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Title: Ayakashi
Arc 3: Haunted Mansion
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Chapter 72 Clean up
In the aftermath of the battle for the Sky Ring, Tsuna slept for two days. When he stumbled downstairs for breakfast on the third day, he looked like he needed at least two days more.
Reborn had been fully intent on sending Tsuna back to bed as soon as he finished eating, but to his surprise, Tsuna had decided to hold a meeting with the Varia, and no amount of pointed barbs, intimidation, or flat out threats could convince him otherwise.
On the bright side, Xanxus, who had been doing his share of sleeping it off, didn't look much better than Tsuna.
"Hibari's clan is going to lead a parade today, so we're going to the mountains," Tsuna said, making Reborn sigh. He had almost missed these kinds of nonsensical declarations.
Only Squalo seemed to understand. "You mean they're going to hold a ritual to release the built up spiritual energy from the town," he commented.
"Yeah. Normally, it would happen on its own, but with things being as unsettled as they are…" Tsuna shrugged. He didn't sound accusing, but the reminder was still clear. Things were not following their natural course because of the Varia. "Well, it's a good opportunity anyway," he added. "So we'll be leaving as soon as I get everyone else."
The Varia looked varying degrees of mutinous at being given orders by someone they had considered easy prey just three days before, and not entirely without reason. Tsuna was not exactly in his rights to order them around, being still just the heir and not Decimo as such.
Reborn was quite ready to enforce Tsuna's orders, since such shows of leadership were definitely to be encouraged and cultivated, but fortunately for everyone, it proved unnecessary.
"Fine, get out," Xanxus barked, already slumping in his chair as if about to go back to sleep.
The Varia turned protesting looks on him instead, but one narrow red-eyed glare quickly cowed them into obedience.
By everyone, Tsuna really turned out mean everyone — Gokudera and Yammoto, who fussed and nodded knowingly respectively; Hibari, who somehow tore himself away from harassing the Cavallone famiglia in their efforts to reconstruct Nami-Middle; Ryohei, who also nodded knowingly; Chrome, whom Tsuna managed to summon by thinking about her and Mukuro very hard; and even Lambo, Ipin and Fuuta, together with Bianchi to help run herd on them.
Basil, by his own decision and Reborn's orders, was staying in Namimori to wait for a reply from Iemitsu. They had contacted him immediately after Dino made the formal announcement of the Ring Battle outcome, but so far there had been no reply. It was… worrying, but Reborn decided against telling Tsuna. There was nothing he could do about it, after all.
So it was a very motley crew that set out from Namimori. It seemed impossible for them to have less than three arguments going on simultaneously, but there had been a truly shocking lack of death threats — well, heartfelt ones that would get followed up on.
All in all, Reborn thought it was a rather good beginning. Or at least, it wasn't the worst he'd ever seen.
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Chapter 73 Purification
"Not that we're not all enjoying this family outing," Squalo commented through gritted teeth, after the thirteenth time he was forced to separate Gokudera and Belphegor, "but are we going somewhere in particular, and do we really have to go together?"
"I don't think we should get separated. It's easy to get lost here," Tsuna told him, from the front of the group, where he was following an almost completely overgrown trail through the forested mountainside.
"Yeah, splitting the party always leads to someone getting killed faster," Yamamoto added cheerfully.
"That's only for horror movies, idiot," Gokudera grumbled.
"Well, you know, this area is famous for having many disappearances," Yamamoto continued in the same cheerful tone. "That's why it's called Death Mountain!"
"The Boxing Club refused to train here," Ryohei added, sounding entirely too disappointed. "They said the god here became angered and has been devouring the trespassers."
"Oh, how scary! You'll protect me, won't you, handsome?" Lussuria crowed, clinging to Ryohei.
"Hmph, the prince won't lose even to a god," Belphegor declared, fingering his knives.
Lambo whimpered, clutching Tsuna's leg.
"You guys, I know it's the season for ghost stories, but cut it out," Tsuna sighed.
"God here sleeping," Ipin declared authoritatively, patting Lambo on the shoulder. Fuuta looked disappointed. He had probably been hoping to rank a god.
"All those disappeared people turned up again, just on the other side," Tsuna said. "That's why I said it's easy to get lost. We're almost there anyway."
Indeed, in a few moments, the forest suddenly opened up onto a riverbank, a large pool and a waterfall over the cliff above.
"There's a really old shrine up there," Tsuna explained, raising his voice over the noise of the falls. "So the water that comes down the falls has purifying properties. It should wash off the worst of the blood scent on you guys. Be sure to go under the falls themselves and not just in the river."
"…Are you saying the prince has an unpleasant odor, peasant?" Belphegor demanded.
"No, no, that's not it!" Tsuna hastily assured him. "It's just… It wouldn't be good to mess up all the hard work Hibari's clan has been doing to calm thing in Namimori." If they returned to town as they were, the same effect would occur. "And… well, to be honest, just being around you is giving me a headache," Tsuna admitted. In truth, it was almost making him nauseous, but Tsuna couldn't think of any way to say that without sounding even ruder.
"How much are you willing to pay?" Mammon asked.
"Juudaime is doing you a favor! You're the one who should be paying him!" Gokudera yelled.
Ignoring all of them, Xanxus walked up to the edge of the pool and, without even bothering to take off his boots, proceeded into the river and under the waterfall itself.
"B-Boss…" Levi choked out.
Xanxus turned and ordered in a scarily quiet voice, "In the water. Now."
The fact that he looked like a drowned cat did nothing to make him less terrifying. If anything, it added to the impression that Xanxus would have rather been anywhere but where he was and he wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.
"Bathing out in the wilderness is below the prince!" Belphegor tried to protest.
"Either you get in, or you'll be floating in here face down, trash!" Xanxus barked.
"Don't mind if I do!" Lussuria cheered, throwing off his clothes — all of his clothes. Chrome squeaked and clapped her hands over her eyes, though they could still see the bright red blush on her cheeks.
Like many toddlers, Lambo was happy for any excuse to run around naked and quickly followed suit. Ipin yelled a reprimand, only to receive a faceful of water. She began to shake angrily.
Bianchi had already disappeared off somewhere in search of new ingredients for her Poison Cooking, Fuuta cheerfully in tow, ranking everything according to potential deadliness.
As the water fight splashed the rocks near him, Hibari unfurled his wings and took to the air. However, the sudden take off dislodged something in his pocket and a small, mostly oval object went flying through the air.
"Tch, my hostage," Hibari scowled, the moment before it hit the river below.
His hostage to motivate Dino to reconstruct the school faster — the Cavallone boss's precious pet, Enzio. The one that grew larger as it absorbed water.
Tsuna and Reborn only a had a moment to exchange a blank, disbelieving look, before Enzio's newly massive form burst out of the river.
"Ah! It's the mountain god! It's gonna eat us!" Lambo screamed. Then, there was a dragon, a giant turtle and a bull in the river.
For a moment, Tsuna stared at the spectacle. He briefly considered doing something about. At the rate they were going, the mountain god really was going to wake up and punish them.
Then, he shrugged, and a small brown fox slipped back into the forest.
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Chapter 74 In the sun
The old shrine Tsuna had mentioned was little more than a massive boulder with a thick shimenawa rope tied around it. That mossy rock, and the smaller stones in a circle around it, had been judged by the ancient inhabitants of the region to attract spirits and thus came to be considered sacred. Given the fairly new paper streamers that hung from the thick rope, that belief was at least in some way still honored in present day.
Whether through the power of their belief or through some inherent capacity, the enshrined stone eventually gained enough spiritual energy to purify the river that flowed around it and the symbolic descent of the water through the falls just past the stone concentrated that power, making it the ideal location to cleanse one's body and spirit.
Countless generations of monks and priests had made their pilgrimage to the same spot where Tsuna had brought the Varia. It was truly a location of great spiritual meaning.
Thus, it was somewhat unfortunate that the Vongola famiglia was in the middle of making a complete mess of the place. Luckily, most of the noise their free for all generated was drowned out by the roar of the waterfall, so Tsuna, having made his way nimbly up a narrow trail to the shrine, was able to curl up on a sun warmed stone and doze off easily.
Reborn, who had followed Tsuna, decided to let him sleep. He was almost entirely certain that Tsuna would have — should have — slept for several days longer, if not for the upcoming ritual in Namimori.
As for the Guardians and the Varia, Reborn could easily deal with them. He had a great sniper's view of them from the top of the falls, and he had just happened to bring a silencer as well.
Now he just had to decide what kind of bullets to use and where to aim. A shot in the buttocks was just classic. But maybe a nice niramekko bullet wouldn't be amiss. There were several down there Reborn would have liked to see with a ridiculously swelled face.
Reborn casually shifted his grip on pistol-Leon as the foliage nearby rustled.
He didn't shift the gun even after Xanxus emerged, still dripping from his dip in the river. If anything, Xanxus's recent docile act and easy compliance with Tsuna's directions made Reborn more suspicious. Nono's adopted son was many things — proud and cunning among them — but he had never been one accept authority easily. Or at all, except from Nono himself.
Xanxus didn't miss the implied threat. "Getting protective in your old age?" he scoffed. "Relax. I'm not going to attack the brat. He won. He's going to be Decimo. And I'm loyal Vongola."
Throwing his soaked jacket over a branch, Xanxus sprawled against a tree and crossed his arms, apparently with the same idea as Tsuna.
The little fox in question finally stirred, lifting his muzzle out of his tail. He blinked at Xanxus sleepily for a moment. "You're never gonna dry off in the shadows like that," Tsuna commented. "Over here is much better. This is the best spot." His tail waved thoughtfully. "You know… there's enough room for both of us."
"Are you stupid? Those rocks are completely the wrong shape," Xanxus grumbled. Indeed, the small boulders surrounding the sacred stone were shaped like eggs, their surfaces too steep for a human to comfortably lay on.
"Well, in that form, maybe," Tsuna said, matter of factly.
Xanxus scowled. To him, it sounded like a challenge. And he had no intention of backing down.
Pushing himself up, Xanxus stalked toward the river. The sound of his footsteps disappeared suddenly as, in place of a man, a hunting beast appeared. It wasn't Xanxus's combat form — the massive creature the size of a bear — but rather something more like a lion the color of rust, or dried blood.
Xanxus leapt between stones to the one Tsuna lay on — the one best suited to sunbathing and to keeping watch over the people down below. Balancing precariously, in a way no human could hope to manage, he circled the top of the stone and curled up in the small space.
Tsuna, who had remained in the very center, ended up boxed in by the lion's larger bulk. But instead of appearing concerned, the tiny fox burrowed against Xanxus's fur and buried his muzzle in his bushy tail.
Even when Xanxus let out a low, rumbling growl, the only answer was soft, even breathing as Tsuna drifted back to sleep.
Well, whatever. Xanxus supposed he could do with a bit of sleep himself, and the brat had been right. The sun warmed rock felt quite nice…
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