A/N: The grand arrival of a mysterious figure!

Thanks for the reviews last chapter from long live marshmallows, animebooklover14, KhRfan12 and someone who wished not to be named so I will vaguely reference them so that they know who they are and feel happy to be mentioned, albeit anonymously. *EXHALE*

Have You Passed Through This Night?

ボンゴレの心

Boyudo

The man observed the sounds of Namimori town, whilst taking in its scent. The sounds painted a better picture than his eyes ever could. Closing them as he took in the night air, he felt the sprawling buildings, ranging in height and width. He felt the people inside the office buildings, nearing the end of their working day. Their weak Flames were like faint lights against the darkness of his closed eyelids. He could hear the screech of tires, car horns, footsteps, every little sound. He felt the flaring Flames of the Earth, their power still an oddity to his sixth sense. They were here, he had made it in time. He could feel 3 powerful Sky Flames in the immediate area, one of them much brighter than the others. 3 Rain Flames, 1 Storm Flame, 1 Cloud Flame, 1 Lightning Flame, 3 Sun Flames and 2 Mist Flames stood out above the other flickers in the darkness. Multiple others were being suppressed, rendering him unable to discern their exact identity. One of the Mist Flames had dimmed considerably, but it was still recognisable. Rokudo Mukuro, the pathwalker. The beast had changed, but he was unsure if it was for the better. After all, the 'boy's' true form was nothing to be feared, were it understood correctly. Running a pale hand through his greying brown mane, he was relieved to find that his senses hadn't been dulled in his dozen or so years of rest. If anything, the contrast was a welcome test.

Recalling the second familiar Sun Flame he had felt, he quickly noticed its difference in size and power, Reborn's form had changed, it was likely that since his departure, Reborn's curse had been broken. Smirking at the thought, he raised his left arm, the familiar Night Flame coursing through his fingertips. Spreading his fingers, a black tear formed in the air, its edges rippling as it struggled against its own existence. Engraving the target location in his mind, he stepped through the portal, preparing himself for a long warp – a much less pleasant experience than the short warp that the Night Flame offered.

The man grinned upon finding that he had exited the portal upside-down. Wrapping his cloak tightly around himself, he stepped out casually and observed the scene from above, his long ponytail and bangs dangling down below. Tsuna and Enma extinguished their Flames below, their faces contorted in shock. They hadn't noticed him yet. That was to be expected, after all, he had been born and died in shadow enough for it to become his home. Feeling a powerful Sun Flame coming very close, the man watched with interest as Reborn jumped onto the rooftop, yellow wisps of Flame trailing behind him. He too, was in panic. Smiling quietly to himself, he deciphered that Reborn had likely detected his vague presence.

"TSUNA!" Reborn yelled aloud, instantly grabbing Tsuna's attention, "Don't you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Tsuna asked in confusion.

"It's almost perfectly, masterfully suppressed, but I can feel a Flame." Reborn began, sweating noticeably, "It's the most powerful Flame I've ever felt."

"But... it's suppressed." Tsuna murmured slowly, coming to the horrible realisation that Reborn had come to.

"Why can't I feel it though?" Tsuna asked.

"It's scattered, everywhere, but it's all the same Flame, were it to be concentrated... I..." Reborn faltered, unable to finish his sentence.

Tsuna stood stunned, at a complete loss for words, seeing Reborn in such an emotionally vulnerable state left his feeling utterly hopeless.

"Tsu-kun!" Kyoko shouted, appearing in the doorway, Gokudera, Haru and Ryohei close behind.

"Tenth, we heard the fighting, is everything okay?" Gokudera asked, noticing Tsuna and Enma looking friendly towards one another.

"Tsu-kun..." Kyoko repeated, standing in front of Tsuna, her hands on his arms.

"Kyoko-chan, we have to get out of here, right now." Tsuna said slowly, his eyes reflecting his panic.

"Tsuna, we don't know if this Flame is hostile!" Reborn interjected.

"I can feel it now, it feels pretty dark to me." Tsuna responded with a growl.

"What is it?" Kyoko asked, her eyes ordering Tsuna to tell her what was going on.

"Something very dangerous is here, we need to-"

"Tsu-kun... who's that?" Kyoko interrupted, pointing upwards.

"I don't see- oh god." Tsuna paled, finally seeing the dark figure hanging in the air above them, the darkness clearing.

It must have been a illusion of some sort.

"It was not an illusion." the man replied, reading Tsuna's mind and causing his eyes to widen in recognition.

The voice was mainly masculine this time, but the tone was still the same. The same spectral echo reverberating through Tsuna's ears when he heard that voice.

"Ah, I see you remember." he pointed out plainly.

"Where's Giotto?"

"天道(Tendou), where he has always resided, since his death." he explained.

"Ten...dou... Heaven?" Tsuna murmured, his eyes narrowing.

"Correct. Deva, the realm of heavenly beings. For some it is just as torturous as 地獄道 (Jigokudō) itself." he continued.

"How would heaven be like hell?" Tsuna asked in confusion.

"Deva is also a realm of pleasure. Over-indulgence can kill a man. Euphoria is a weapon in its own right."

"Does Giotto still walk the paths?" Tsuna asked.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise at Tsuna's unexpected knowledge, the figure smiled, elaborating further.

"Yes, but he usually stays in Deva." he answered.

"Are you all talk, Black Flame?" Reborn inquired suddenly, looking noticeably calmer.

The man simply smiled and twisted his body in mid-air, landing on his feet, remaining air-borne. Pushing his thick fringe to the side, a glinting eye came into view. Reborn's eyes narrowed at the sight of the figure's red iris, attempting to read the kanji he could barely see on the man's eye.

十

二

Clicking his tongue in confusion, Reborn attempted to decipher what the kanji signified. Mukuro had had a simple roku kanji on his iris, signifying the six paths of reincarnation. However, what could a number 12 mean?

"Mukuro said he lived 6 other lifetimes before this one and he remembered them all." Tsuna recalled, "It made it seem like he was really old, because he knew so much from all those past lives."

"But if Mukuro's eye was 6 and this man's eye is 12 then..." Reborn murmured in thought, "Just how old are you?..." he finished with wide eyes.

"Do you expect a dead man to keep a count of his age?" the figure retorted.

"You have walked the paths..." Enma interjected, making his presence known, "Yet you don't have a Sky Flame – in fact, you have a Flame I've never felt before."

"How do you know about the paths?" Tsuna whispered to Enma, who simply shrugged, revealing that Cozart told him.

"You've been in contact with this Flame countless times." Reborn said, "This one just has a Flame too powerful to suppress."

"As for walking the paths, no doubt you don't even qualify as human..." Reborn began with a scowl.

"...Vendiche."

"Arigatou, oyaji." Yamamoto smiled in his father's direction, upon finishing his dinner, Tsuyoshi had resumed his sushi preparation as he waited for his evening customers.

"Mmm, thank you, Yamamoto-san." Chrome smiled politely.

"Oi, that's 'Papa' to you, Chrome-chan!" Tsuyoshi grinned.

"Dad..." Yamamoto laughed nervously.

"Takeshi, you take the night off, I should be able to handle the place on my own." Tsuyoshi ordered, smiling warmly at his son.

"Eh, really?" Yamamoto asked in surprise.

"Sure." Tsuyoshi grinned.

Grinning wider, Yamamoto practically scooped Chrome out of her seat, dragging her collapsible wheelchair behind him, he charged towards his room.

Standing in silence for a few moments, Tsuyoshi's grin fell. Fatherly suspicisions taking over, Tsuyoshi tore at his hair, trying not to think too hard about it.

"I immediately regret this decision."

Takeshi really didn't know the kind of messages he was sending...

"Takeshi!" Chrome yelped in Yamamoto's arms, "What's going on?"

"There's something I want to show you." Yamamoto grinned in simple reply.

Maintaining his balance perfectly, Yamamoto opened the door to his bedroom with his foot. Setting Chrome down on his bed, he noticed her barely contained blushes, as he she propped herself into a more comfortable position, with her hands spread out behind her back.

"So... what is it?" Chrome asked, curiosity taking control.

"Just a sec'" Yamamoto said, digging through the insides of his wardrobe.

"Ahh, here it is!" He sighed, sounding relieved. Chrome watched as he pulled a thin rectangular box into view.

"I had to get it repaired, but they did a really good job!" Yamamoto grinned.

"I haven't opened it yet..." Chrome murmured with a giggle.

"Oh, uh... sorry." he laughed nervously, carefully handing her the box.

Opening the box slowly, Chrome gasped softly upon seeing the recognisable glint of silver meeting her eyes. It was a beautiful pendant, shaped like a very rounded cross, almost like a flower. In the centre was a circular stone, looking flawless as it lay still in the box. The pendant hung from an intricately linked silver chain, that was nearly impossibly thin.

Yamamoto brushed a finger over the pendant, causing Chrome to notice the stone's blue colour, it was probably a sapphire.

"It was my mother's." Yamamoto explained, "She used to tell me, that the necklace changed colour depending on the mood or personality of whoever touched it. It turns blue when I touch it, see?"

"It had no colour a second ago, that happens when nobody touches it for a little while." He added.

"She told me that the blue colour that it turned for me, signified kindness..." He smiled sadly at the memory.

"What about her?" Chrome asked, being drawn in by the story.

"It turned yellow." He murmured, grimacing slightly as his voice cracked.

"She said... that... that it signified... h-happiness." He finished his eyes glinting with unshed tears.

"Takeshi..." Chrome whispered, hugging him tightly, she heard him laugh weakly into her shoulder.

"It's okay, really..." He said, pulling away to reveal a bright smile, "She would have loved you." Sighing deeply, he continued, "I realise now though, that the colours never corresponded to your personality, it was your Flame." Yamamoto smiled. "She had a Sun Flame, she was always smiling, even when she was in pain, she would always smile for me and it was always real." He murmured, his sad smile returning.

"Honestly, she would have loved you." Yamamoto grinned at her, his eyes sincere, "I'm sorry you can't meet her..."

"Me too..." Chrome whispered sadly. Takeshi really loved his mother, she sounded like a wonderful woman.

"Here, let me." Yamamoto said, lifting the pendant out of the box, placing it around Chrome's small neck.

Clutching the pendant as it fell across her chest, she watched as blue shifted into indigo, the stone recognising her Flame.

"D-did your mother ever say anything about indigo?" Chrome asked hesitantly.

Yamamoto smiled at the question with a nod.

"She said that people who turned the pendant indigo tended to be lonely." He began, intertwining his fingers with Chrome's, "And that if I met someone who turned the pendant indigo, I should try my best to make them happy."

Chrome lowered her head, surprising Yamamoto as tears began to run down her face. He gently grabbed her shoulders in worry, asking her what was wrong.

She surprised him yet again, by raising her head. Tears were still flowing, but on her face was the brightest smile he had ever seen from the purple headed girl. It didn't look out of place on the usually quiet girl, not at all. In fact, Yamamoto realised, she had never looked so beautiful. He hated to see her cry, but he also loved to see her happy. Tears of happiness were fine in his books.

"This is the most amazing gift anyone has ever given me..." Chrome whispered, gasping between tears. "Thank you... thank you so much, Takeshi."

Leaning in, they traded a brief kiss, from which they parted slowly, their eyes remaining locked.

"Before, I... never really had anything to live for." Chrome said, out of the blue, "I had Ken and Chikusa, they were my friends, I suppose... but I..."

"I just wasn't happy." She finished, sighing deeply.

"Nagi..." Yamamoto murmured.

"I think you're worth living for." Chrome whispered, her head resting against Yamamoto's.

"I won't let go." He promised, repeating what he had said before.

Their lips met again and Chrome released her Flame. Her Mist Flame giving off an aura of calm. Focusing the corner of her mind, Chrome set her illusions to work.

Yamamoto gasped in surprise as Chrome climbed into his lap, without breaking off the kiss. There was no way she could have done that without using her... legs.

Yamamoto pulled away to see her smiling again.

"How will we explain this one?" Yamamoto laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Vendiche?" the man murmured in what seemed like consideration. "No." he said simply, "But, yes. I am not human, not anymore." he agreed.

"Just who are you?" Tsuna growled.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." the man retorted, without any humour in his voice.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, Vongo-"

"Tsuna...yoshi. Tsuna...yo...shi? Tsuna." the man murmured to himself, "I see – Tsuna – I had forgotten, despite your importance to my mission." he grimaced.

"What mission?" Reborn asked.

"That, I cannot tell you." he replied.

"Bullshit you can't!" Gokudera yelled.

"You speak of that which you do not understand, Gokudera Hayato." the man growled fiercely, showing a dangerous side that brought even Gokudera to instant silence.

"Kozato Enma." he called out to Enma, who raised his head fearfully, "You came here with a purpose – to steal the Vongola Sin."

Enma began to protest with wide eyes, but the man merely raised a hand to silence him.

"Don't deny it. You planned to steal it during Tsunayoshi's inheritance ceremony, in two weeks time."

"What?" Tsuna gaped in confusion. Inheritance ceremony? Inheritance of what?

"Reborn didn't tell you, did he?" the man sighed, "It was delayed but... you were to inherit the title of Vongola Decimo during the ceremony."

"I was given direct orders to not tell Tsuna, Nono wished to do it himself." Reborn explained with a frown.

"You would be better off prepared. Although, only hindsight could have given you such a warning to prompt it." the man replied.

"Tell us this, what is your name?" Tsuna asked, with a determined look in his eyes.

Draping his cloak over his right shoulder, the man revealed his bare torso and bandaged neck and face in full view. His right eye was covered completely, whereas the bandages parted around his left eye and mouth, also revealing his pale skin, that was no doubt paler skin beneath his bandages. Reborn's eyes were drawn to the man's right side. Bold Kanji were printed below his ribcage, beside his abdominal muscles.

A...shu...ra.

Asura.

"In Asura, they called me 'King'" He mused, a long finger from his left hand trailing over the black kanji.

"You were truly wrong to call me Vendiche." He murmured, "They fear me."

"Even Bermuda and his dog, Jager." he added.

"If you were to ask me, 'are you friend or foe?', I would tell you that I am the greatest friend you could ever have."

"Should you wish to live."

Grinning at the dumbfounded expressions of his spectators, he grinned wider as he spoke.

"You can call me what the Vendiche have dubbed me." He said, revealing a small vial from his cloak and tossing it to Enma, who barely caught it.

"Masanori."

"I am your saviour, but I have not come for your sin. Instead, I will give you mine."

Enma stared down at the vial in shock. Sin. How did this man have it? None of this was making any sense!

"Don't ask why I helped you. Ask how you can help yourself and your friends." Masanori said sternly. "I've been gone from this time for too long, it's time I tested you," Masanori began. "Tsunayoshi."

Masanori was gone next time Tsuna blinked and Tsuna barely managed to dodge the strike that was sent towards his head, falling on his back, even as he released his Flame, Tsuna gasped in horror at the sheer amount of killing intent that Masanori was emanating.

"It's lesson time, Dame-Tsuna." he smirked.

A/N: well, that solved two mysteries and no doubt created some others. If you want a better idea about Masanori's appearance, here's a sketch I did when designing him:

i DOT imgur DOT com SLASH cKbc3 DOT jpg

Replace DOT with a dot and SLASH with a slash and remove spaces... :)