.

"Yeah, that's right." Irie replied. "I'm not good with this kind of stuff." he kicked the gun away. "It's too solemn."

"Wait, what do you mean, you're our ally?" Tsuna pressed. "Aren't you Milliefiore's core member? Our enemy?"

"Calm down, Tsuna." Reborn chided.

"Don't let your guard down!" Gokudera shouted. "10th, this could be another trap."

"That's right." Lal Mirch agreed. "Tie him up, Sawada."

"I know it's difficult for you to suddenly trust me." Irie sighed. "But I hope you'll listen to my explanation."

"Don't listen to him, 10th!" Gokudera insisted.

"Normally, everything I do is under 24-hour surveillance by my subordinates." Irie explained. "And by cameras transmitting to Byakuran. However, thanks to you guys messing up the base, I can talk to you like this now. I've been waiting for this moment the whole time."

"Waiting?" Tsuna echoed.

"Yeah." Irie nodded. "Being able to meet you in this base, under these circumstances, was the goal we were working toward from the start."

"'We'? Tsuna blinked. "'Goal'?"

"What are you saying?" Gokudera barked.

"In order to get the Vongola Rings, Milliefiore brought all of you to this era," Irie admitted. "That's the truth. As predicted, all of you wore the Vongola Rings and gathered here."

"As expected, you're after the Vongola Rings!" Gokudera snapped.

"If I am only after the Vongola Rings, I don't have to gather all of you here at the Merone Base." Irie explained.

"Don't tell me that letter..." Reborn realized.

"Letting all of you target me so you would attack here is a secret plan I devised against the Milliefiore." Irie confessed. It's so that I can train you guys and make all of you stronger. I'm really sorry for all the bad things that happened. But to prepare you for the upcoming battle, and to exponentially increase your growth in the shortest time, this was the only way."

"The upcoming battle?" Tsuna echoed.

"That's right." Irie declared. "Your real enemy isn't me."

"Stop your nonsense!" Gokudera snapped. "This is obviously made up. You must have realized that your situation isn't so good, so you said all that to win us over."

"Gokudera is right." Lal Mirch agreed. "As if we'll believe you!"

"Wait a second." Irie protested. "Think about it. If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it already."

"He's got a point." Ami agreed. "No matter how careless the Milliefiore are, our capabilities are heaven and earth apart. If we fought them head on, we'd have no chance of victory."

"Ami-san..." Kusakabe blinked.

"All of you should've known from the start that if you fought them head on, you wouldn't have a chance of winning." Reborn agreed. "That's why you took a gamble by trying to infiltrate this Milliefiore Base. In the end, you encountered all kinds of battles, gained experience, improved your skills, and reached this final destination. Just as he said."

"Instead of replacing your future counterparts all at once, I replaced a few at a time." Irie added. "So that your counterparts from this era could train and guide you. Once you entered this Base, I could have moved the Base much earlier and captured all of you. But that wouldn't have helped you gain any experience. So I had to delay it on purpose. That's not all. Do you know why I-Pin, Sasagawa Kyoko and Miura Haru were brought to this era from the past, even though they're not your Guardians? When a person has someone he wants to protect, he becomes stronger. Because of that, we judged that it was necessary. Currently..." he was cut short when Tsuna gripped his shoulders.

"What kind of... what kind of reason is that?" Tsuna snapped. "What would you have done if something had happened to Kyoko or the others? It's not just Kyoko and the others. Even before we started training, what if Yamamoto, Gokudera, or Lal... everyone could have... they could've died in this fight!"

"If that was the case, there's nothing I could've done about it." Irie winced. "I'm doing my best here too! If something unexpected had happened, I'd be in trouble too! This is a lot more serious than you might think. Besides, this plan is part of your future counterpart's idea, too Tsunayoshi."

"My idea?" Tsuna gaped.

"The 10th's..." Gokudera gaped.

"Cat's out of the bag." Ami sighed. "Nice going, Shoichi."

"This plan must never be exposed to the Milliefiore." Irie stated. "Because of that, it's only me, your future self, the future Hibari Kyoya and his wife; this secret is only known to the four of us."

"Wife?" Hibari raised a brow at the adult version of his girlfriend, causing Ami to grin.

"'The goal we were working toward...'" Tsuna realized. "The 'we' you referred to..."

"Yeah." Irie nodded. "The future Hibari predicted our ambush because of that."

"My future self didn't know about this?" Gokudera was stunned. "That's impossible! I am th 10th's right-hand man, yet I didn't know? Why them?" he glared at the Hibari couple.

"Gokudera, let me put it this way," Ami deathpanned. "What would you have done if you had known?"

"I..." Gokudera started.

"Would have seriously screwed up the plan!" Ami snapped.

"Your future self hesitated until the very end about involving his comrades," Irie admitted. "But he finally understood that this was necessary to improve his past self."

"No way..." Tsuna released Irie. "No way... It was me who decided to bring everyone to this era... to this dangerous place..."

"That's impossible!" Lal Mirch barked. "I know Sawada's personality very well! He is unbelievably naïve!"

"That's right!" Gokudera agreed. "The 10th would never involve the kids!"

"Oh man," Irie sighed. "This just shows how bad the situation is! Think about it before you speak!"

"There goes Shoichi's unique bad temper." Spanner chuckled.

"If we don't gamble all we've got to deal with this situation, everyone of you, and all your friends, will be eliminated! That's not all! Even more people... if we don't do it properly, all of humanity will be in crisis!"

"Humanity..." Tsuna gaped. "In crisis?"

"In other words, the situation is so bad that we have to resort to all sorts of methods?" Reborn concluded. "And all of these are related to the upcoming battle?"

"Yes." Irie nodded. "That's why the future Tsunayoshi had Ami train me in undercover work."

"I think it's okay to trust him." Reborn stated. "All the doubts I have felt so far have been answered logically. Besides, since it was our resident T&I expert who trained him..."

"Don't go there, Reborn." Ami growled. "That's why I hate training newbies. They crack way too easily."

"That's right." Irie changed the subject. "Your enemy is Byakuran."

"I knew it." Tsuna muttered.

"In order to collect the 73, Byakuran, he used all kinds of methods to bring the world under his control. He's that kind of person. He called this plan 'The 73 Policy'. And if he succeeds, all hell will break loose. Every man, organization, or country that goes against him will be eliminated."

"If that's the case, there's something I don't get." Reborn voiced. "Why have you been helping Byakuran until now? If you hadn't fired the Ten-Year-Bazooka and sent the Vongola Ring to this era, he wouldn't be able to complete his plan, right? If Tsuna and the others hadn't come to this era from the past, maybe there would've been fewer casualties in the end. Tsuna and we, the Arcobaleno, will probably die. But perhaps Kyoko and the others won't be involved in this."

"For a short while." Irie agreed. "But even if I didn't lend him a hand, he's somehow be able to take you into the future. And there's another reason that I'm doing this. The only time to stop him is in this era."

"What do you mean by that?" Gokudera demanded.

"This is the only era in which you can defeat Byakuran and seal his ability." Irie declared.

"Ability?" Tsuna echoed.

"This would take some time to explain." Irie replied. "I totally forgot!" he exclaimed. "Have you had any contact from Vongola Headquarters?"

"No." Reborn replied.

"Not yet?" Irie sighed. "Right, probably not yet."

"Is something wrong?" Tsuna asked when Irie doubled over.

"Shoichi." Spanner knelt by his friend. "Don't worry. Whenever Shoichi gets nervous, he gets a stomachache."

"And that's one habit I just couldn't get him to kick." Ami sighed.

"It's not that I wanted it to be like this!" Irie retorted. "Besides, this kind of thing is not my forte."

"Even after all those tortuous hours of training?" Ami deathpanned. "Kami must hate me very much to give me such a student."

"You never change." Spanner sighed. "Although Shoichi is amazing, giving the impression that he's not is what's amazing."

"Spanner, that's not a compliment, you know?" Irie chided. "Anyway, getting you here is one of the gambles we made to defeat Byakuran. If we call this Stage One, then we still have to clear Stage Two."

"We still have to fight?" Tsuna gaped.

"No, not that." Irie corrected. "I'd been planning to let you guys rest for awhile. But that would depend on Stage Two."

"What is this 'Stage Two' you're talking about?" Reborn questioned.

"You've heard about it, right?" Irie stated. "Today, we are launching a large scale attack on Milliefiore's Bases all over the world."

"Now that you mention it..." Tsuna started.

"In collaboration to that plan, Tsuna and the others infiltrated this place." Reborn added.

"If this large scale attack fails, things are going to become much harder." Irie remarked. "The most important key depends on the battle of the main force in Italy."

"Oh, we don't have to worry about that," Ami was smirking up a storm. "Not with those guys."

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.