Sorry for the late update. Here it is, I am currently in the internet cafe and we had lost our internet once again. *Sigh* So anyway, pls enjoy.

Chapter 25

Pills? Check.

Mittens? Check.

Rings? Check.

Plan? None.

Tsuna pulls his black jacket tightly around his figure. It was pretty cold. He checked his watch; there were still a few minutes before the appointed time. Truthfully, he was still feeling weak and weary from the effects of the poison but he felt better. And so, anyway, here he was right now, trying to come up with a plan to save his friends while approaching a death trap.

'I just can't attack Grindo immediately. Who knows what his subordinates will do to everyone.' Tsuna thought, 'Fortunately, he doesn't seem to be much of a threat seeing that he has no fighting skills at all.'

The brunet clutches a charm in his pocket and took it out. It was the charm Kyoko made for him and he had been bringing it with him almost all the time. But for some reason, after what happened earlier, he felt like the charm's power had vanished. He pursed his lips as his eyes softened when he looked at the charm and pocketed the item back. Whether it had lost its "luck" or not, he'll never throw it away, and he also felt the same for his friends and family.

Even if they lose their faith on him or turn their backs from him - yes he'll get mad, sad and depressed - but never will he ever abandon them.

The young boss had reached his school. He climbs on the gate and lands on the other side with grace like that of a cat's. He walked towards the direction of the gym.

'Hold on everyone… I'm coming.' Tsuna looks up at the burnt down building. It was a mess and it looked like it was going to crumble down any second. The brunet entered the place with cautious steps.

It was dark. The only light illuminating the building was the ray of luminous moonlight entering from the huge gaping hole from above.

"Congratulations. You arrived just in time." Tsuna was taken by surprise as spotlights were directed at him. Tsuna shielded his eyes from the blinding lights "Grindo!" he scowled.

"Shall we continue where we left off in your little role-play?" Lights immediately flooded the place.

Despite the serious situation, Tsuna couldn't help but wonder how the lights were working when the gym was practically destroyed.

"We fixed the lights, in courtesy of the Orso Family for burning down the building." Tsuna turned to the stage and saw Grindo standing there with a smirk.

"You broke down the building and you only fixed the lights. Courtesy indeed." Tsuna glared.

Grindo frowned as he stared at the boss, "You seem to be looking well."

"Thanks, but unfortunately, I won't be able to say the same thing for you as soon as we finish this." Tsuna seethed, "Where are my friends?"

"Oh don't worry, they're here, but I'm just keeping them out of sight, just in case if you try and do something stupid." Grindo said crossing his arms, "Though, if you want to hear about their status, I can't say they're looking so good."

"Grindo-!"

"Oh no, I'm not talking about the poison, they seem to be taking it quite well. Ok, not really, but the point is… something else is making them seethe in pain."

Thinking Grindo had been torturing his friends Tsuna bellowed "How dare you try and hurt them! I'm gonna-"

"Me? Hahaha! Don't make me laugh." Grindo smirks and slowly pointed at Tsuna, "The one who's really causing them pain… is you, Decimo."

"What…?" Caramel eyes widen significantly.

"Let's just say… after they experienced your indirect betrayal-"

"Liar! I never betrayed them!" Tsuna hissed, "Never… over my dead body, will I betray them!"

"Oh but they think you just did." Grindo made a thoughtful look, eyebrows creased together and lips upturned, "After being knocked out by the person they trust the most, thus letting them get captured, who wouldn't feel betrayed?"

Tsuna bit his bottom lip. He had a point. He knew that was going to happen some way or another. But…

"It doesn't matter." The brunet spoke, his words full of resolve.

Grindo frowned.

"They'll understand as soon as I defeat you!" Tsuna swallowed his pills and immediately went into his Hyper Dying Will Mode. "Prepare yourself!" And almost immediately, he lunged towards the Orso Boss.

Italy, Vongola mansion…

"Oi Giannini. Is it done yet?" Reborn approaches the mechanist.

"Hai! I have upgraded the bazooka according to your instructions Reborn-san." Giannini told the Arcobaleno "As soon as you travel to the future you'll have 2 hours. However, I can't make the future self of the person who travels not appear in the past. For if I did this, I'll have to make sure he gets lost in the time travel, but if that happens, once the past self comes back, he'll be stuck in the time space continuum instead."

"Hmpf. I had a feeling it would end like this." Reborn then took out a note and gave it to Giannini "If that's the case, give this to my future self." And before Giannini could do anything Reborn jumps in the bazooka and pulled the trigger with the string.

BOOM!

Reborn was once again in the swirling dimension and before he knew it he found himself sitting on a chair with the familiar puff of smoke surrounding him.

"R-Reborn?" A scared voice spoke.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Reborn had come face to face with a scared and slightly beaten up 15-year old Lambo.

"I-it is the Reborn from the past r-right?" Lambo spoke, "I can't tell since you still look the same in the future."

"That's right." Reborn said, "I am from the past-" the Arcobaleno was interrupted as soon as his eyes landed on the bed next to him. Onyx eyes widened as soon as he saw a 25-year old man with familiar brown spiky hair lying on the furniture. The pale face was paler and the figure was thinner. There was an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and in his open button up shirt were bandages, wrapped tightly around his exposed chest while his lower body were covered by a blanket. The usual soft and warm caramel eyes were shut and Reborn had no idea why.

Reborn turned sharply to the scared lightning guardian, his expression dark and scary as he spoke one single word that was filled with malice.

"Explain."

"So you weren't completely healed…" Grindo smirked a he looked up at the young boss in front of him. Tsuna, who was beaten up, was being held back by two of his subordinates.

"Calling out an army… isn't what you call fair…" Tsuna spitted some blood, aware of the numbers of enemy surrounding him, "You coward-agh!"

Grindo lowered his hand from Tsuna's face, feeling only a slight sting where his palm contacted with Tsuna's face at full force. "Silence. May I once again remind what position you are in?" he grabs a fistful of his hair and forcibly pulls his head up, caramel eyes glared up at him forcefully, "Or maybe we can use another lesson, seeing that you can't seem to learn with torture itself."

Tsuna didn't like the sound of that as he watched the boss snap his fingers. More of his subordinates came out of the stage, each one of them holding his guardians, who were tied up. All of them were once again knocked out, and for some reason, a cloth was covering their mouth.

"Maybe I should kill one of them instead." Grindo was walking away and Tsuna's eyes widened as he started struggling from his enemies' hold "Grindo! Come back here! Don't-!"

The evil boss' smirk just grew as he climbed up the stage and looked at each of the poisoned guardians, "Okay, so who shall be first?"

"Stop! This isn't funny!"

"Who said it was? I'm dead serious you know." Grindo seemed to have spotted a victim "Ah~ what about him?" he had approached Hibari, a dagger now in his hand "Let's see if you you'll learn something from this." He held up the dagger. The spotlights reflected upon the dagger blade made Tsuna squint into the light.

Tsuna's eyes widened in fear…

"STOP!"

A memory suddenly flashed past his mind….

"Don't do it! Please don't!" an older version of Tsuna looked at the threat in front of him with caution.

"And what will you do in exchange?" the assassin was holding a remote, his thumb was caressing the red button in anticipation, "You're guardians' safety is in your hands." He stared at the said people who were fighting against the other enemies, completely unaware of the situation between their boss and the assassin, as well as the oncoming danger that would soon end their lives.

"I shall remind you that the bombs surrounding this building hold some factors of a storm flame."

"I know…" Tsuna bit his lower lip, happy faces of his friends flashed in his mind, "J-just, kill me instead! They… they don't deserve this!"

"Yes… yes… yes… Been there, done that." The assassin rolls his eyes, "I would if I said so… but why don't we do something different instead…"

"I never really wanted to be a boss… it's stressful, exhausting and scary. So many people will depend their lives on you… not to mention people's lives are in stake because of you…"

The brunet had no idea why the words he said from a memory suddenly echoed through his mind…

"I want to see the boss failing to save his own comrades…" the enemy smirked evilly, eyes glinting with malice. Those merciless, relentless eyes chilled Tsuna slightly.

"But… seeing that a life can be so precious and that a person is actually willing to entrust it to me… it's not so bad…"

The young boss' body moved on its own. Tsuna could only watch numbly as his hand formed like a blade and pierced it towards the enemy's direction before the other could even press the button. Then… blood splattered…

"I'll do my best to protect everyone's lives… without taking another's…"

Wide eyes just stared at the fallen body in front of him. He stared at his bloody red hands and he was quite aware of the horrified stares everyone was giving him. He was numb… he was lost… now what? He had just taken a life in less than a second. He had just broken a promise in less than a second.

He never felt scared…

Then… he suddenly heard someone muttered.

'Monster…'

His eyes widened and glared at the direction of the fleeting enemies, he had missed the scared looks of his companions as he chased after the enemies with rage and anger, killing more victims as he passed by them.

Who said it? Who said I was a MONSTER?

He slashes an enemy. Was it you?

And then another. Was it you?

Or was it…

"Tsuna…"

The brunet stopped and slowly turned to his friends. They were all looking at him in fear and uneasiness. Yamamoto frowns "Look… what you've done…"

Slowly, the Tenth turned to his situation. Everything was covered in red… bodies were littering the floor.

His eyes slowly turned dull. His hands drop on his sides as he turned to them. Was he supposed to apologize? What good would that be? It won't bring back the dead. It won't bring back anything. He won't be able to reverse time and he doubts they would even forgive him. Knowing that in heart, he just asked…

"Are you guys alright?"

They didn't reply. He wanted to break down; he wanted someone to comfort him from what he had done. But… he had to stay strong, seeing that no one seemed to be in the position to comfort either side. And as a… boss, it had to be his duty. It had to be him who should be tainted with the sins of a boss… it had to be him who should've protected a person's life… not destroy it.

There was a small silence between Lambo and Reborn.

"So, tell me what happened. I don't have all day." Reborn's eyes were locked on his unconscious student. He had never left his sight on him for he had never felt so much concern for the no-good boy.

Lambo looks down "It… all happened one day before an incident occurred." His hands clenched, "…we dragged out Vongola for a picnic." A small smile made its way to Lambo's face, "We had a pretty hard time dragging him out since he would whine that he had a lot of things to do, but we knew he needed a break."

Flashback…

"Stop it guys! I still have a meeting in 30 minutes!" Tsuna tried to pull away from Yamamoto and Gokudera's death grip.

"Maa, maa Tsuna! Everyone had already planned for this picnic come on!"

"That's right Juudaime! And as your right hand man, it is my duty to make sure you should relax and enjoy once in awhile!"

"B-but! This meeting is important! Oof!" The two guardians had pushed their boss in the back seat of a limo before taking their seats in each of his side just to make sure the young boss won't run off.

"Boss! It's good to see you, I'm happy that you can make it." Chrome exclaimed.

"Yare, yare… it seems you guys were able to force him." Lambo yawned.

"EXTREMELY!" Ryohei grinned.

Apparently, everyone was on the limo as well. And yes, that also includes Hibari and Mukuro who were currently having a glaring contest.

Tsuna groaned "Couldn't we just do this when I'm free?"

"But you're never free!" Yamamoto frowned.

"Yes I am…" Tsuna sighed, "I just use my free time for paper work." He then stifles a yawn.

"Paper work? It doesn't seem to end at all." Lambo stated innocently.

"I sometimes wonder why it never ends to the EXTREME." Ryohei wondered out loud.

Chrome nodded.

"Kufufu, it's because there are a lot of complaints about some mafia families and since Vongola is the most powerful family, it is the boss' duty to handle those endless complaints." Mukuro replied

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Gokudera growled.

"But hey, since you're Tsuna's right hand man, don't you help him with them?" Yamamoto grinned.

Gokudera stiffens, before replying "Juudaime… won't let me."

"Ahahaha… maa maa, anyways… we should probably keep quiet now…" they all looked at the rain guardian questioningly before understanding what he meant as he pointed at the now-asleep brunet who was leaning against him.

"OI!" Gokudera said in a whisper "Why is Juudaime leaning on you? He should be leaning on me! His right hand man!"

"Maa, maa…"

"Boss must be tired."

"Vongola deserves this break." Lambo smiled.

"Hn, what a herbivore…"

And with that they all continued their conversations in a quieter manner.

"Juudaime… Juudaime…" Caramel eyes fluttered open "Hn?"

"We're here Juudaime." A blurry image of Gokudera came to view and Tsuna rubbed his eyes, trying to rub the sleepiness away.

"Good morning sleepy head!" Yamamoto teased as he helped Tsuna out the car.

"Ah, sorry, I fell asleep…" the brunet muttered.

"There's no need to apologize Juudaime! You are supposed to relax!" Gokudera exclaimed softly.

"So where are we…?" a relaxing breeze came and Tsuna found himself staring at the glittering sand and deep blue sea before him, there were some people swimming and playing by the shore. "We're having a picnic… here?"

"The beach!" Yamamoto exclaimed happily.

"Don't you want to come here Juudaime?" Gokudera asked worriedly.

"No, no it's not that. It's just that… it's been awhile since we've been here neh?" Tsuna smiled.

"That's why we decided to come here!" Yamamoto grinned happily.

"Juudaime! Let's go!" Gokudera dragged his precious boss towards Lambo and Chrome who were preparing the food under the huge parasol.

Yamamoto jogged with them "Neh Tsuna! Let's go swimming later!"

"E-Eh? But I didn't bring any swim trunks." Tsuna reminded them.

"Don't worry about that Sawada! We already packed you some!" Ryohei approached them.

Tsuna just sweat dropped. They were too enthusiastic over this vacation.

"The food is about to be finished…" Chrome said looking up as she made a sandwich.

"Yosh! Let's get changed!" Ryohei exclaimed.

"Wait, where's Mukuro and Hibari-san?" Tsuna looked around.

"Mukuro-sama is sparring with cloud man." Chrome replied.

"Not again… Maybe I should…"

"Maa maa Tsuna. You're here to relax. Don't worry about them." Yamamoto dragged his best friend away.

"Don't worry Juudaime! I'll take care of them instead!" Gokudera grinned.

"Err, on second thought, let them be." Tsuna dragged his right hand man along.

Later…

"Kyaaa! Look at them! They're so hot!"

"Omg! I want the silver haired one!"

"The man with the scar on his chin is so handsome!"

Tsuna sighed at the women pointing and squealing at his two guardians, who seemed to be unaware of the situation. It can't be helped, they really were standing out. Gokudera was wearing red trunks with flames as the design and an open button up shirt revealing his pale smooth torso. He also had sunglasses, covering his forest green eyes. While Yamamoto wore dark blue trunks and an open button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his sunglasses on top of his head.

Meanwhile, the young boss was just wearing a plain yellow parka and orange trunks.

"Tsuna! Let's play!" The rain guardian grinned as he held out a beach ball.

"It's okay. You and Gokudera play instead." Tsuna waved and went to their parasol.

Chrome looks up at Tsuna "Boss! Do you want some sandwich?"

"T-Thanks!" Tsuna gratefully accepted it, then he noticed the mist guardian wearing a violet two-piece swimsuit with pink poka-dots as designs "You look good in that swim suit." The brunet complimented.

"T-Thank you Boss." Chrome shyly replied as a small blush made its way across her cheeks.

Tsuna just smiled as he ate the sandwich "Anyway, aren't you going to join Gokudera and Yamamoto play?" he watched as the two hit the ball with unbelievable speed and the boss sweat drops.

Chrome just shook her head "It's fine. I'm just fine here."

Tsuna's attention then turned to Lambo who yawned. The lightning guardian was lying on the sand.

"What about you Lambo?"

"I'm also fine here." Lambo replied as he curled up and turned onto his side.

Tsuna pouted slightly, "But wasn't this suppose to be a vacation? Come on now!" Tsuna grabbed Chrome and Lambo, surprising the both as the lovable boss dragged them towards the sea "Let's go swimming!"

"O-okay." Chrome blinked.

"Eep!"

Gokudera was about to serve when all of a sudden he saw Tsuna draggin Chrome and Lambo towards the sea "Ah! What's Juudaime doing with them? Wait for me Juudaime!" the bomber threw the ball away. Yamamoto just blinked cluelessly before grinning and following Gokudera, "Haha! Let me join too!"

And so the Vongola Family continued enjoying their day in the beach. Tsuna and Lambo were splashing some water to each other while Yamamoto, Gokudera and Chrome played beach volleyball, and it seemed like the eye-patched girl was good at this.

Tsuna was about to join in the game when an ominous aura made him stop. He then saw a suspicious looking ice cream man, who was wearing a hospital-mask and shades. The ice cream man was staring right back at him. Then he slowly lifts up his shirt revealing a gun strapped by his shorts.

Tsuna paled. It was a sign that he was a Mafioso.

"Uhm… I'll be right back guys." Tsuna said leaving behind the clueless group.

"Come back soon!" Yamamoto called out.

Tsuna ran towards the ice cream man with a glare.

"Vongola Decimo." Came the raspy voice of the stranger, "Our Boss wishes to invite you to an all out battle tomorrow with this address." The man pushes a folded piece of paper in his hand.

"And what if I don't agree?" Tsuna had a bad feeling from this invitation.

"Oh, but you can't. In the Mafia world we must accept every invitation given to us. As well as formal invitations for requested battles." The stranger said.

"Sure, formal." Tsuna muttered sarcastically.

The man just smirked before leaving, "Good bye Decimo… and good luck to you."

"Kufufu… I'm glad to see you enjoying yourself my dear Chrome…" Mukuro approached Chrome.

"Mukuro-sama!" Chrome looks at the illusionist who had now changed into indigo trunks without any shirt. Girls were swooning at the hot and handsome man.

"Juudaime's back!" Gokudera exclaimed before dropping the beach ball and running towards the brunet who was approaching them with a dark expression.

Hibari, who had just arrived at the scene, noticed the odd behavior, thus, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Tsuna, is something wrong?" Yamamoto seemed to have noticed as well.

"It's nothing…" Tsuna snaps up before forcing a small smile.

"Sou?"

Tsuna just nodded before picking up the beach ball, "Anyway, why don't we continue where we left off?"

The tension was immediately forgotten as they started calling out teams.

"I'll be in Juudaime's team!"

"Ahaha! Me too! I don't think I want to fight against Tsuna."

"Yare yare…"

"Kufufu… I shall be in the opposing team then.

"M-me too!"

"EXTREME!" Ryohei suddenly rises up from under water

"What the-! Where have you been?" Gokudera yelled.

"I've been snorkeling to the EXTREME!"

"What? For that long?"

"Maa, maa…"

Tsuna gave a small smile to his friends before frowning. However, this didn't go unnoticed by a certain cloud guardian. And so the fun went on. They played games like under-water tag, building sand castles, blind-folded while hitting a watermelon-game (Which Mukuro had won with pure malice on the innocent fruit) and so on.

Now the day was about to end as the sun started setting.

"Arre? Where's Juudaime?" Gokudera looked up.

They were currently making barbeque for dinner.

"He said something about taking a walk." Chrome said.

They all exchangde looks.

Tsuna was sitting by the shore. A cell phone pressed against his ear as he spoke in a stressful manner.

"I'm sorry for canceling the meeting…- yes, yes… I do want to be allies. It's just that, something came up- Yes… ok… I understand. It won't happen again…" Tsuna sighed as he rubbed his temples "I'm very sorry. Okay. Tomorrow? I'm sorry but… I have something to do- it's really important…" the brunet was immediately interrupted when someone suddenly grabbed the mobile from him, making him look up in surprise.

"Who do you think you are pressuring Juudaime like this?" Gokudera spoke darkly at the phon.e "I don't care which family you are. Vongola is the most powerful Family in the world and if you dare pressure Juudaime like this in one of your time-wasting meetings again, we'll eradicate you." And with that the right hand man shut the phone.

"Well said Gokudera." Yamamoto pats the bomber in the shoulder.

"Yare yare, that was annoying." Lambo popped up.

"Boss, daijobu?" Chrome approached him.

"Yeah, thanks for that." Tsuna stood up and accepted the phone from Gokudera's outstretched hand.

"What are you trying to hide herbivore?" Hibari suddenly appeared behind the brunet, shocking the other as the skylark took out a folded piece of paper "And what could this be?"

"Ah! That's-!"

"Kufufu…" Mukuro appears beside Chrome "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Err…"

Yamamoto was by Hibari's side and was reading the paper "An address? Tsuna, is this another challenge?"

Tsuna sighed in defeat before nodding.

"What? Juudaime! Remember the last time you accepted a challenge without consulting us?" Gokudera grabbed the boss by the shoulders.

"Ah… you had to go under operation thanks to that bullet that pierced through your abdomen and caused you internal bleeding." Lambo bluntly said.

Gokudera shuddered at this, while Tsuna sweat dropped "Sorry… I guess."

"We're coming…" Yamamoto crosses his arms

"Of course you would…" the brunet sighed.

"Oya? What are you looking upset for?"

"It's just that… I don't want you guys to be endangered anymore."

"And you think being the guardians of the Vongola Family isn't dangerous enough?" Gokudera had smacked Lambo in the head "Ow! What?"

Tsuna frowned.

"I never really wanted to be a boss… it's stressful, exhausting and scary. So many people will depend their lives on you… not to mention people's lives are in stake because of you…"

"Tsuna…"

"Juudaime…"

Immediately noticing the gloomy air (with the exception of Hibari and Mukuro who pretended not to care), the boss just added with a smile…

"But… seeing that a life can be so precious and that a person is actually willing to entrust it to me… it's not so bad…" Tsuna looked at the sunset, everyone turned to their boss in shock. "I met everyone because of this unfortunate, yet still fortunate situation."

They continued staring at him in stunned silence (except for Mukuro and Hibari who were smirking at Tsuna with interest).

"I'll do my best to protect everyone's lives… without taking another's…" he then vowed. And his guardians immediately clung to that promise without hesitation.

"We know you can Juudaime."

"Haha, this is the Tsuna I know."

"EXTREMEE!" they all turned their heads to the scream "O-onii-san?"

The forgotten boxer was running towards them while carrying burning shish kabob "It's EXTREMELY on FIRE!" he yelled

"You lawn head throw it in the water!"

"But that's EXTREME waste of food!"

"E-eek! Don't come near us! Or we'll get burned too!" Lambo ran off.

Chrome sweat drops and Mukuro could only shake his head. Hibari just walked away.

"Why is it on fire anyway?" Tsuna sweat dropped.

"I poured some fuel on the barbeque grill since the fire was EXTREMELY small!"

"E-Ehh?" Yamamoto exclaimed.

"You stupid idiot!"

"Well, that's a very comical way to end a day." Reborn spoke "So what happened on the day of the battle?"

Lambo's smile had dropped and his expression darkened "Vongola… broke his promise…"

Meanwhile…

A certain brunet was standing in the middle of hundreds of dead bodies, and in front of him was the Orso Family's Boss dead body. He was looking at his shaky bloody gloved hands, with wide eyes.

"What have you done?"

Scared caramel eyes turned to the stage and saw five pairs of eyes staring right at him. Some with shock, fear and doubt.

He had done it again.

End of chapter