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Chapter 21
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"Tsu-chan! Kanna-chan! Breakfast is ready!"
"Hm...ugh...?"
I rolled onto my back as a smaller body huddled closer to me from the side. The morning sun hit my face and I blinked slowly as a cherry blossom petal landed on my nose from the open window. I released a stiff sigh before sitting up as Kanna rolled over taking the futon's blanket with her. I scratched the top of my head while yawning lazily.
"Kanna, it's morning...wake up..." I said standing up.
"Sleepy..." Kanna muttered sitting up in bed.
Kanna found the main building of my Aozora manor too...stifling so she moved into the small traditional styled home with me. My mother lived here as well and got used to me and Kanna dressing in attire similar to the ones we wore in the past. Kanna got dressed for the day in a plain light pink sweater with a white skirt and leggings. I, on the other hand, am dressed in the Namimori middle school uniform. My pacifier is hidden in the large orange rose on the black choker I wear around my neck. I pulled half my hair into a high ponytail with a bright orange ribbon while the rest of my hair fell down to my hips.
"Morning, Kaa-chan." I said entering the dining room.
"Good morning..." Kanna said right behind me.
"Good morning, Tsu-chan, Kanna-chan." Kaa-chan smiled at us as she placed some rice into a bowl. "Tsu-chan, Tsu-kun said that he'll come get you once he finishes breakfast with Mukuro-kun and his friends."
"Got it. We'll walk Kanna to school too."
"Alright."
Breakfast was eaten at a slow steady pace in silence until it was time to leave. Michiru's dressed in the same uniform as I am while wearing a pair of big bulky glasses. I must say though, standing side by side with him...if we didn't dye his hair brown like mine and the fact we're uncle and niece...I would have assumed him to be my long lost twin brother. He took my bag from me and Kanna quickly took the opportunity to grab my hand now that it was free. My phone rang and I flipped it open, holding it to my ear.
"This is Aozora." I said taking a glance of my surroundings.
"Cat trash."
"I keep telling you to not call me that...So, what do I owe the pleasure?"
"The old man sent Reborn to Japan."
"...I see..." There's a dial tone indicating he hung up on me. I placed my phone in my pocket before touching my choker where the pacifier was hidden. "Let the games begin..."
"Tsuki! Tsuna! Kanna-chan!"
"Souta, good morning."
"Morning!"
Kanna separated with us halfway and when the three of us entered the school grounds...I quickly blocked the strike aimed at me from the side. Hibari gave me a smirk and I stared at him with a slight smile. Souta and Michiru quickly walked past the two of us, heading to class first while I blocked a few more hits before slipping past him. I gave him a slight wave of a hand before entering the school.
"Aozora-san! Good morning!"
"Good morning, everyone." I gave a false kind smile to the people who called out to me. They forgot that Sawada Tsunayoshi was a girl that they bullied, that it was me that they had bullied. "Ah, Sasagawa-san, Kurokawa-san, good morning."
"Good morning, Tsuki-chan."
"Morning, Tsuki."
Sasagawa Kyoko and Kurokawa Hana were one of the few people I could actually stand. I remember faintly how Sasagawa gave me her handkerchief once when she saw me crying while Kurokawa was the one to tell the teachers about the boys who were bullying me. I entered the classroom and I sat down in my seat between both Souta and Michiru.
"Hibari-senpai always attacks you every morning, doesn't he get tired of it?" Souta asked pulling out his notebooks.
"He's always complaining about me wearing my choker or earring so we made a bet. If I can slip past him then he won't say anything for the day, if I can't then I owe him a spar on the coming Sunday." I stated playing with my hair.
"I still say Hibari has a crush on you..." Michiru said muttered with a frown.
"He doesn't have a crush on me...Hey, you guys. The Sky is quite clear, don't you think? We'll be seeing quite a bit of Sun so I was thinking of purchasing a parasol." Both boys looked at me at the same time at my words. I don't have any Suns in this era, so they quickly knew that I was talking about an Arcobaleno. A very troublesome one. "A nice orange one."
"You like orange a bit too much, Tsuki-hime." Michiru smiled, but I knew from his tone that he would have liked to have known this before we left home. "I cannot deny it suits you though."
"Orange is my favorite color. Oh, I forgot to ask, but how is Kagome-san?"
"She's doing better. She's thinking about what college to enter."
"Hm...Next year will be a bit tough..."
"I guess so. We won't see her for a while."
"...Yeah, we won't."
The bell range and classes began. I spun my pencil between my index finger and thumb, thinking about the future. Michiru was snoozing away while Souta is doodling in his notebook. I wrote down a few notes as the teacher droned on and on about the formulas used in this or that. The lunch bell rang and I shut my notebook, tossing it into my desk before grabbing the three lunchboxes from my bag.
"Wake up." I lightly tapped Michiru on the crown of his head and he sat up, stifling a yawn. "Come on, let's go to the roof to eat lunch." I said taking the lead.
"Oh!" I bumped into Yamamoto on the way out of the classroom. "Sorry about that, Aozora." Yamamoto said giving me a friendly grin.
"It's fine." I lightly dusted off my shoulder before moving past him. "Souta, Tsuna, let's go." I said not even bothering to look back.
"..." Souta fell into step on my left while Michiru was on my right. Souta glanced behind us at Yamamoto who was sporting a frown for a few seconds until it returned to that stupid fake smile he used to reassure his 'friends' that he's okay. "So why do you hate Yamamoto so much?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Tsuki-hime."
"...Do you really think I could forgive anything they did to Tsunayoshi?" Michiru was silent about that. Since he took on my previous name, there was more than one person who called him 'Dame-Tsuna' or attempted to bully him if not for me and Souta being around. "Those who bullies the weak and those who stood on the sidelines just watching with pity in their eyes. Yamamoto stood on the sidelines, watching and not doing a damn thing as his 'friends' bullied Tsunayoshi."
"Sorry..." Souta awkwardly scratched his cheek, holding the door open for us. "I forgot about that."
"I'm not one who easily forgives." I placed one of the boxes down next to the door before we walked further to enjoy the sun. "What a nice day."
"...Do you consider Hibari one of your own?" Souta glanced at the bento box left by the door curiously. "You started to leave a bento for him."
"I can't deny the fact that he is someone I would like to have at my side. He is strong and he reminds me of Sesshomaru-sama." I laughed at the looks on Michiru's and Souta's faces. Michiru knew Sesshomaru personally while Souta knew of him from my stories. "They are both of the same nature."
"...I can see it."
"Really?"
"Forget about that and let's eat." I handed Michiru his bento and I placed my hands together. "Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu!"
"Itadakimasu. Oh, right. What do you think we should do since it's going to be Sunny for a while?"
"Business as usual."
Once classes ended, Souta decided to come over to play. Kanna ran towards us when she saw us, immediately taking hold of my hand. She opened her pendant with one hand showing me the image of a confused infant with a yellow pacifier shifting through files in some kind of storage room. I wanted to laugh at this, but held it in. We completely rewritten the history of 'Sawada Tsunayoshi' to make it appear as if it was a boy that was born and not a girl. That Tsunayoshi didn't disappear, but was taken by the Aozora family by the paternal grandfather when Nana was deemed unfit to be a parent and only recently returned home with his 'cousin' keeping watch as she is attached to 'Tsunayoshi'. Memories of adults were altered, files changed and erased, and I plan on messing with Vongola as much as possible.
"I still cannot get used to the fact you live in such a traditional place right beside a western manor." Souta said taking his shoes off.
"I feel much more comfortable here instead of in a western setting." I said slipping on the slippers.
"Tsukichiyo, kimono..." Kanna said looking up at me.
"A little later, okay?" I asked smiling at her.
"Tsuki-hime and Kanna-chan are of the same nature. They're always dressed in traditional clothing when on the property. We're home!" Michiru called out.
"Welcome home! Tsu-chan, Tsu-kun! Oh, hello, Souta-kun."
"Good evening, Oba-san."
"Are you going to stay over for dinner today?"
"Not today. Maybe next time."
"It's always a pleasure to have Tsu-chan's and Tsu-kun's friends over." Kaa-chan smiled at the boy. "I'll be back in a bit. I have to do some grocery shopping. There's snacks on the dining room table so have those until I come back."
"Sure thing."
"I'll go too."
"Are you sure, Kanna-chan?"
"Un."
"Then I leave her to you. Nana-san." Kaa-chan's eyes went to me and she smiled brightly, knowing what me calling her by her actual name means. Vongola is involved and I am now her 'niece', not her daughter. "Come back safely, okay?"
"Of course."
Souta and I completed our homework in the living room while Michiru purposefully messed up on his. Souta went home around six, Michiru and I walking him to the station as usual. I paused in my step as we were leaving, my gaze falling upon the tree nearby while Michiru acted ignorant to my actions. I smiled in amusement, my eyes glowing a bright orange before I turned and continued walking.
"What's wrong, Tsuki-hime?" Michiru asked acting confused.
"Nothing, nothing at all." I stated fingering my collar.
"Ah, Ojii-sama said that he wants to see you soon." Michiru said smiling at me.
"Perhaps during the break." I stated glancing back once more.
"The Aozora is pretty scary, Tsuki-hime..." Michiru acted uncomfortable, scratching his cheek. "I'm still not sure about letting Kaa-chan live so close to your other retainers...Mukuro is a bit...creepy."
"Well, you'll have to deal with it. There's a reason why I have her live with me and not in the manor."
"Geez..." We entered the Aozora grounds. I paused in my step and Michiru looked towards me in confusion. "What's wrong, Tsuki-hime?"
"Go on ahead. I shall be there soon."
"Hm? Okay..."
"..." I waited until Michiru entered the estate before glancing back. "Enter the garden between my traditional home and the manor. There's a gazebo with a table. We can speak privately there, but I wish to change and bring out proper refreshments before then. Please do forgive me for making you wait a few moments."
I turned, entering my home before changing into my kimono. I patted Kanna on the head as I passed her, entering the kitchen. I prepared some tea and snacks before heading for the garden's gazebo. It's a traditional Japanese styled one that I had surrounded by a pond filled water lilies. I placed the tray on the table before sitting down. A smaller figure followed soon after, sitting across from me. I served him his drink first before taking my own cup, taking a small sip.
"It seems that the Aozora took in Sawada Tsunayoshi..." Reborn said tipping the rim of his fedora down.
"No matter how distant the family member, we take care of our own. Sawada Tsunayoshi and Sawada Nana are both Aozora by blood, even if one had chosen the life of the civilian." I said as he picked up his teacup.
"She is an Aozora."
"She chose to become a civilian. She casted away the Aozora name and took her birth father's surname when she chose to abandon us." My tone became sharper as my eyes stared down at the cursed hitman. "If it wasn't for Tsunayoshi, I would never have allowed them to reunite."
"You would take away a mother's child?"
"Did you not read the reports, Arcobaleno? The constant bullying, the person Tsunayoshi thought to trust didn't bother to help, no one believed in Tsunayoshi and as such...well, the Aozora took Tsunayoshi in. Sawada Tsunayoshi doesn't exist...not anymore." I played with my cup, a small frown on my lips. "I love Tsunayoshi dearly. Tsunayoshi is under Aozora protection, under my protection and is mine. Vongola cannot touch what does not belong to them."
"He was chosen as Vongola Decimo."
"Then the Vongola should have watched over their heirs better instead of attempting to snatching away the life of a civilian."
"Not a civilian if he is part of the Aozora. He took the name and isn't completely ignorant of his situation."
"Do you think the Aozora would allow anyone to touch one of our children? To allow some gaijin bastards who only want to use one of our own because they stupidly lost their heirs?" Reborn silently sipped at his drink at my words. He cannot deny this. Vongola is deemed the strongest mafia family, but they couldn't protect their heirs better after the first one died? How stupid. "Touching Tsunayoshi means that Vongola is willing to risk a war against Aozora."
"..."
"Still, it's not something Tsunayoshi wishes for..." Reborn's eyes focused upon me and I sipped at my tea. "You see, pointless bloodshed isn't something I want before my reign as the next Aozora head. I have had enough of pointless bloodshed..." I stared into my cup, thinking of the lives I took in the feudal era. I don't want to see anymore blood spilled. "That is why I want to make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"You complete your job, but you must train me."
"Why should I do that?"
"Look around you, do you really think I would be out here as the Aozora heiress if I was completely accepted? You will train me so that I can obtain the Aozora throne. In exchange, you can teach Tsunayoshi."
"...Very well."
"Then please allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Aozora Tsukichiyo, 12 years of age, and heiress to the Aozora Clan of Japan." I smiled, my eyes glowing amber. "I look forward to being one of your students, Arcobaleno of the Sun."
I introduced Michiru to Reborn before offering the hitman his own room beside Michiru's. Mukuro was playing nice since he knew and helped plan the downfall of the current generation of Vongola. He wanted to see Vongola fall and fall hard they shall. I had to informed Reborn that if he destroys anything he is to fix it himself as I am not allowing outsiders to enter my estate. I wonder how long this will last...until it is time to reveal who I really am.
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Chapter 21 Ends
Tsuki did not once lie to Reborn. Tsuki used Tsunayoshi to refer to herself and not once did she used gender specific pronouns. She also didn't lie to Reborn when she said that if he trains her to obtain the Aozora throne, then he can teach Tsunayoshi. Reborn will indeed do his job as instructed of him on both sides. He will tutor Tsuki to obtain the Vongola throne and the Aozora throne, not yet knowing that she is the true Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuki refers to her past self as Tsunayoshi while she calls Michiru 'Tsuna'. Most people will assume it to be her using Tsunayoshi as a means of emphasizing how much she is protective of 'Tsuna'. Let's see how long this lasts, shall we~? That's all for today, my dears~! Bye-bye~!