This is it, guys! The moment you have been waiting for! Vongola vs. Vendetta!
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Target 28: A Straightforward Assault
Tsuna woke up that morning with a strange feeling. The fear that had plagued his heart for the past week was strangely muted. It was still there, raging and ever-present, but somehow… contained. Tsuna was still able to think clearly even though he knew that today was the day they would face the Vendetta Family.
He opened his eyes and sighed slightly. Tsuna had slept over Gokudera's apartment, not having wanted to go home. He stared at Gokudera's sleeping form which was at the edge of the bed, giving Tsuna as much space as he wanted. Tsuna smiled a bit and checked the time before reaching over and placing his hand on Gokudera's. "Hey," he whispered. "Gokudera-kun?"
Gokudera made a soft noise as he shifted in his sleep. The silver-haired teen felt so warm and comfortable. He was unusually at ease. His limbs were heavy and lethargic, and he didn't want to move, or open his eyes. When was the last time he had slept so well and for so long? He couldn't remember a time when his dreaded alarm clock wasn't blaring at his ear, demanding for him to wake up.
But no such noise bothered him today. Instead, there was a familiar voice calling his name, and a comforting weight on his hand, which was slowly managing to rouse him.
Light-green eyes peered open, and Gokudera's drowsy gaze focused on the figure hovering over him. "Tenth…?" he murmured sleepily.
Tsuna blinked before smiling a bit, his cheeks pinking slightly. "Good morning..." He felt a lot more relaxed now and the fear was beginning to ebb.
Gokudera blinked also, slowly, and began to sit up. He reached up to rub his eyes a little, yawning, and it took a moment for him to jumpstart his brain. As he registered the warm weight on his hand his heart skipped a bit and he pinked slightly, but smiled. He made no move to pull away and instead spread his fingers apart so Tsuna's own could slip through the gaps. "Morning, Tenth..." Gokudera's groggy voice greeted the brunette. "Did you sleep well?"
Tsuna nodded slightly and let his fingers slide through the gaps before squeezing. The gesture filled him with strength, and he was able to breathe a little bit easier. He was suddenly glad he had stayed over. He couldn't imagine waking up alone in his bed today of all days.
"What about you?" Tsuna asked softly in reply before glancing at the time again. Though he had forgotten to call home last night, Tsuna was sure Reborn knew where he was. He wondered if the baby would come to get them any time soon, or if they would have a bit more time to relax. Tsuna definitely wouldn't mind the latter.
Gokudera nodded as well. "I did as well," he said. He leaned back to rest against the headboard of his bed. His drowsiness was leaving him. In its place, the anticipation he had been feeling all week was beginning to resurface, bubbling up in his stomach as he turned his gaze to look out the window. The day looked clear and promising. It was an encouraging sight that put the silver-haired teen at ease. Moreover, being here with the Tenth at his side, Gokudera felt filled with confidence and determination. The training they had been doing all week would finally pay off today… They could not fail—would not fail. Gokudera squeezed his grip on Tsuna's fingers and he turned back to look at him with a serious and determined expression. "Today… no matter what happens, I will protect you, Tenth," he vowed.
Tsuna looked at Gokudera when he spoke and felt all the more reassured. The raging tornado of fear in his chest seemed to calm, just for a bit. He squeezed Gokudera's hand back, thinking about all they'd accomplished, everything they'd done. He thought about Dino-san and how he was suffering. He thought about Hibari-san too—because as much as the prefect claimed that he didn't care, even he had to admit that being held hostage for a week was…
Tsuna looked at Gokudera and nodded with a troubled, but headstrong and determined gaze. There in his fingers was Gokudera's hand. It was a warm weight that reminded him of his strength, of their strength. They would have to fight, but the fight was for a good cause and Tsuna would make sure to protect everything precious to him.
"We're in this together… Hayato." The name fell on his tongue and it was both different and familiar as if it always meant to be there.
Gokudera's eyes widened upon hearing his name. Yesterday's conversation flooded back in his mind, and he glanced down at his lap for a moment as his cheeks colored slightly. But after taking in a small breath, Gokudera glanced back at the brunette with a soft smile. "Yeah," he said, his eyes gaining a determined look about them as he spoke. "Of course, Tsuna."
It was strange how easy it was to say the name now when before just thinking about it had been so hard. Gokudera felt something in his chest warm and it emboldened his determination to protect the brunette that was sitting at his side.
We'll win this. We'll win this and come back safe from it all, Gokudera vowed to himself, because he was way past self-sacrifice these days. In its place was a strong devotion to survive, to protect. Gokudera squeezed Tsuna's hand reassuringly, and after a long, hesitant moment, he brought up his free hand to cradle the other's cheek, his thumb rubbing over the warm skin there with a tentative, careful touch. Heart fluttering softly, Gokudera's leaned close to the brunette and placed a promising kiss on the edge of Tsuna's lips.
Tsuna's stomach filled with butterflies as Gokudera leaned in. He closed his eyes as he felt his lips and his cheeks immediately went hot. Tsuna glanced down and smiled timidly, clasping his hands in his lap and a small bit of giddiness sparked in his chest. Nothing could possibly go wrong today. They'd get Hibari-san back. They'd defeat the Vendetta. Everything, just for once, was going to go exactly according to plan.
Reborn ended up showing up at Gokudera's apartment, and he accompanied them both back to Tsuna's home where the rest of the Guardians were waiting. Reborn had a set of six suits waiting for each of them, made by thread from Leon himself. They all got dressed in uniform white button shirts and black slacks, black jackets, and black ties. Tsuna thanked a tired Leon for his hard work before looking at his friends.
Gokudera looked at ease in his suit. Though his jacket was open and his shirt was slightly untucked, his tie was tied into a neat, experienced knot that lay smartly over his pristine shirt. The silver-haired teen wore his suit with a nonchalance than no one else in the room shared (save for Reborn), looking as if he'd been born into it.
Yamamoto was another that looked completely at home in the clothes, but for an entirely different reason. The tie was loose and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. The jacket was open and his shirt was untucked. Yamamoto managed to make the formal suit looked like casual dress wear. But it was with a heavy expression that he buckled the sheath to his sword onto his back.
Beside him, Ryohei finally finished buttoning up his jacket. The white-haired teen looked pleased, and it was obvious that he liked the clothes he'd been given; he kept running his bandaged hands over the material of his jacket as he tried his best to straighten out any wrinkles. His broad shoulders filled out into the suit snugly.
Chrome walked in, having changed in a different room. Instead of slacks, she wore a black skirt that reached her knees. Her blouse was tucked in neatly and her tie reached to the middle of her stomach. The jacket was buttoned, and overall, she looked very well dressed.
The only one of them all that looked off was Lambo. Though the tiny suit he was wearing fit him perfectly, the five-year-old kid did not exude the same aura Reborn did when wearing a suit. Though Lambo had a wide smirk on his face as he smugly declared he was the best-looking Mafioso on earth, the way he kept fiddling with clothes, especially his tie, made it obvious that he wasn't comfortable at all.
Tsuna watched as his friends made light conversation. He tied up his tie before grabbing his ring from the corner of his desk and slipping it on. He reached into the pocket of the jeans he'd been previously wearing and pulled out his gloves and pill canister. However, something else fell out. The small blue amulet decorated by Kyoko fell onto the floor between his feet. Tsuna blinked and reached down, picking it up. Carrying it around with him had become second nature to him to the point where he never noticed putting it in his pocket.
Tsuna ran his thumb over the small fish in the center of the charm and smiled a bit. He remembered the moment before the Ring Battles when Kyoko had given it to him, how happy he had felt to receive it, and from Kyoko of all people. Even though she had made one for everyone, it had still felt special to hold something that Kyoko had made. It felt weird thinking back on it, though. How his heart had pounded and his face flushed back then. However, it was different now. Tsuna looked at Gokudera as he started up a normal argument with Lambo. He smiled. That's how he felt about Gokudera now. Tsuna's gaze returned to the amulet and he turned it over in his hands a couple times. Should he take it? Should he leave it behind?
The words of good fortune were carefully painted onto the charm and Tsuna traced them with his finger. His resolve strengthened and he nodded before slipping the amulet in his jacket pocket. Even if he didn't feel the same way about Kyoko as he did before, Kyoko had worked hard making this for him. Kyoko was still a very good friend to him. Even if the feelings differed, the intent was the same. Kyoko was wishing him good luck and Tsuna needed all the luck he could get.
Once they were all ready, the group made their way to the shrine. It wasn't like the last time they got there because the people who gathered around the Tenth's Guardians were significantly less. This time, only the Arcobaleno, along with Lussuria and Squalo, were there to see them off.
"Voooi! What the hell took you guys so long?" Squalo barked loudly, scowling the minute they all came into view.
Tsuna winced and mumbled a short apology, and Gokudera scowled back at the white-haired swordsman, ready to snap back at him. Before he had a chance to do so, however, Yamamoto beat him to the punch.
"Squalo! You came!" the black-haired teen exclaimed. Yamamoto rushed over to the white-haired swordsman and began talking to him, practically bouncing on his heels as he invited him to the party his old man was planning. Ryohei also rushed off to talk to Lussuria upon spotting him. The rest of Tsuna's friends began to spread out across the shrine. Only Gokudera stayed by his side. Even Lambo quickly found a way to entertain himself by approaching the Arcobaleno group, where Colonnello quickly distracted him by instigating him to chase after Skull.
The light-hearted sight before him did nothing to put Tsuna at ease however. Now that they were here, Tsuna felt all of his tension return. His eyes scanned the shrine, taking into account each of his friends. He watched as Lambo stumbled into Chrome in his chase, and how as she bent down to pick the five-year-old up, Skull scuttled off to join the rest of the Arcobaleno with a huff. Tsuna's eyes followed him, and he frowned slightly as he took in the sight of Dino and Romario quietly conversing with Aria and Gamma.
The sight of Dino dressed in the same black Leon-made suit Reborn had ordered everyone to wear made Tsuna's stomach twist in discomfort. It was a strange feeling. While he had never given people like Gamma or Romario, or even Aria, a second glance despite their adult, business clothes, seeing the same clothes on Dino made Tsuna pause this time. It had always been hard to associate the cheerful, clumsy blonde boss that Tsuna knew with the mafia life, but today it felt all too easy. The serious expression on his face right now, the memory of the blonde fighting with Reborn in that quiet, threatening voice, and the sight of the blonde's rigid set of his shoulders filling out the suit he was wearing made Tsuna bite his lip anxiously. Dino-san looked so different from what Tsuna was used to. The crimson-red shirt he was wearing underneath his jacket made him stand out, and Tsuna suddenly couldn't feel more uncomfortable in his own suit. He wasn't scared of him…
But a scary thought did pop up in his head briefly.
I wonder… if I will look like that in the future…
Tsuna swallowed uneasily and forced himself to ignore the thought. He'd already decided he wasn't going to allow that to happen. Instead of worrying on things like that, Tsuna decided to focus on the present.
"Um… Squalo?" Tsuna decided to ask something that had been nagging him ever since they had arrived at the shrine. "Where's Xanxus?" He looked a bit apprehensive but worried at the same time. "He's not hurt, is he?"
At the brunette's question, the white-haired swordsman scowled deeply, annoyed at the brat's impertinence. "As if!" Squalo snapped, sneering. He couldn't help but to feel annoyed at the fact that the Vongola brat had once again managed to beat his boss. Squalo's posture was tense with hostility as he glared at the brat, but after a moment, his lips turned into a vicious smile. "We had to tie him down, or else he would be here, trying to skin your shitty ass." His smirk widened rather sharply.
Gokudera snarled at Squalo's words and posture, and he took a threatening step forward. Dynamites were already slipping out of his sleeves and into his hands.
Tsuna paled slightly at Squalo's words. "O-oh... Well, I'm...glad he's not too hurt…!" he stammered, before backing away from Squalo. Though upon seeing Gokudera with dynamite in his hands, he reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Gokudera-kun," he said softly, not wanting the other to start a fight right now.
Reborn smirked a bit at this exchange, but he wasted no time getting to business. He quickly produced a card from his jacket. "Here, Tsuna," he said, offering it to him. "We've prepared the passwords."
"It's finally time," Dino murmured softly, mostly to himself, as he saw Tsuna accept the cards. His stomach had been doing flip-flops since he had arrived to the shrine, and now that the last of them had finally arrived, instead of subsiding, the feeling only increased. Dino ignored his unease, and after sharing a small acknowledging look with Romario, Dino plastered a smile on his face and walked over to where Tsuna was standing. "Morning!" he said blithely once he was near, though his eyes didn't share his cheery disposition. They were much too steady, serious, and determined. "You ready, Tsuna?"
Tsuna glanced at the familiar voice and instantly caught the difference in tone, however small. "Good morning, Dino-san." He smiled regardless, trying to ignore his own discomfort and hoping to be reassuring. He nodded at the question and glanced down at the cards in his hand. "Yeah," he said. "I think we're ready." He nodded confidently, and as he headed towards the shrine, he felt his own shoulders square as he was filled with determination.
Everyone tensed as they watched Tsuna approach the offertory box, Gokudera in particular. He half wanted to offer to do the task himself, but just as he was about to open his mouth, Ryohei's voice called out first.
"Wait a second, Sawada!" Ryohei demanded suddenly, his tone urgent and insistent.
Tsuna stopped at Ryohei's sudden voice that broke the serious silence. He turned to him and blinked, wondering if the Sun guardian had spotted something. "What is it, onii-san?" he asked, somewhat worriedly.
Ryohei thrust a demanding finger forward, pointing in the direction of the brunette. "We can't go on just like this!" he protested, in a loud, serious voice.
Gokudera's eyebrows furrowed in confused as he wondered what the hell the boxing idiot was going on about. "What the hell are you going on about, lawnhead?" The silver-haired teen scowled in irritation at the other.
Ryohei pointedly ignored him. "We can't charge ahead without doing it!" He insisted, nodded to himself very seriously as he crossed his arms over his chest, as if to emphasize his point.
Tsuna blinked in confusion. "Is there... something we missed...?" he tried to ask, but behind him, Yamamoto's eyes suddenly filled with stars.
"That's right! I almost forgot!" He hurried to Ryohei's side, though once he was there he paused and suddenly turned around. "Squalo!" He smiled brightly. "You've got to do it with us!"
"Do what!?" Tsuna flailed in confusion.
"No way!" Squalo snapped automatically to Yamamoto's request despite not knowing what he wanted. His eyebrows knotted agitatedly and his mouth was set into a confused scowl.
Behind Tsuna, Gokudera's own scowl began to shift from confusion and into a grimace as it began to dawn on him what those two sport idiots were going on about. He groaned. "Oh, hell no…"
"Everyone, huddle up! Or else we can't charge ahead!" Ryohei demanded at the top of his voice.
"Oh..." Tsuna sighed in realization, slumping slightly, but a moment later his own lips lifted up into a smile and he turned to Dino. "Um, since you're coming in with us, you should join too," he said.
"Ooh~ Can I huddle up~?" Lussuria skipped over beside Ryohei, who gladly welcomed him.
Dino couldn't help but to smile slightly at this display. Despite all his tension and anxiety, being here surrounded by Tsuna's Family filled him with confidence and reassurance. They could do this. They would do this.
"Shall we?" Dino laughed slightly, putting a hand on Tsuna's shoulder as he led them towards the center, where Ryohei was putting his arm around Lussuria's shoulders already, an eager grin widening on his lips.
Gokudera grumbled but followed. At least most of the Varia wasn't here to either see or participate in this. Had that knife-bastard or Xanxus been here, Gokudera might have had to resort to drastic measures.
Yamamoto was still trying to convince his own tutor. "Oh, come on, Squalo!" The black-haired swordsman turned on the puppy eyes automatically.
Squalo grimaced and glared down at the brat with disgust. "Hell no!" he growled, and all but kicked his student away from him and towards the excited boxer.
Yamamoto laughed as he stumbled over to the group. "Okay! Next time, Squalo!" He gave the swordsman a thumbs-up before turning around and putting his arms around Ryohei and Gokudera's shoulders. Tsuna stood between Dino and Gokudera. Chrome hesitated before Tsuna called her and Lambo over. She took the spot between Dino and Lussuria, while Lambo happily escaped her arms and bounced onto Gokudera's head. who was immediately attracted was happy enough to bounce on to Gokudera's head.
"Okay!" Tsuna called as everyone put their arms around each other's shoulders, with the exception of Lussuria who put his arm around Ryohei's waist. "1, 2, 3!"
"VONGOLA FIGHT!" a chorus of voices shouted across the clearing, some louder than others, but all with the same flame of enthusiasm (though some pretended otherwise).
Next to Reborn, Colonnello stared proudly of the group of warriors they had trained. They had certainly come a long way. But… despite the fact that he had little doubt in their strength, the unknown factors about the Vendetta Family still concerned him.
"Are you sure about this, Reborn? I still think you should sneak in after them, kora!"
Next to him, Fon shook his head. "The gamble is too much of a risk," he disagreed. "Have faith in our students. They have learned well."
Reborn smirked a bit and shook his head at Colonnello. "Tsuna is more than capable of doing this," he said, crossing his arms. "Everything is under control."
Aria smiled, watching the group huddle up as warm feelings of fondness welled up in her chest. She leaned against Gamma, her head on his shoulder as she looked at them with a bright smile. "I think they'll all be just fine." She looked at the rest of the Arcobaleno and smiled confidently. "Not to worry."
As Aria leaned into him, Gamma brought up his arm to wrap around Aria's waist. Though, at her words, he couldn't help but to snort slightly. "Had I not seen Cavallone in action, I would have a hard time believing that, watching them now." Gamma shook his head, amused at the Vongola's childish display.
Aria smirked a bit. "Tsunayoshi-kun has worked hard, Gamma. They all have." She looked at the group proudly for a moment, before glancing back down at the Arcobaleno again. "Everyone has," she said with a bright smile.
Tsuna let out a small sigh as he straightened back up. He felt that familiar flutter of excitement that always came after their huddles. Tsuna turned to Reborn. The two of them stared at each other for a short moment, but then the Sun Arcobaleno nodded, and Tsuna nodded firmly in return.
The Tenth Boss gave a glance to his right-hand man and flashed him a smile before he walked over to the offertory box, holding out the cards. He dropped them in and looked up towards the shrine. For several seconds, nothing happened, but then, suddenly…
The floor beneath Tsuna disappeared. He let out a shriek as he fell down a trapdoor.
"TENTH!" Gokudera's heart stopped and his eyes widened in horror as he saw Tsuna fall through the floor. His reaction was instinctual—not a second had gone before he was already running over towards where the brunette had fallen. The smoker skidded to his knees in front of the trapdoor, and he looked down into the darkness below him with a racing heart. "TENTH! Are you alright!?" he called down anxiously, heart thudding loudly at his ears. Gokudera was so out of it that he had forgotten that Lambo was still hanging on to him by his hair. And after having moved so fast, the little cow was now dizzy and in danger of falling after Tsuna.
Ryohei's initially startled expression deepened into alarm as he noticed this. "Wait, watch out, octopus head!" He brought up a hand in protest and took a step forward, but he was too late. Lambo was already wiggling and scrambling to regain his balance, which caused Gokudera to hit his head hard against the edge of the trapdoor. A second later, the smoker lost his grip on the ledge and was falling headfirst, with Lambo still clinging on to him. A pair of yelps was all that could be heard as they fell down after Tsuna.
Yamamoto watched as Tsuna, followed by Gokudera and Lambo all disappeared down the trapdoor. He grinned. "Heh. Come on, senpai!" He hurried over to the trapdoor and jumped, turning in midair. He gave Squalo a quick wave before gravity took over and Yamamoto fell down the hole as well.
Chrome was standing a couple steps away from the edge of the trapdoor. She sighed slightly, looking a bit hesitantly at Ryohei.
"That idiot!" Squalo spluttered as he watched Yamamoto head after the others with his usual careless attitude.
Ryohei, on the other hand, was grinning widely at his fellow guardian's enthusiastic exit. With a reassuring nod to Chrome, he approached the hole and looked down at the dark, seemingly endless tunnel that awaited them. His heart was already racing with excitement. "Yosh!" he exclaimed. "Let's go, Chrome!" He grinned widely at the girl, and after a moment's thought, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hold on tight!" he said, before he too jumped.
Chrome gasped lightly, but she held her trident in one hand tightly and held on to Ryohei with the other.
Dino shook his head slightly and smiled at the enthusiasm of Tsuna's Guardians. The initial dread that had welled up inside him upon seeing Tsuna fall had already mostly subsided, though he was still very much alert. Despite having experienced this many times, it was still hard to get used to Tsuna's Family's antics—the easygoingness that they had when going into battle was just their way. He hoped that never changed.
Dino approached the trapdoor with his whip in hand. "Catch you later, Romario." Dino nodded at his right-hand man, and gave one last look to where the Arcobaleno group was gathered, before he too dropped down to the Vendetta base.
Reborn watched them all disappear down the hole and he walked over, standing at the edge and looking down. "Well," he muttered as the hole closed slowly, "good luck, Tsuna."
Tsuna rubbed his head with a slight groan as he sat up. But the moment he did, something heavy fell on to him and he was pinned down to the ground once more by the weight on his stomach. "AUGH!" he cried out before looking back to see Gokudera on top of him. "Gokudera-kun, can you please get OFF-" He let out another shout as Yamamoto landed on top of Gokudera with a laugh.
Gokudera groaned loudly as he landed rather roughly on the ground. The only part of him that wasn't protesting to this treatment was his torso which had landed directly across Tsuna's own. He was already scrambling to get off his boss before the other was even done speaking, but with the stupid cow still wailing loudly at his ear and pulling at his hair, he was having a hard time doing so. "Sorry, Tenth!" he yelped apologetically, but before he could say anything else, something heavy landed on his back and made him collapse straight back onto his boss.
"Who the—Get the fuck off me, you stupid baseball-idiot!" Gokudera growled upon hearing the idiot's laugh.
Yamamoto continued to chuckle unashamedly. "Sorry, sorry!" he said, quickly getting off.
Gokudera groaned in both pain and relief as the other got off of him. He got up and sat back on his knees, wincing as he felt his back ache in protest slightly. He finally tore the five-year-old off of his head with a grimace. Thankfully, Lambo had finally stopped screaming—unfortunately, the annoying brat was now guffawing at Tsuna and Gokudera's pain.
"Gyahahahaha!"
Gokudera narrowed his eyes at the cow, but he didn't have time to react further because Ryohei and Chrome were making their way down. Chrome saw the pile at the bottom and let go of Ryohei, the trident landing on the floor besides Tsuna's head. Tsuna let out a squeal as Chrome swung around the trident in order to avoid the pile.
Ryohei, on the other hand, was paying no attention to where they were landing as he was too focused on the rush of the fall. "WOOHOO!" The boxer laughed boisterously until he finally landed—right on top of Gokudera's lap.
"Augh…!" Gokudera felt the air leave his body once more as he groaned in pain. At least… the Tenth is… okay… he thought in the back of his mind.
"Whoops! Sorry, octopus head!" Ryohei apologized with a wide grin as he got up to his feet. He offered the other a hand up, which Gokudera grudgingly took after a moment.
Once he had regained his breath, Gokudera finally turned to the Tenth. "Are you alright, Tenth?" he asked and held out a hand of his own for the other to take.
Tsuna sighed slightly as one by one they got off of him. He supposed he should have expected this rocky start. "Yes..." He reached out for the offered hand. "Yes, I'm fine," he murmured, and he was about to get up when one more body collapsed on him.
"Ah, crap…" Dino's voice was muffled against the sleeve of his jacket. Having been cushioned by both it and Tsuna, Dino's landing ended up being the softest. Still, he was quick to get up and apologize. "Sorry, Tsuna." The blonde scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I was looking for a way to land properly, but there wasn't really much for me to hang on to." He laughed slightly.
Tsuna did his best to regain his composure as he took Gokudera's hand and stretched his back. "It… it's okay, Dino-san. Really." He was about to offer the other a reassuring smile, but he couldn't help but to freeze At that moment. The back of his neck prickled uncomfortably as he something inside of him screamed, warning him that there was something else in the room with them. Tsuna looked over to the other side of the large empty room they had landed in, and there, a single unmoving male stood.
Jiro had his legs shoulder-width apart, and his fists held tight to his waist, elbows back and firm against his body. His shoulders were tense and his eyes were clear as he stared stonily at the group. A ring with a deep purple hue glinted on the middle finger of his right hand. He just looked at them and didn't speak. Didn't move. Just stared.
A second after Tsuna froze in place, the others followed his gaze and tensed as well. Gokudera's hands reached for his dynamites. Ryohei's fists clenched at his sides. Dino's hand was tightening its grip on his whip.
"Ararara? Whatsdat? Whosdat? Lambo-san wants to know!" Lambo asked in a loud voice as he picked his nose. Yet, despite his request, the cow didn't look that interested to hear the response at all, as after a second he was already ignoring the scene in front of him and was instead sticking his hands inside his afro, presumably looking for something.
Tsuna watched, expecting the male to laugh or smile or say something. But he just stared for a moment before suddenly bowing at the waist.
"Jiro," he said as he stood straight back up again. "Nakamura Jiro." He thrust out a fist and took a fighting stance, once again, being completely still and waiting.
"Is he... part of the Vendetta?" Tsuna murmured. "Why would they send him alone?"
Dino frowned and carefully looked around the room ahead of them. "A trap, perhaps? Or maybe they sent him to test us," he replied in an equally quiet tone. The blonde narrowed his eyes at the figure in front of them. Where was the rest of the Vendetta? Dino wanted answers…
Next to Tsuna, Gokudera ground his teeth in irritation. "Those fuckers are underestimating us again!" he hissed, annoyed with the implication that they thought only one member of the Vendetta Family would be enough against them all. "Let me take care of this guy, Tenth! I'll have him begging to tell us where Hibari is in a second," he promised.
Jiro didn't move or flinch. He merely stared, waiting for someone to step forward.
"Wait, Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "I'm not sure... Something tells me he won't talk so easily." The more he watched Jiro, the more he saw. There was a sense of calm in the center of Jiro's body. His muscles may be tense, and he was alert, but there was no panic or anger in his features.
He was just... waiting.
Yamamoto's smile was gone now as he watched Jiro just stand there, staring at them. His hand twitched, ready to grab his sword at any moment.
Ryohei crossed his arms over his chest. "So what do we do, Sawada? We can't just stay here!" Ryohei eyed the figure ahead of them and felt the itch of a challenge urging at him. "I'm with octopus head on this one. Let's fight him!"
Tsuna bit his lip slightly and opened his mouth to protest when Jiro spoke.
"Too much noise," he said stiffly, before looking straight at Ryohei. He stood straight then and placed his fists at his sides before bowing to him, silently challenging him to battle.
Ryohei's eyes lit up in excitement at the challenge and he nodded firmly at the other. Uncrossing his arms, the Sun Guardian took a step forward and put a hand on Tsuna's shoulder. "Just leave him to me, Sawada. Even if he won't say anything… " The Sun Guardian's expression was serious and as he began to head off towards the center of the room, where his opponent was waiting. "…I believe that as men, we can talk through our fists!"
Once in front of him, Ryohei bowed his head slightly and introduced himself. "The name's Sasagawa Ryohei!" he told the other, wanting to be on equal ground before the fight begun. A second later, his jacket was flying through the air, the white sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and he was settling into his boxing stance. The ring on his finger automatically lit up, as it always did when Ryohei got excited.
"Nakamura Jiro," the Vendetta member repeated, and straightened out before taking his fighting stance again with a single huff of breath. He was still for a single moment. The two of them stared at each other, as if waiting for the other to make the first move.
The impasse was broken when Jiro suddenly rushed forward. His ring didn't light up, but Jiro was quick, agile. He delivered a few quick test punches towards Ryohei's chest, measuring his strength and speed.
Though the others were surprised at the Vendetta member's speed, Ryohei was able to see his opponent clearly. His training with Lussuria had definitely paid off. Ryohei quickly dodged the other's punches with a dance of his feet before throwing out a punch of his own at the other.
Jiro's expression didn't change. He dodged the punch and dropped down, swinging out a leg to kick Ryohei's ankles. He kept going at the test speed, watching, observing, and his poker face never slipped an inch.
Though slightly startled at the other's move, Ryohei jumped back to avoid the kick. "You're pretty good!" The boxer grinned at the other's fighting style, enjoying the challenge. "When this is all over, you should join my boxing club!" Ryohei suggested as he dodged another hit.
Jiro showed no reaction. In fact, he barely even showed that he heard Ryohei's words. He stood back up and decided in an instant to kick it up. He moved faster this time, and sent punches to Ryohei's head, not wanting to give him time to catch up.
Ryohei's easygoing and friendly expression turned into a more serious and focused one as he realized the other was done playing around. He blocked the incoming fist to his face with a slight grunt and felt impressed at the force of the impact. He dodged the next hit and began to pick up the speed as well. It was hard to attack back when he was so busy trying to avoid the other, but Ryohei wasn't one to give up so easily.
"EXTREME UPPERCUT!" Ryohei let out an invigorating cry as he rushed forward and thrust hard and fast jab at the other's chin.
Jiro's expression faltered and the uppercut hit the mark. He flew back before catching himself and landing in a crouch. He ran his hand over his mouth, watching Ryohei thoughtfully as he stood up again.
Tsuna was watching from the sidelines, his body tense and worried. He wondered if they should give Ryohei a hand... But the boxer seemed to be handling it so far...
Jiro let out a small grunt before he rushed forward and released a flurry of punches, aiming for Ryohei's face, chest, arms, and wrists without mercy. Within seconds, his objective switched, and Jiro jumped up and aimed a spinning kick into Ryohei's side. It was clear that the Vendetta member was beginning to get serious.
"Hah…" Ryohei ducked down in order to dodge the other's initial punches, but this move caused Jiro's kick to connect with his jaw instead of his side. Ryohei grunted as the impact flung him to the side a couple feet, but landed on his knees and skidded to a stop. "Not bad…!" He grinned slightly and wiped off a bit of blood that had spilling over his lip, the action causing the bandages wrapped around his hands to stain quickly. "But I'm getting tired of dodging…!" he exclaimed as he rushed back towards the other. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between them, and started throwing fast punches at the other, aiming for his vital spots as he moved around Jiro.
"That's… Lussuria's footwork!" Gokudera exclaimed in surprise as he took a step closer to the battle. The Storm Guardian was impressed on how much the boxer had improved, and though he was loathe to admit it—since he had wanted to fight already—the lawnhead was undoubtedly the best choice for this battle.
Dino let out an impressed whistle as well. "It's almost as good as Lussuria's… To have managed come this far in one week… That must have been one hell of a training regime."
Tsuna's eyes widened. He brightened at the sight before him. Maybe... maybe they really did have a chance!
Jiro lifted his fists and hunched his shoulders in a defensive position. The other was too fast... much too fast. Jiro let out a growl, and then, for the first time in the battle, his ring began to glow. The deep purple of his Cloud Flame burst from the ring before sinking right back in.
Jiro growled again as he began to get bigger. He grew at least another foot taller, and his muscles bulged, ripping the sleeves of his shirt. He whipped out a still-growing arm in a wide arc, catching Ryohei with immense strength and tossing him aside almost effortlessly. Jiro's transformation had changed him completely, not only physically but also personality-wise. Gone was the quiet, silent boy. Instead of him now stood a growling and glowering beast.
Tsuna shrieked and his eyes widened. "Onii-san!" he cried out, quickly pulling out his gloves and pulling them on.
Ryohei didn't even have the breath to groan when he was thrown aside with such a force that when he landed against the wall, the concrete shattered around him, leaving a large dent as he fell down to the ground on his hands and knees. "Ugh…" The Sun Guardian heaved and coughed as he tried to regain his breath. His stomach ached like crazy and his back was protesting over the beating it had received from the wall. But it only took him a few moments to get back up to his feet.
"It's alright, Sawada..." The white-haired boxer addressed the panicking brunette with a huffing breath, though his eyes were firmly fixed on his opponent. "This is a one-on-one battle... You can't interfere!" he proclaimed, before charging on ahead. Adrenaline rushed through Ryohei's body as he dashed forward, and his eyes shone with an excited and intense determination. "That was a nice trick, Nakamura, but you still haven't seen mine yet! MAXIMUM CANNON!" Ryohei thrust out his left fist, aiming straight on at the other's stomach.
Tsuna bit his lip slightly, but stopped and though with reluctance, he pulled his gloves off again and continued to watch the battle before him with knitted eyebrows and a worried expression.
Jiro saw the punch coming and his ring suddenly flared up again. He grew and bulged once more, and his hands wrapped around Ryohei's fist. They slid back a couple feet, but... Jiro had caught the Maximum Cannon. He gripped tighter to Ryohei's fist and threw him into a wall before lumbering off after him.
Yamamoto gritted his teeth. "Senpai...!" His hands clenched at his sides as he forced himself to not intervene.
The impact of Jiro's throw was much harder this time. Ryohei cried out as his already abused body collided against the wall once again. The indentation left by the impact was thrice as big as last time, and the time it took for Ryohei to recover was thrice as long as well. The boxer struggled to get up to his knees.
"Come on, lawnhead! Get up!" Gokudera yelled, his voice a mix of worry and frustration.
Ryohei couldn't help but to chuckle slightly at that, though it came out as more of a cough. "Just… sit back… and watch me… octopus head…" Ryohei grinned toothily as he slowly got up to his feet. Though he was wobbling a bit, Ryohei's eyes never lost that spark of determination it always held.
"After all that… training I did…" Ryohei tightened his fist in front of him and his Sun Flame began to glow even brighter that it had been. "There's no way I'll allow myself to lose here!" The boxer thrust up his fist and allowed his flame to run wild. But this time the flame didn't shoot out like a beam, as it had done in Tsuna's room two days ago. Instead, the flame leaked out from the ring and spread over Ryohei's body. Slowly, most of Ryohei's injuries began to fade and his breathing evened out again. Despite all the damage that had been dealt to him, Ryohei looked ready for round two. His face was set into an intense expression as he got back into his fighting stance; but this time, he didn't charge ahead. He was going to wait for the perfect opening before trying his favorite move again.
Jiro ran towards Ryohei, slower than before, but of course, significantly stronger. With a grunt, he lunged forward and sent a fist towards Ryohei's chest. There was no real emotion in his eyes, just a carnal sort of instinct that hungered for Ryohei to fall to his knees. To be defeated.
Tsuna gasped, and his fists tightened over his gloves. "Onii-san!" he cried out, watching the newly formed bulk of a monster charging in the direction of the boxer. Please. Please dodge. Please be okay!
Ryohei was ready for the other. He waited for his opponent to get close enough before quickly dodging to the side. As Jiro's fist smashed hard against the wall, which finally managed to shatter completely from the one too many hits it had received, Ryohei dashed forward to deliver a Sun-charged punch straight on the other's open side, his fist striking directly against Jiro's ribcage. It was the first hit Ryohei had managed to deliver since Jiro's transformation, and the boxer was surprised at how much damage the other's thick muscles managed to absorb. This wasn't going to be easy… He had a feeling the other's stamina wasn't going to run out any time soon, and considering the damage the other could do, Ryohei knew he needed to end this quickly. For now, his only advantage was their difference in speed, but with all the damage Ryohei had received, he didn't think he would be able to keep dodging for too long.
Jiro reached out and immediately grabbed the fist at his side, growling at the light punch. He chose another wall and slammed Ryohei into it, once, twice, then down to the floor. He released him and then kicked his side, sending him bouncing off a couple feet, Jiro following in each pace, getting ready to deliver more blows.
Dino winced at the one-sided massacre that was happening in front of them. The tide of the battle had quickly turned once the Vendetta member had transformed and it didn't seem like it was about to turn over again.
As Ryohei hit the ground once more, Dino could feel Tsuna's Family tense, looking ready to dash forward to help. Though it pained him to do so, Dino had to put a restraining hand on Tsuna's shoulder as Ryohei let out another cry of agonized pain. "You can't," Dino murmured softly to him. "This is his battle." Dino's hand squeezed Tsuna's shoulder comfortingly, though his other was clenching tightly in frustration at his side.
Tsuna stilled at the hand on his shoulder and bit his lip, not wanting to hold still. He didn't want to stand and watch as Ryohei got beaten more and more. But all Tsuna could do was stand there and watch on the sidelines. This wasn't like the Ring Battles where they weren't allowed to interfere. This was different. And it was tearing Tsuna apart.
Ryohei bit his lip harshly as he strained himself to quickly get up and dodge. His hand was clutching at his side, which was had suffered from that debilitating kick and was hurting more than anything else had throughout this battle. Dodging was proving to be more difficult than ever. Ryohei thought his ribs might have cracked from that last blow but he was doing his best not to think about it. Instead, as his lumbering beast of an opponent charged ahead once more, Ryohei charged up his flames once more. "This is my ultimate extreme attack…!" Ryohei declared as he raised his right fist in front of him, which was glowing all the way down to his elbow. Ryohei didn't move from his spot until Jiro was close enough, and then, under the blink of an eye, Ryohei disappeared from where he had been.
"MAXIMUM… INGRAM!"
As the boxer shouted, a flash of gold seem to come out of nowhere and hit Jiro's chest, side, and back at full force almost simultaneously. For a second, it looked like Ryohei had multiplied, though in reality they were merely afterimages caused by the incredible speed the boxer had used.
Jiro had rushed forward having every intention of smashing Sasagawa Ryohei into the floor. But then, he had disappeared. Suddenly he couldn't really think anymore. Punches were coming in at all sides and Jiro swung his arms out, trying to catch him, but it was no use. He was too fast!
"Haaah….!" Ryohei's punches slammed against the brown-haired fighter hard and fast, and as his attack came to an end, Ryohei's speed slowed in order for him to deal the final blow. Though he saw Jiro hobbling to hit him, Ryohei knew he had the advantage this time. Everything seemed to come to a stop at that moment. Ryohei could faintly hear his friends' cries in the background, he could see Jiro's arm nearing to slam against him, he could feel his racing heartbeat drumming against his battered chest… and then in that final moment, Ryohei's fist ricocheted forward, thrusting straight on Jiro's heavily muscled stomach.
Time picked up its pace again. Jiro's body went flying across the room under the blink of an eye. There was a loud crash as the Vendetta member collided against the wall, falling through it and leaving behind a cloud of smoke and debris.
As the dust cleared, a small and normal-looking Jiro could be seen lying in the rubble, finally unconscious.
Tsuna's eyes widened and brightened at the sight before he jumped up. "Onii-san! You did it!" he cried.
Yamamoto grinned and ran over. "Senpai!" He laughed, overcome with relief, and began congratulating the other as well.
"Good job, lawnhead!" Gokudera let out a small cheer, his expression one of relief as he too headed over towards the boxer.
Even Chrome was looking relieved, though she stayed where she was.
"Thank goodness…" Dino murmured, grinning widely at the victory. That had been a close fight.
Ryohei grinned back at his friends and flashed them a thumbs-up as they came closer. Though his expression looked half-pained and weary, his sunny disposition shone through and his silver eyes glowed brightly as he felt the rush of his victory flow through him.
"Told you… I'd win…" Ryohei panted slightly, his voice strong despite the stutter. But he couldn't keep up that strong façade for very long. After a couple of seconds, Ryohei's side jolted painfully and reminded Ryohei exactly what kind of condition he was in. He let out a grunt of pain as he reached up with a shaky hand to cradle his injured side.
"Shit, you look awful." Gokudera grimaced in worry and shifted forward to lend the boxer his shoulder. The other looked ready to collapse. "Can't you do that healing thing you did earlier?"
Ryohei shook his head and breathed heavily before he answered. "S'bad for you. Luss' said can't do it so often." Ryohei's body tensed as he felt a cough begin to wreck through him. He brought up a fist to cover his mouth and wasn't shocked to see it covered in blood when he pulled his hand away. The blood quickly seeped into his already-stained bandages until there was more red than white covering his hands.
"Onii-san!" Tsuna moved over to him the moment he saw the blood and gingerly took him by the arm. "Sit down... Rest! You've done enough!" Tsuna bit his lip and felt his heart clench tightly as he saw blood continue dripping from Ryohei's mouth, the dark droplets falling down and staining the white wrinkles of his shirt.
"Indeed."
Tsuna gasped and turned because he hadn't sensed this person's presence. But there he was, standing tall, with his blonde hair impeccably tied back. Minato smiled brightly. "I see you've improved. At the beginning of this week, Jiro-kun probably wouldn't have needed to use his flames."
"YOU!" Gokudera immediately snarled upon seeing the blonde.
"Oh, Haya-kun." Minato smiled wide as if meeting again with an old friend. "How are you doing since the last time we met?"
Tsuna looked at the man before looking at Gokudera. "Gokudera-kun…Was this the guy..?" he asked, but really, he didn't need to. This man was clearly the one who had beaten his right-hand man into submission a couple days before. Tsuna felt Yamamoto tense up again at his side, stepping closer at this discovery.
Minato took that moment to sweep his arm across his chest and bow. "I would like to officially welcome you to the Vendetta Family Headquarters. I congratulate you, on behalf of my boss, for making it this far." He straightened up.
Gokudera's teeth gnashed murderously as he glared daggers at the blonde bastard who had beaten him before—the man he'd sworn he'd pay back in blood a thousand-fold. How he itched to fight him already. His voice, his very presence, was setting Gokudera off, and had it not been for Ryohei, whom was struggling to stand on his own feet now that the enemy was back, Gokudera would have already drawn his weapons and thrown himself into the next battle.
A moment later, he wasn't the only one whose blood was boiling for battle.
"'the hell are you wasting formalities on this scum for, Mina-chan?" another voice, a very familiar voice to Dino, spoke out next. Ono appeared from behind Minato just as suddenly as the blonde had before and was now standing before them, his arms crossed loosely across his chest and his nose wrinkling in distaste.
"They just keep coming like flies," Gokudera spat darkly at the sight of the redhead, though his dark glare quickly darted back to the blonde.
Behind him, Dino's body coiled tightly and his eyes narrowed at the owner of the hauntingly familiar voice. "It's was you." Dino's quiet voice rang out throughout the room, his tone cutting and dark. "You're the one who called us that day. You're that bastardi that's been haunting us this whole time." Dino growled as he dug his nails into the leather of his whip. He took a step forward, his weapon ready to lash out—the redhead's mouth stretched into a wide grin at this motion, which further infuriated Dino, but before his temper could get the better of him, someone else stepped in to stop him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Heads swiveled around to stare at the latest newcomer, whom was standing a few feet away from his fellow teammates. The curly-haired, bored-looking boy that stood before them now was holding onto someone no one was expecting to see there.
"Lemme go! Lemme go!" Lambo cried loudly as he tried his hardest to wriggle out of Youta's hold.
Chrome gasped and looked around at her feet, wondering when it was that Lambo had been taken. He must have wandered off at some point during Ryohei's battle…
"Please, give him back!" she pleaded softly.
"Aw, so you're the illusionist, are you?" Ayumu appeared next, leaning over Ono's shoulder. "I must say I'm glad to meet you, Chrome-chan." He smiled brightly, and Chrome's expression stiffened with determination as she held on tightly to her trident.
"Lambo!" Tsuna's eyes widened and he paled drastically as he stared at the captive five-year-old. He felt stricken, but he bit his lip, and tried to stay strong. Reborn wasn't here to take charge. He had to be the boss. "Please let him go! And Hibari-san too!"
"Augh, so boring!" another voice came, this time from above them. It was Yuki, whom was hanging from the rafters by an ankle. "We have you all day, Vongola Tenth. I think we should definitely have some fun!" She grinned brightly.
Dino's teeth gnashed in frustration at the position he found himself in. Here was the bastard that had been haunting him all week, the bastard whom Dino was sure was the one who had tortured his Kyouya—and there was nothing he could do for now.
"Oh, yes. We'll have some real fun beating your asses to the ground," Gokudera snapped back, with a deep growl, feeling as frustrated as the Bronco. His anger and anxiety were making him volatile. The sight of the cow struggling to free himself from the Vendetta's member's arms only strengthened those feelings.
"Let Lambo go, you cowards!" Ryohei spat among another mouthful of blood. The boxer was beginning to look pale.
"Hmph. That's an ironic accusation, coming from you, Vongola." The steady sound of an approaching set of footsteps followed the voice that had spoken out, and after a moment, the boss of the Vendetta Family stepped out into the light.
Minato immediately kicked aside Jiro's unconscious form to make way for Masaru's entrance. He gave a bow to his boss and then stood at his right side, two steps back.
Yuki hopped down and stood nearby Youta with a grin on her face that was brighter than the sun.
Tsuna looked at the new man and immediately felt the respect he commanded. "You..." He swallowed and stood straight. "Are you the Vendetta's boss?"
Masaru smiled with amusement at the Vongola heir's pitiful attempt to fulfill his role. "Indeed, I am." The blue-haired boss answered in a pleasant tone as his eyes flickered across the room. He slowly took in the damage that had been done during the battle, as well as the condition the participants had been left in. Though the Vongola's Sun Guardian looked ready to be done in, Masaru was slightly surprised Jiro had been defeated. Masaru's expression grew cold, though his sharp smile never wavered. "The name's Masaru, the Tenth successor of the Vendetta Family. I'm very glad to finally be able to meet you face to face, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
Though there was a sliver of fear bubbling up in Tsuna's chest, he clenched his fists at his sides and lifted his chin as he faced on the Vendetta's boss.
"This... This is my Family, Masaru," Tsuna said, the slight tremor in his voice disappearing as his eyes shone with determination. "And I promise! You'll regret the day you messed with us!"
Tsuna's words had an inspiring effect on his friends, but they were met with a deafening silence from the Vendetta Family whom had collectively tensed at these words. Not due to fear… No, it was due to hatred.
"The only thing we have ever regretted was not killing you and your Family sooner." Masaru's voice was soft, smooth, and threatening when he spoke. "And now, after all these years, after everything we've had to endure thanks to you, it is our turn to finally make you regret having ever messed with us! Your reign of supremacy will fall here, Vongola!"
Tsuna's fists clenched tighter, and he glared at Vendetta's boss. This couldn't continue any further.
Ayumu stepped forward right then, and in in a flurry of Mist Flames, a long, segmented staff appeared in his hand. As everyone's eyes locked onto him, the illusionist smirked. "Right then. Time to pair off," he said. The staff became smothered in Mist Flames, and with a flourish, the room before them began to shift. The Vongola members' eyes widened as the sight before their eyes disappeared, becoming black for a moment. The next thing they knew, they were no longer standing in the same room. Instead, they were in the middle of what looked like a maze of hallways and doors.
But one of them managed to remain unaffected. Chrome screwed her eyes shut and called upon her own Mist Flames, shielding herself from Ayumu's assault. His illusions were strong, but she could just see right through the seams. Ah, there! Chrome opened her eyes to see the Vendetta member holding Lambo heading off somewhere and Chrome, with a gulp of determination, rushed to follow.
"Tsk, you're slipping, Ayumu," Ono teased his fellow member upon noticing their straggler.
"Oh, great." Youta looked back at his senpai's words and sighed upon noticing the girl who was now chasing after him. Youta's nose wrinkled in annoyance. He had been hoping to avoid all these fights since his opponent had ended up being the five-year-old boy struggling in his arms. But it looked like he really had no luck when it came to these things. With an annoyed glare in the direction of the Vongola Mist user, Youta took off in a sprint and shifted his hand to muffle the loud wails of his prisoner.
"Tch..." Ayumu scowled slightly at the strain his Mist Flames met colliding with hers. "She's a strong one. Good luck, Yuki-chan."
Yuki grinned. "Will do!" she said in a chipper tone before hopping up back into the rafters to follow Youta unseen.
