Chapter 29:

So spend your time playing

"Tsunayoshi, move!"

Tsunayoshi is awake in a second and his body is moving even before he knows what's going on. It must be serious to make Verde shout like that though.

"Target locked on"

Tsunayoshi spins around from his position on the floor to find bright glassy red eyes locked straight into his. He watches as they move and seemingly focus on him even more, widening then contracting before growing wider once more and stopping.

"Now proceeding to level 001."

That voice was a synthesised one, definitely male, but with no real emotion in it.

"Verde?" asks Tsunayoshi "What game are we playing now?" Most games had levels in them. Level 1 was always the start; the easiest.

However when the wave of bullets came directly at him, he wondered where the easy levels had gone.

"Tsunayoshi, keep on running. I'll try to make it stop." Shouts Verde, fingers flying across the many keyboards infront of him.

This was a rare occurrence in Verde's underground lab. Most things usually went according to Verde's plans. He wasn't the best scientist for nothing. But today seemed to be one of the off days. And one of the more dangerous breed of 'off days', for there was now a humanoid robot chasing Tsunayoshi all around the lab, bent on killing him.

Seeing he was running in the direction of one of the more explosive chemical experiments, Tsunayoshi backtracks and turns a different corner. The robot follows him, metal feet tapping against the ground as it runs.

"Why is this robot trying to kill me?" he asks, ducking under a table and crawling through it, hoping that the robot was too large to fit. Instead the robot just crouches down and continues to fire off its gun. Grabbing whatever was next to him- a metal tray- he deflects the bullets before his hand goes behind him, scrabbling for whatever he can get ahold of. As his hand clasps something, he risks a quick look behind to see what he had grabbed: a hammer.

"I made this robot to try and kill Reborn with" says Verde, not really concentrating on what he was saying and therefore telling the truth.

"You what?" screams Tsunayoshi, staring in shock at the scientist.

"He always was a smug Ba-" Verde stops himself before he swears "Reborn isn't a very nice person Tsunayoshi and I am trying to tell him off since words don't seem to penetrate his thick skull."

"But still!" Tsunayoshi tries to argue, still holding the metal tray up to stop the bullets from harming him.

"…and if I override this… enter in this password…" mumbles Verde to himself. "Got it!"

Tsunayoshi looks up as the rain of bullets stops and uses this opportunity to throw the hammer and knock the gun out of the robot's hands.

"So what's with the level 1 bit?" he asks, slowly coming out from underneath the desk, the metal tray still held defensively against his chest. This was the last time he visited Verde's lab late at night and accidently fell asleep there.

"Hmm? Oh that. This is actually a training simulation. However for someone like Reborn, if there's no threat of dying then he's not interested, nor will he learn anything from it. A sense of morality is often a good learning tool and can push one past their natural limits." Verde lied. It truly was for killing Reborn with. This robot was going to test the Hitman's strength so Verde had a more accurate and up-to-date analysis of the Hitman's current power. Hence why level one was so hard. Reborn wasn't weak after all, and if Verde needed data to back that up, the number of kills the Hitman had done was surely enough evidence.

"Oh, so that's where Reborn's 'Do it with your Dying Will' comes from" guesses Tsunayoshi. He had chosen to listen to his heart rather than his intuition for once and pretend that Verde wasn't lying to him.

What neither Observational Subject nor Observer were expecting was for the robot's eyes to light up red once more, for the camera in his eyes to lock back onto Tsunayoshi and for it to say:

"Initiating Level 002"

Level 002 seems to consist of knives. Very long, very sharp, very shiny knives. Tsunayoshi started to run once more.

"Verde make it stop!" screams Tsunayoshi, running past some botanical experiments concerning cross-breeding. The heads of the many cultivated flowers were quickly decapitated with one swing of the robot's metal arms.

"Verde, your Robot is too loud" complains Tsunayoshi. "If Reborn was fighting it, he'd be able to tell where it was immediately" Reborn had good hearing, especially when it came to enemies. Tsunayoshi himself couldn't sneak up on Reborn, even if he sounded silent to himself. So if this was to help Reborn with his training, then it wasn't going to be very helpful. Tsunayoshi thought he might as well give feedback whilst he was doing nothing but defending his life.

Verde stops typing for a moment and places a hand to his chin. "You are right Tsunayoshi. If this is to have any chance of being successful, then it does need to move silently." When Verde goes back to typing, Tsunayoshi dearly hopes it's not to fix that problem rather than to save him. Nor could Tsunayoshi tell if the 'being successful' bit really meant to train Reborn or to kill him. He hoped his intuition was wrong for once.

Tsunayoshi jumps over one knife, very glad for the training Lal had given him. He skids around another corner, and keeps on running for his life. "Verde! Do something" he helplessly shouts once again.

"Hmm, oh, that's right." Blinks Verde, who had actually been trying to solve the problem of making the robot soundless.

Another knife wizzes over Tsunayoshi's head as the boy ducks. Looking to see where the knife landed, he finds it's sunk into a pile of papers concerning Mukuro, Chrome, Chikusa and Ken. Tsunayoshi growls at that and hopes that the papers are still readable. He wants his friends to live, thank you very much. "Verde, Now!" orders Tsunayoshi.

"What do you think I'm doing?" shouts the scientist back. Pushing his glasses back up his nose, he attacks the keyboard with new vigour.

Turning another corner, Tsunayoshi finds himself running in Verde's direction. "Verde help me!" he almost cries, these knives coming far too close for his comfort.

Verde looks up at the sound of non-metallic feet and sees the incoming threat to his Observational Subject. Picking the boy up as he runs past, Verde spins on the chair at the same time. The knife beds itself deeply into his shoulder. This was the better option than having it bed itself into Tsunayoshi's skull, which it would have if not for his interference.

The robot stops running and faces them, the cameras in its eyes focusing once more. As the knives come flying at the pair, Verde holds out a hand and touches a piece of metal sat next to him. Concentrating, his flame flares around his hand and into the metal. In the middle of their flight, the knives change course and are attracted to the Flame charged piece of metal, cutting into Verde's arm in the process. The scientist hisses at the cut, but ignores it in favour of facing the malfunctioning Robot. Placing Tsunayoshi down on the chair behind him, Verde advances on the robot. All the knives the robot sends towards Verde are drawn to the Flame charged metal that Verde keeps on touching instead.

Since Lightening Flames had similar properties to electricity, Verde was turning the metal into a type of electromagnet. Like he always says, he's not going to be beaten by one of his own experiments.

So the robot, being a Smart Robot, decides to change tactics and flee. It doesn't get too far before Verde grabs it and an electric screwdriver undoes the screws in its leg, causing it to fall on the floor. "Electrico Thunder!" Verde hisses angrily. Since the lab was underground, the lightening couldn't actually get through to him. Instead it went through the lightening conductors in the garden and was directed underground. Once in his lab, the lightening was released and flew down from the ceiling into Verde's target like it was supposed to.

The robot's circuits couldn't take the overload and it stopped working altogether, collapsing into a steaming heap on the floor.

"Verde are you alright?" asks Tsunayoshi, jumping off the chair to run to Verde and cling to his leg.

Verde looks down at the boy and is glad to see no damage has come to him. He couldn't have a subject dying on him now. Or at least that's what he tells himself, ignoring the part that persists to tell him that he was worried for the child, not the subject.

"I'm alright Tsunayoshi." He whispers, trying to ignore the pain of the knife in his shoulder. He frowns as he goes to pat the boy in reassurance, and instead drips blood over him. Tsunayoshi doesn't mind though, more concerned with the act of dripping rather than being dripped on.

"Sit Verde, sit!" cries Tsunayoshi, watching the man get paler by the second. He pushes the man into the chair before panicking over what to do next. Putting plasters on cuts was as far as his first aid knowledge went and he didn't have a plaster big enough to cover Verde's wound. "What are we going to do Verde?" he asks, tears falling from his face. Verde was a Doctor as well as a Scientist, and was usually the one to deal with anything more than a cut or graze. If Reborn or Colonnello ever got a bullet stuck in them, they went to Verde. (Not that Verde would tell Tsunayoshi, but he always made Reborn's surgery as painful as possible. He never had, and never will, like Reborn.)

"Go and get Luce. She can help me with this." He was not going to put Tsunayoshi through the trauma of doing the surgery needed- he was sure stitches were going to be required- nor was he going to ask anyone else to do it. Viper he might have considered, but she was asleep and he wasn't going to pay both the wake up fee and whatever fee she charged for her services. Fon was out of the house for a mission, and Skull was… well Skull. And he would rather die than asking Reborn or Colonnello for help. So Luce was the best option with Lal possibly coming in second. He didn't feel comfortable enough yet to ask Bermuda for help either.

"Luce. Okay. Luce." says Tsunayoshi to himself. But looking at the scientist, Tsunayoshi really didn't want to leave him. So he did the next best thing and shouted for her "LUCE!" however, a few moments later and he couldn't hear the sound of her coming. So, panicking as he was, he tried the one sure thing to get Luce here as soon as possible. "MAMMA LUCE!" She was there in a heartbeat. Tsunayoshi swore that he could shout that from the other side of the world and she'd still be there.

He runs to her and clings to the hem of her dress. "Luce! Luce. Save Verde please!" he looks up at her, his eyes sparkling from the tears.

"Of course I will. I thought something was up when I saw the lightening earlier." She reassures Tsunayoshi before she looks to where the scientist is. "Oh dear Verde, in a spot of trouble are we?"

"It's all my fault!" Tsunayoshi cries, and Luce looks at him out of the corner of her eye "Verde was only trying to save me, but he got hurt instead. Luce please help him!"

Luce smiled at that and instantly got to work. If Verde was harmed saving her cute Tsunayoshi, then she was more than willing to help him in return.

When Colonnello came to collect Tsunayoshi later on, he instead was met by the sight of Verde, Luce and Tsunayoshi covered in enough blood to make it look like they were going to a Halloween party. Verde, of course from being the injured one, Tsunayoshi from trying to help, and Luce from actually helping.

"Oi oi, what's going on here then, kora? Is Luce trying a dissection?" he laughs. The rest just glare back at him, causing him to shut his mouth immediately.

"No, the knife just cut a major artery so please be quiet whilst I work, thank you" says Luce, turning back to her work whilst listening to Verde's instructions. "Colonnello, you can take Tsunayoshi. Make sure to give him a bath before you go." She orders. Tsunayoshi looks too heartbroken to move, so Colonnello ends up physically carrying the child out of the room. But not before Tsunayoshi pats Verde on the head to make everything better.

An hour later and Tsunayoshi is being dragged down Mafia Row, carrying his cargo, his eyes fixed on the house the entire time.


Welcome to Mafia Row Central!

Mafia Row Central is the name for the road running from north to south, bisecting the actual Mafia Row. In the northern end of the road is the Recreational Centre. Here there is a range of shops from clothes shops, to gyms to restaurants. This is an important part of Mafia Row since Mafia Bosses don't want to have to leave the island and travel by boat just for a night out, or to try and relax. Most forms of a good night out, or relaxation, can be found here, from bars to cinemas to beauty parlours. In fact the only form of entertainment not found on Mafia Row, was the type that included buying another for the night. Any form of that was dealt with harshly by the Gate Keepers as a criminal offence.

There are lots of different types of Restaurants here on Mafia Row, ranging from Italian to French to Mexican to American. However all of the restaurants were owned by one man: Tsuyoshi Yamamoto. Of course this man didn't do all the work. He had a whole horde of subordinates to run, manage and cook in the restaurants for him, but he still oversaw everything that went on. However if you ever wanted to find the man, then there was one place to go, and that was a Japanese Sushi shop, Takesushi.

Takesushi was an interesting place. Go there on a weekend, and you'd never seen a happier and livelier place. Everyone was shouting and laughing and having fun. But go there on a weekday, and it was a different story. The mood was more solemn and quieter, a place for contemplation and reflection. Many customers could be found with a small cup of Sake and a plate of sushi, spilling their worries to the rather perceptive man. Of course, Tsuyoshi would just continue to cut Sushi as normal, giving the odd agreeing noise to show he was indeed listening. Which was how it should be done. You don't want someone staring you down when you are trying to sort your life out.

Tsuyoshi gave what advice he could from his interesting position. Tsunayoshi was not a Mafioso. Nor was he planning to become one. But like the rest of the Owners of the Recreational Centre, he knew about it, and knew what this Island was- a home for Mafia Bosses. He knew that every man, woman and child that walked into his restaurants was a Mafioso, most likely had blood on their hands and a gun in their back pocket. He knew very well that he was catering for criminals whilst not being one himself. So the advice he gave suited the situation and the people he was talking to. He could be impartial since he was not under the protection of any specific Family, and as a result he could also keep secrets. What one had said never passed his lips; the next time he saw you, as far as he knew, your life was sunshine and rainbows.

So how did an innocent man like him end up living on Mafia Row? He was recruited. Someone simply arrived on his doorstep and offered him this opportunity. Apparently one of his customers had been someone very high in Mafia Society and had recommended him for the position when Mafia Row had first been created not all that long ago. The money, the protection and the perks had all been too good to refuse. Plus, some people he knew had also been recruited too. So they decided that all of their Families should go together. They were under the protection of every Mafia Family. But the rule was that no one from their families could be targeted for recruitment. If on the off chance that one of them chose this kind of life, that was up to the individual to decide, but no active recruiting could be done.

It was into this very shop that Tsunayoshi was dragged by Lal and Colonnello, taking a very rare day off for once. The boy looks around and notices that he's back in an alien looking room, very similar to the one from yesterday. There were both tables and stools at a high counter. Lal and Colonnello go and sit at one of the stools, with Colonnello picking Tsunayoshi up and placing the boy on a stool.

"Hey, if it isn't Lal and Colonnello. I haven't seen you two here in ages." Comments a smiling, happy man. He had black spiky hair held back by a white band with dark, almost black eyes.

"Well we just can't stay away from such yummy food Tsuyoshi, you should know that!" Laughs Colonnello. "Where else is better for our date?"

Lal jumps up from her seat and aims her suddenly materialised shot gun at Colonnello. "We are not here on a date, you imbecile."

Colonnello just puts his hands in the air, laughing the whole time. When he sees her finger move closer to the trigger, he reaches behind him and pulls Tsunayoshi onto his lap as a type of shield. Only visible to Colonnello's trained eye- he was very adept at reading and watching Lal- Lal loosened her grip on the shotgun, and it was moved fractionally, so if shot, it would miss Tsunayoshi, just barely. Tsunayoshi just looks at the gun and pales slightly, remembering this morning. Both Arcobaleno notice this.

"Well, what type of date includes a small child?" asks Tsuyoshi, more than used to the pair's behaviour by now. "Lal put the gun away please. I don't want gunpowder in the food." Growling, Lal concedes and puts the gun away. Colonnello, however keeps Tsunayoshi on his lap, trying to comfort the child.

"We couldn't go anywhere without him coming along." Sings Colonnello, ruffling Tsunayoshi's hair. The boy smiles and giggles. "We've actually brought him here to meet you and your son. They are about the same age I think. And to taste the World Best Sushi of course"

Tsuyoshi takes a closer look at Tsunayoshi before smiling gently at the child. He extends his hand "I'm Tsuyoshi, it's very nice to meet you."

Being polite, Tsunayoshi shakes the man's hand in return. "Hello, I'm Tsunayoshi." He replies, smiling what he hopes is his normal smile.

Tsuyoshi, being the perceptive man he is, notices Tsunayoshi's behaviour, starting from the sad expression the child was wearing when he first arrived through the door to the slightly fake smile the boy had just given him. He knew exactly what this boy needed. "Why don't you go and see my son? I'm sure he's more exciting than an old man like me."

"Oh you're not boring" Tsunayoshi rushes to say, shaking his head and waving his hands.

Tsuyoshi smiles back at him and walks around the counter to hold open a door. "Come on, he's through here. I'm sure you two will get along fine." Tsunayoshi doesn't really have much choice when Colonnello places him on the ground. So following the man, he walks through a corridor and ends up in a garden at the back of the shop.

"Oi, Takeshi, come here" shouts the man to the boy at the far end of the garden. The boy turns, waves and runs towards them. As he gets closer, Tsunayoshi can see a huge grin, brown hair and warm brown eyes. Eventually he stops infront of the pair, panting slightly from the long run. "This boy is Tsunayoshi. I want you to play with him and get along alright." Says Tsuyoshi to his son. Takeshi nods and turns a bright smile to Tsunayoshi.

"Ha ha, nice to meet you. Come on then, let's go" Placing an arm over Tsunayoshi's shoulders he walks the boy back down the other end of the garden where he was earlier. "Hmm, we should play a game. Games always cheer me up" Tsunayoshi blinks at that statement- he was sure the smile was still on his face.

"What game do you want to play then?" asks Tsunayoshi, looking around the garden for inspiration.

"Haa haa, whatever you want to play." Laughs the boy, hand going to rest of the back of his neck. Tsunayoshi smiles and finds his mood lifting. It was hard not to be happy around this boy.

"Well, I don't really mind. What games can we play?" asks Tsunayoshi. His repertoire of games wasn't very extensive since it was limited to what the others had taught him.

"Well, I was playing baseball earlier, want to try that?" Takeshi asks, walking over to pick up his bat. Tsunayoshi wonders over too and takes a good look at the bat. He had seen one of these before. Reborn has used it on Skull one day when he had gotten bored of shooting at him. Reborn had been in a particularly violent mood that day. Seeing Tsunayoshi's confused face (since he didn't know the correct use of a baseball bat; Tsunayoshi was sure that Takeshi didn't want him to beat Takeshi up) Takeshi explains the basics of the game. "Someone throws the ball at you and you have to hit it with the bat." Tsunayoshi nods, finally understanding.

"Okay then, we'll play that." Smiles Tsunayoshi. He reminded himself to tell Reborn the correct way to use a bat later on.

Takeshi walks up to him and places the bat in his hands, arranging his hands and fingers correctly. Then he walks a little distance off and turns, ready to throw the ball. Takeshi had been watching baseball on the television, and whilst he didn't quite get all of the rules, or the point scoring system, he was determined to learn it one day. He thought that the players looked really cool when they were playing and everyone looked to be having fun. So he'd start with this basic version, and when he grew up, he was going to be a baseball star! He'd already had his Dad teach him the correct way the throw the ball.

"You ready?" he asks Tsunayoshi, but throws the ball anyway.

As the ball was 'speeding' towards him- from his point of view at least- Tsunayoshi had a feeling that playing baseball with Yamamoto was dangerous. Tsunayoshi decides that his intuition is right for once as he ducks under the speeding ball. He gasps, remembering doing the exact same thing earlier.

"Maa maa Tsunayoshi, you are supposed to hit the ball, not duck under it. Move it like this" and he pretends to swing an imaginary bat "It's got to go swish swish, and when the ball hits it should go CLACK!" Tsunayoshi just stares at the boy and wonders what on earth he is going on about. His intuition supplies that this behaviour is normal.

"Sorry, I'll try again" apologises Tsunayoshi before picking the ball back up and throwing it to Takeshi.

"That's the spirit." Agrees Takeshi, before bringing his arm back, his leg up and throwing another stupidly fast ball at Tsunayoshi.

"Heeii" screams Tsunayoshi before attempting to save himself- he ducks on the ground and holds the bat above his head.

"Maa maa, there's nothing to be scared about. If you hit the ball then it's not going to hurt you." Suggests Takeshi, posing for another swing again.

Another attempt is taken, and this time the bat and ball do make contact. But that's only because Tsunayoshi froze up with the bat infront of him- the ball hit due to Takeshi's god aiming.

When he opens his eyes again, Takeshi is directly infront of him. "Ya know, you are only going to get hurt if you aren't concentrating." He'd noticed the faraway look Tsunayoshi had been wearing since he arrived in the garden. Just because he acted care-free didn't mean he wasn't watching and observing. "No matter what else is going on, you've got to concentrate on what you are doing now, or else you might get hurt, and the others wouldn't like it if you got hurt" He was taking a guess, but he was sure that the people who Tsunayoshi lived with would be worried about him. He knew from past experience that not concentrating caused injuries- he'd been hit with the ball quite a few times by accident. "Look, at times like this you need to take in a breath, forget what's worrying you and let it go."

Tsunayoshi looks up with tears in his eyes. "B-but Verde's hurt because of me and I'm so worried about him!"

Takeshi put a hand to his chin and thought. That indeed was something that could be distracting. "But Verde wouldn't like it if you were sad because of him. You've gotta cheer up, ya know. I'm sure he's gonna live. You've just gotta look at the bright side of things. Worrying about him isn't going to help him get better is it?" Again he knew that from experience too. No matter how much he prayed, his mother still died.

"N-no, you're right. If I smile then Verde will smile too and get aaallll better," Tsunayoshi says jumping up to his feet and punching a fist into the air. He smiles at Takeshi. It was weird, but this boy made him feel quite calm too, maybe his personality was infectious? Or maybe because he seemed to be the same blue colour that Colonnello and Lal were, if Tsunayoshi had to take a guess.

So when the adults call the boys in for lunch, Colonnello and Lal are pleased to see that Tsunayoshi is laughing and smiling as brightly as usual. Tsuyoshi smirks, glad that his plan worked.

When it was time to leave again, Tsunayoshi walks over to Takeshi and smiles a truly bright smile. "Thank you Takeshi, for cheering me up. I want to give you these." And he holds out the cargo he had been carrying around with him. One was a blue black swallow toy with a white underbelly. The second was a brown dog with a blue jewel on its head. Again, Tsunayoshi had had the feeling to bring them with him when he had been told who he was going to meet. He had to wonder though why Takeshi got two animals, and Chrome and Mukuro had to share one. His intuition really was strange sometimes.

"Really, ahaa Thank you!" smiles Takeshi, crushing Tsunayoshi with a one armed hug. "Come back and play baseball with me, you were getting better!"

Tsunayoshi thinks that he might ask Takeshi to help teach Lal's trainees how to dodge. He'd certainly found out that the balls moved faster than they should. It had made for quite a scary experience. He'd have to find something other than baseball to play with Takeshi next time.


"Really Tsunayoshi, I am fine. There is no need to follow me around like a duckling follows their mother." Says Verde, exasperated. Sure his shoulder was stiff and he might be on a few too many pain killers, but he didn't want to be followed as if he was about to collapse any moment.

"No. It's my fault and I'm going to make sure you get better." States Tsunayoshi, staring straight into Verde's eyes, determination clear to see within them.

Luce smothers a giggle at the scene. Just who was the parent in this relationship? Bermuda observed carefully behind his bandages. His scene was sounding rather familiar to him. It seems that Tsunayoshi had a way of talking people into what he wanted. Verde was just as helpless as he had been when Tsunayoshi first came to 'take him home'.

"Now sit there and let me feed you. Luce said you shouldn't move that shoulder" The rest of the table burst out into laughter at that statement. Verde though didn't bat an eyelid or even blush- on the outside at least. He hid his confusion behind his blank stare as usual, waiting until later when he was alone to analyse the feeling that Tsunayoshi had just caused him to feel.

"Oi brat, I was wondering" starts Reborn. Everyone else stops laughing and looks at Reborn- this didn't sound good. They really didn't like Reborn's tone. It spelt disaster to come in the future. "Were you sick at all today?" Tsunayoshi shakes his head. "Did you faint at the sight of the blood?" again, another shake of the head. " did you panic or your body stop obeying you?"

"Um, I panicked a little, but that was because Verde was injured." He replied honestly. His pure little mind had no idea what Reborn had really been asking

Reborn smirks. "Hn, good boy." And Tsunayoshi smiles at the compliment. "Oh and get some good sleep for tomorrow. I'm taking you."

Tsunayoshi nods and goes back to the task of feeding Verde. Or at least trying to.


Hmm, a bit of a weird chapter this one. I'm not really happy with it. I didn't have the motivation to write it at all. So when I started to type something out Verde's action scene was the result. Although I managed to tie the start into the middle quite well I think. It's kind of the reverse of the Manga: instead of Tsuna helping Takeshi, Takeshi gives Tsunayoshi advice. And all throughout this chapter, I've been typing Yamamoto instead of Takeshi, and my spell check keeps changing Tsuyoshi to Tsunayoshi.

So can anyone guess who we'll be seeing next? The clue is in there, I assure you all. You've just got to follow the pattern.

And I hope everyone here in the UK with me and the Commonwealth had a good Jubilee Weekend.

See you all next time

Phantom Hitman 1412

First Published 04 June 2012