Sorry about the wait. here's the next chapter, but it's a bit of a filler... but please tell me what you think! it's harder than i thought to keep Natsu in character :/

It was only the first day, but I was completely wiped out. Training with Reborn was a lot harder than I thought, and we hadn't even gotten around to opening my box yet. I actually thought we weren't going to stop training until late too, had it not been for the girls stopping by and asking me if I would join their boycott against the boys. I wasn't stupid. I couldn't really do my own laundry very well and the meals the girls made were too good to pass up, so I easily joined them in their endeavors. Sure, I felt a bit bad for Tsuna and the rest, but I'd told him before that he needed to tell Kyoko and the others about what was going on, so my choice was made. Now, it was just time to see if they'd actually tell them or not.

"Um, we need to talk to you guys about something." Haru stuttered, catching the attention of the group of boys as they gathered after their training.

Bianchi and I turned and leaned up against the wall behind them, though I made sure to be close enough that I could read what they were telling Tsuna and the others.

"Haru, what's up?… Kyoko too?"

"I'm just going to come out and say it." Haru said, expression serious. "Since you guys are always lying to us… Byakuran, the Millefiore and the mafia, tell us all about those things and everything that's been going on around here."

Ah, if she knows that much, then it must have been them that I felt hiding in the training room with the motorbikes earlier. I mused, picking at a scab on my arm.

"Hold on… W-W-What are you talking about?" Tsuna stuttered out, trying to hide it. "M-Millefiore? Mafia? What do you mean?"

I sighed quietly as Haru went on.

"It's no use trying to lie to us anymore. We already know that you're hiding something from us! We're all living here together, we've got a right to know what's going on around us!"

"No way… Why… All the sudden…" Tsuna spotted me and Bianchi then, turning to us. "Bianchi! Natsu!"

I gave him a look. "I told you before, Tsuna, you need to tell them what's going on."

I turned to Biachi as she nodded. "We didn't tell them anything. They figured it out all by themselves with their own power."

Kyoko spoke up then, determined. "We want to fight alongside you guys!"

I frowned slightly, knowing that what she said wasn't wrong, but the phrasing of it could cause some problems. I'm sure she doesn't mean actual fighting and being out in the middle of it all, but that's what it sounds like. There are plenty of different ways to supports someone in a fight though. Not just being there and actually joining in. I glanced over at Tsuna and felt my stomach flip in worry as he struggled with what to say.

"I'm happy you feel that way, but… just give us a little more time! Wait until this is all over and we return to our own time. Until then, just trust us and bear with it a little longer, okay?"

Haru and Kyoko were silent for a moment before speaking up once more.

"Fine. We'll take things up a notch if you won't hear us out."

"What?"

"Until you guys tell us the truth, we won't do anymore chores!" They both called out, holding up boycott signs. "We're boycotting all housework!"

Biachi moved up between them and draped her arms over their shoulders in support. "I'm sorry, Tsuna. I'm with these two on this."

I spotted Chrome and I-pin heading over as well; the two having just come from their training.

"Me too. Sorry, boss."

"I-pin too! I-pin too!"

"What?! What?! A boycott on household chores and working together?!" Tsuna shouted, just barely understandable. "H-How could you?!"

Someone bumped my leg and I looked down to see Reborn, Giannini, and Futa standing there; two of which were cross dressing as women.

"We're with Kyoko and the others!" Reborn said in a girly voice, before going back to his own. "Make sure to train well!"

"You guys are being unfair!" Tsuna turned to me then, having stayed silent the whole time, eyes desperate. "N-Natsu?"

I looked over at him and sighed, arms crossed over my chest. "I told you, you can't leave them in the dark about this. They're trying their best to help us from here without even knowing what's happening. If anything is unfair, it's that they're left out of the loop. Sorry, Tsuna, but I'm with them."

Days passed after that with training stacked up high for me and very few breaks. It was kind of funny watching the boys try to figure things out by themselves though. They got lucky with the laundry. I had happened to be walking in just before they dumped half the box of detergent into it and reluctantly helped them, if only to keep them from breaking the washing machine. That didn't change the fact that half of their clothes were ruined when they mixed in colors with the whites, but I couldn't help them with everything.

I let out a sigh, blowing bubbles in the bath water as I sank down into it and closed my eyes. I'd finally gotten a break and Reborn had told me to go bathe, though I think he just wanted to know what the girls were up to. So I wearily opened my eyes and tried to see through the steam and read what they were saying.

"I wonder if they'll have anything nutritious to eat today?"

"If Tsuna and the others would just tell us the truth, they wouldn't have to make such ridiculous things for dinner."

I assumed Biachi was talking then, since their eyes went to her, but I couldn't read what she was saying from this distance and waited until she entered the bath to pay attention.

"They think that if they tell you the secret, you'll become different people than you were before. That's what they're afraid of. All of that for the companions they care for. Thinking that the people close to you will never change, that's just an illusion that the boys want to believe in. Isn't that right, Natsu?"

I frowned a bit, eyeing her and pulled myself a little out of the bath to speak. "Sure. A part of it, anyway. The other reason would probably be because they're a bit sexist."

"W-What?!" Haru sputtered, getting into the tub across from me with the others.

I shrugged. "They think it's a man's job to fight and protect the women from certain things. They see you two as innocent and don't want you getting involved or loosing that innocence through what they're having to fight through."

Bianchi nodded. "They're staking their pride as men to make sure you don't ever see such a cruel world."

"I'm glad to know they feel that way, but…" Haru looked down, worried. "We really want to become strong. I don't think it's fair for them to decide everything for us by themselves."

"Exactly." Bianchi said. "Boys are selfish and illogical. But aside from us women's imaginations, the boys are betting their lives for that pride. But a man who doesn't risk his life for that pride isn't a man. Just like that man…"

I rolled my eyes, knowing that she was thinking of Reborn, and spoke up to get their attention once more. "Think of it this way, they're probably out there fighting for your smiles."

I gestured to my own face, attempting a smile, though I'm sure it came out more like a grimace.

"You're still able to smile because you've never known about this other side of the world. They're worried that once you do know, that you'll loose those smiles and won't be able to look at them the same way again. Sure, it may not be their right to choose whether you should know or not, but look at it from their perspective and the 'mafia' women they've met until now. Lal, Bianchi, me. We're not exactly avid smilers, are we. They just don't want you to end up loosing that, is all. And…" I started to get up out of the bath; a towel wrapped around my waist and another slung around my neck, revealing some of the scars I'd gotten. "…And they probably just don't want you getting hurt, either. Scars do tend to put a damper on things."

I tried to smile again, before leaving, getting dressed and heading back to my room a little downtrodden. Kyoko is a good match for Tsuna, I think… So why does it bother me?

The next day, Tsuna returned to the base and headed for the main room where they were supposed to meet up, after breaking the news to Kyoko and Haru. He was worried about how Ryohei would react when he told him, but he also felt slightly relieved. He had thought about what Natsu had said before and realized that she had been right about a lot of things. For one thing, she was right about telling the girls everything. He realized that keeping it from them was wrong and that, now that they knew, things would be able to move along easier without them having to skip around the subject of what they were doing. Plus, it gave them that comfort of knowing what happened and not thinking the boys were hurt from something ridiculous like a boxing match. But Natsu was also right about another thing. Sure, Kyoko had given him a hint too, but Natsu had practically tamed his box weapon when it went on a rampage and he now believed that he knew how to get it open without possibly blowing up another room. She… She's really smart, isn't she? He smiled a bit upon entering the room, only for Dino to call out to him.

"Yo, Tsuna. I came to check how the training is going. Didn't you get all tired from housework?"

"Hm." Tsuna hummed with a nod, glancing at Natsu as she yawned and he held up his box weapon. "Because I got a clue from Natsu and Kyoko, on how to open the box, I don't think he will go wild again."

"Oh."

"Finally!" Ryohei shouted as the others grinned.

"Cool."

"That's our Tenth!"

Tsuna smiled nervously. "But I haven't tried it yet, so I'm not sure…"

Natsu pat his shoulder and the small upward turn of her lips told him she was attempting a comforting smile.

"You'll do fine."

Tsuna felt heat creep up his neck and face and nodded, grinning. "Un!"

"La la la la~" A sing-song voice echoed through the room and everyone's eyes turned to the screen as little Pac-man like things converged on the center.

Natsu quickly rushed over to where Giannini was and she began typing on her computer beside him as he panicked.

"Someone is interfering with the network!"

"It's the Millefiore." Natsu muttered, brows furrowed in concentration. "I've seen the computer signature before.

Sure enough, a chibi Byakuran popped up excitedly and the image on the screen broke as laughter rang out.

"How is it? Is it interesting?" Byakuran said, his image popping up on screen with a huge ice cream sundae that had Natsu drooling. "It's too boring, so I came to play! Want some?"

"Yes." Natsu said, earning a kick from Reborn as the man on screen chuckled.

"Ooh, I like her. But sorry. I'm just kidding. I'm actually here for some business regarding Choice." He smirked, eating a spoonful of ice cream. "That's right, even though we decided on the time, but the location is not set, right? Six days later, 12 noon. Gathering at Namimori Temple.
"We're going to fight in Namimori?!" Tsuna gasped.

"Yeah. What do you think? Anyway, please prepare what is necessary and bring everyone there. At least, bring everyone from the past over."

"What?!"

"Everyone?!"

"Kyoko and Haru too?!"

"What did you say?!" Everyone shouted over one another, but Natsu and the older people of the group stayed silent.

"That way, then it has meaning. If everyone is not present then you will be disqualified."

"What?!"

"Wait!"

"Then, work harder on your training." Byakuran hummed, before the screen went out.

"How could this… Even Kyoko must go to the battle field?!" Tsuna said in shock.

"At this rate, we won't be able to keep the secret." Yamamoto muttered, not knowing that Tsuna had told the girls yet.

Reborn quickly fixed that. "Looks like Tsuna's decision to tell them everything is not a bad idea."

"S-Sorry. I said it." Tsuna explained. "I think that Kyoko must understand the truth-"

He was cut off by Ryohei slamming a fist into the wall beside him.

"Sawada! Kyoko… how could this…"

Natsu stood by and watched as Ryohei grew angry and Yamamoto had to hold him back, but Dino quickly calmed everyone down.

"I think Tsuna's judgment won't be wrong, Ryohei. In our current situation, it's just a matter of time. Speaking of which, how did Byakuran invade the network?"

Natsu went to respond, but the door was slammed open and a familiar long-haird man entered the room; carrying a huge tuna fish.

"You amateurs!"

"Ah!"

"You are-"

"Girly-man!" Natsu cheered, bounding over and standing before him as he leaned over and glared at her.

"Voi! What have I said about calling me that, you midget!"

She just grinned up at him. "I have no idea what you just said, but I missed you too!"

A tick mark appeared on his forehead and ha shoved the large tuna into her arms, before passing her as Dino spoke up.

"You're pretty slow, Squalo. Your student can't wait anymore."

Natsu turned and continued to smile with the large fish she was holding up, up until Squalo went over and beat Yamamoto to a pulp. Ad I thought Reborn was intense. Once Yamamoto was thoroughly unconscious, Squalo picked him up and hefted him over his shoulder as Tsuna and Gokudera panicked.

"Yamamoto!"

"Are you trying to kill him?!"

"I really want to kill him." Squalo growled. "I will take care of this trash."

"Eh? Why like that?!" Tsuna questioned, worried for his friend, but Dino stopped him.

"Leave this to Squalo."

"But-"

"He understands Yamamoto more than we do."

"How could that be…" He breathed out as Squalo left. "This is reckless… such a violent way of doing things…"

"Sawada."

Tsuna turned to see what Ryohei wanted, but Natsu flinched when the blonde extremist punched Tsuna and knocked him back.

"Hey, Ryohei!"

"Tenth!"

It was her turn to stop Dino and Gokudera from interfering and she held up the tuna fish, blocking their way.

"But I am a man too." Ryohei said. "With this fist, let's step forward towards the next level!"

Natsu rolled her eyes and walked off to drop the fish off in the kitchen, silently wondering if she'd get a chance to fight in this upcoming Choice game that Byakuran had planned. She wasn't a guardian, after all. But she hoped she would. She hoped that she would be able to fight alongside Tsuna and finish this. Because if she wasn't strong enough to fight some Marshmallow-head, then how would she fight the man who killed her parents?