Chapter 37: Reports and Information
He had been forgotten. Of course, he had spent years practicing the art of remaining invisible, and those years would have been a waste if they had continued to include him, to make notice of him, to see him. Even little Tsuna couldn't do that. Though he might be able to one day, if Byakuran-kun's "possibilities" held any weight. For the good of Tsuna and his friends, the man should have left, but he hadn't. The man called Lancia hadn't played a large part in the other possibilities, but the young man was important to Tsuna here. Lancia himself didn't worry Kawahira, but the older Mafioso had a distinct air about him. An almost smell that Kawahira had long associated with indigo flames. Mugetsu had felt static through his fur when the elongated fur had brushed past the younger man's hand. Lancia undoubtedly would use green flames. So the indigo were from another source.
Still invisible, Kawahira had slipped past the younger man and younger Yamamoto. The two were too busy discussing what happened in the Sawada house again to notice the slight and unnatural breeze passing by. The man decided to mention to one of Tsuna's teachers that the truly young ones needed instructions on how to spot illusions as he entered the room. The elder Yamamoto lay Tsuna on a futon with fatherly gentleness. Such actions, as observed and transmitted by Mugetsu, had convinced Kawahira to trust the man with Namimori's most precious treasure. Otherwise, several unexplained accidents would have put Takesushi out of business and cause the retired Mafioso and his son to take up residence elsewhere. An unlikable solution, since the son would have been removed with the father, but Tsuna did not need another substandard father figure. Thankfully, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi had not made such measures necessary. After putting the boy comfortably into the futon, the elder Yamamoto brushed the boy's bangs back.
"Tsuna," the man said in a sigh. "You are very frustrating child. Takeshi never gave me this much trouble, but I can imagine Mako telling me that each child is different. She would have loved you. And she would have probably hit you for your foolishness by now." The man's lips curved into a shadowed smile. His fingers combing through the pushed back bangs. A blue light shone and fell from the man's hand. "But she would hit me harder if I let you push yourself any harder."
"I didn't know that there were more," said Kawahira, alerting the other to his presence. "I thought Tsuna only had the one I gave him."
"You," said the elder Yamamoto darkly. "I thought you left."
"Not yet. I have a couple of reasons to stay, the main one lying on the futon over there."
"What do you want with Tsuna?" asked the former Mafioso, placing himself between Kawahira and Tsuna. Good. That boy needed all protection and caution that they could provide.
"What we all want," said Kawahira. "For Tsuna to remain as safe as possible. It's what I have been trying to achieve for more than six years."
"Trying?" asked the elder Yamamoto, and Kawahira was glad the shadow hid the frown that crossed the illusionist's features.
"Bullies are a difficult problem to deal with," answered Kawahira. "Especially when the child is going out of his way to attract them."
"For his brother's sake," the elder Yamamoto said, his tone darkening. Tamaki did have that effect on people.
"Always. And now he will risk the Vindice's eternal wrath to save him."
"He loves strongly," said the elder Yamamoto, looking back at the source and center of all their problems. "Maybe too strongly."
"Is love ever too strong?" asked Kawahira. The door to the room banged open.
"Yamamoto-san," Lancia said in a strained voice. "I…I must leave."
"Leave?" asked the elder Yamamoto.
"Lancia-san, you should wait for Tsuna to get up," said the younger Yamamoto as he stepped out from behind the older Mafioso. "He'll worry if you're not here when he wa—"
"I've put him in too much danger," said the young man, bowing quickly and lowly.
"You haven't finished your story," said the younger Yamamoto, wobbling into Lancia's way. That stubbornness proved the boy was Tsuna's friend. Stubbornness attracted stubbornness.
"You need to let me go," said Lancia. "I will return to Italy and do what I can from there."
"Why do you have to go so far?" asked the older Yamamoto.
"He had dealings with a rogue illusionist," said Kawahira, catching the other two's attention. The elder Yamamoto hadn't let Kawahira fall back into obscurity in the former swordsman's sight. "And there are still unwanted ties."
"I felt him," said the young man. His voice didn't quite quiver, but Kawahira heard the panic in it. "He hasn't broken the connection. He's been…he's been using it to spy. To watch Tsuna and wait for the right moment. I didn't notice. I should have, but I didn't think he would be able to maintain his hold from so far. I thought…I wanted to think I was free from him."
"Free from who?" asked the elder Yamamoto, his dark hazel eyes boring into the older Mafioso.
"The one who Tsuna fought a while ago," said Kawahira, certain it would be impossible to return to obscurity with these three after his next words. "Rokudo Mukuro. But I think I can help with that."
It was dark. Tsuna had never been afraid of the dark because he had to be brave for Tamaki, but he didn't like this dark. It didn't have any light at all. All darkness had a little light, even when Tsuna couldn't see it right away. But this one didn't have one shade of darkness less dark than the rest. And it was cold. Very cold. Especially on his wrists and around his ankles. A whimper echoed in the cold dark, and Tsuna realized the dark was silent, too quiet, as if sound couldn't or shouldn't break through.
"You should not have tried to deceive us," said a voice harshly breaking through the silence. Tsuna jerked and tried to back away from the source of the sound, but something, chains, clanged loudly and pulled on his wrists and ankles. "Your brother will have to pay the price."
"But I didn't do it," protested a voice. It was coming from Tsuna's mouth, but the words weren't Tsuna's. But Tsuna knew those words, that voice. They were Tamaki's. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about! Let me go!"
"So now you do not know," said the first voice coldly. "You do not know of the lies you fed us, Vongola Decimo."
"But I am the Vongola Decimo!" cried Tamaki, desperation straining his throat as pulled further back.
"They wouldn't have taken you if they didn't have plenty of proof otherwise," said a new voice, one that had a terribly familiar ring to it. "Proof I graciously provided them."
"Silence, Prisoner Rokudo," said the first voice. "We have simply brought you here for verification. Is this the correct one?"
A red and indigo glow nearly blinded Tsuna, and a dark kanji number seared into Tsuna's mind as the glow faded and enveloped it. A straight sideways line stamped a mocking 1 in his closed eyelids.
"Yes," the second voice hissed, and Tsuna's mind struggled against recognizing it. "This one is the imposter."
"Remember, Rokudo. No one lies to the Vindice. Your companions' lives are at stake," said the first voice.
"You can do as you like with my toys," said the second voice. "But part of our deal is that you cannot bring them back. You wouldn't want it to be spread around that you no longer honor your deals."
"The deal stands only if this is truly the imposter," said the first voice.
"Does it really matter," the second said amused. Tsuna could almost see a vicious smirk under the glowing eye. "The imposter will pay for his crime whether this is him or not."
"For your toys' freedom, it does matter."
"Then perhaps it would be best to give me more time with him, to see if I can discover if you collected the correct twin," said the second voice.
"There wasn't another one," said a third voice, offended. "The true Vongola Decimo must have gone to Italy for his training."
"Then why did you call me in?"
"Because he hasn't stopped insisting that he isn't the imposter," said the newest voice, "and there are procedures to follow."
"Like a fair trial," said the second voice with a terribly recognizable amusement. "Like what you gave Lancia-sempai."
"Do not play with me, Rokudo Mukuro," the first voice warned. "Is this the correct one or not?"
"It's me," whispered Tamaki's voice from Tsuna's mouth. The other two voice's attention fell heavily onto Tsuna. Tamaki's voice continued at a volume that even Tsuna's ears had to strain to pick up. "I'm the one you want. I'm the imposter."
"Really?" said the second voice, the amusement freezing Tsuna and forcing him to see the outline of strangely spiked purple hair and a green uniform. "Then that solves your problem. He confessed."
"He did," said the first. "And now it's time to decide his punishment."
A silent scream poured out from Tsuna's soul as the scene sank back into complete blackness.
"The jet is landing, sir," said Marco, as he stood from his bow and let go of the Ninth's hand. The Ninth nodded, and stood from his seat.
"I will receive him in my office," said the Ninth, dismissing the servant as he moved out of the Vongola audience hall and back to the Vongola boss's office. The Ninth had never liked meeting his friends in the so-nicknamed "throne room," even though all important audiences (and all were important to the old man) were to take place there. But the day's audiences were done except for the one with Reborn, and the Ninth doubted anyone would fault him holding that audience in his office, especially since he always met the hitman in the smaller room. If the Ninth had another reason for Reborn's audience to be held in his office, then no one would have a reason to suspect it.
Entering his office, the Ninth felt a weary smile press his lips. The office was exactly the way he had left it, except for a few papers that had fallen to the floor. Most would account the fallen papers to the open window, but the air that was entering in wasn't strong enough to reach that particular stack.
"Iemistu, I hope I haven't called you away from anything important," said the Ninth, calmly sitting in the comfortable chair behind the desk.
"It wasn't as important as a summons from the Vongola Nono," said Iemitsu as he appeared from behind the shadow of the bookcase. The man pouted playfully, before falling to one knee and kissing the Ninth's hand. "How did you know I was here?"
"The Machiani papers," said the Ninth with a more amused smile. However skilled the Young Lion of Vongola became, stealth would probably always continue to be a problem. When Iemitsu had entered his teenage years, he had taken to entering the Vongola Boss office whenever he wanted, which had gotten Iemitsu in various problems with his guardian, Dante. The former CEDEF leader had despaired over Iemitsu's disrespectful curiosity no matter how many times Timoteo had told the much older man that he didn't mind Iemitsu coming into the Vongola boss office unsupervised. Iemitsu would never do anything to harm Vongola. Dante had only relented when Timoteo had passed the constant intrusions as training exercises. Iemitsu was to try to enter the office without leaving any evidence that he had been there. If Timoteo caught the blonde, then Iemitsu would be given a boring chore like paperwork, and if Iemistu managed to go in and out without being caught, then Dante would give the teen whatever mission Iemitsu wished. Needless to say, Iemitsu got stuck with many chores and piles of paperwork and never had a chance to choose even one mission. Timoteo was well known for being the most observant boss since Terzo, and Iemitsu didn't understand subtlety.
"I forgot about those," said the younger man and grinned in that cavalier "oh-well" way. "Lal would have killed me."
"That's why she refuses to let you take on any undercover missions," said Timoteo as he carefully cleared his desk.
"Nah, she just doesn't like that my cover stories are more creative than hers," said Iemitsu, with the same wide grin. Timoteo shook his head slightly, since the younger man's cover stories usually were absolutely unbelievable. The first time Dante had sent the blonde man, then a teen, on an undercover mission, the grey haired CEDEF leader had had to bail Iemitsu out because the other famiglia had not believed Iemitsu's story that he was an out-of-work animal trainer who had grown allergic to monkey fur. "Creative" had not been the word that Dante had used to describe said cover story.
"Iemitsu, you know why I have called you here," said Timoteo. The old man wanted to prolong the easy atmosphere, but the continued grin on Iemitu's face was starting to strain, so the Nono had slipped back into business mode.
"Reborn had an urgent report concerning the Vongola successor that had information too sensitive to trust on paper," said Iemitsu as the grin dropped and his face adopted a more serious expression. The seriousness didn't last long as it split back into a grin. "Apparently Tamaki has been getting into some trouble. He finished the Mukuro situation fine, so maybe Reborn wants to bring him here to Italy."
Timoteo didn't bother correcting the man. If Reborn had wanted to bring Tamaki to Italy, a written report would have sufficed. Whatever drove the hitman to fly all the way to Italy probably dealt with both twins, not just Tamaki. Timoteo had not met the twins and barely knew anything about the older one. Iemitsu had always gone on and on about his wife and younger twin with very few words about the young Tsunayoshi except to say the older twin was a lot like Nana. Given the blonde man's tendency to talk the nearest person's ear off about his family, Iemitsu's reluctance when it came to his oldest seemed strange, but Timoteo had never questioned the younger man, not wanting to intrude on the young CEDEF leader's private life.
However when choosing the next Vongola boss candidate, Timoteo had broken his unspoken promise not to pry into Iemitsu's family in the interest of making the right choice. The investigations had been discreet, as they had to be lest Iemitsu discover them. They had revealed why Iemitsu never spoke about the young Tsunayoshi. The boy was nothing to brag about, not like Tamaki who had an impressive soccer record and moderate popularity at his school. While favoritism shouldn't be something parents show, Timoteo didn't fault Iemitsu. The old man couldn't. He remembered his mistakes with Federico and Xanxus, and he was in no place to judge.
"So when does he arrive?" asked Iemitsu.
"He already has," said a small, familiar voice. "And if you don't want a bullet lodged in your brain, I suggest you stay quiet until I finish explaining."
The Ninth Vongola boss, fairly undisputed ruler of the underworld, kept his mouth closed, because he was not sure if those words were directed at him or the CEDEF leader and the look on the hitman's face didn't suggest Timoteo risk finding out.
When Master hadn't returned to their room during the night, I-pin had grown worried. Master always slept on the corner chair curled up and watching over I-pin and Lambo. Master wasn't there when they went to bed, but he was always there when they woke up. But yesterday had been so strange. 哥哥' had come, but he hadn't said hello to Lambo or I-pin. He had gone to talk to Yamamoto-san and had never come out. Mamma had come too, and after seeing 哥哥', she had made Lambo and I-pin treats. I-pin had wanted to ask Mamma what was wrong with master and 哥哥' or for help finding Fuuta who was still hiding, but I-pin didn't think Mamma could answer questions or give any help. So I-pin had decided to help Mamma as much as I-pin could. Now Mamma was sleeping in I-pin's futon, and I-pin was sleeping in Lambo's.
"I-pin tha's my candy," Lambo muttered in his sleep and nearly grabbed I-pin's hand, but I-pin pulled it back with the speed she had learned sparring with 哥哥'. I-pin decided to go look for 哥哥', because where 哥哥', Master would be. 哥哥' was Master's student too. I-pin hopped out of the futon and quietly snuck out of the door. She didn't want to wake Mamma and Lambo up. Lambo would make a loud noise and want to go see 哥哥' too. And Mamma needed to sleep. She had looked very sad last night.
As quietly as she could, I-pin entered Takeshi's room. Takeshi didn't mind I-pin in his room. He didn't even mind Lambo in his room, though Lambo would normally break or lose something when Lambo came in. After Lambo nearly broke Takeshi's favorite bat, Yamamoto-san had said that Lambo couldn't go into Takeshi's room anymore. But Yamamoto-san hadn't said anything about I-pin.
Takeshi was sleeping close to the door, and if he had been awake, I-pin thinks he would have made a good guard. But he was asleep. He didn't look like he was having a good sleep, because he was frowning, and Takeshi never frowned. She hurried a little faster to the other futon. 哥哥' was asleep too, but he looked worse than Takeshi. When 哥哥' slept in Takesushi, 哥哥' slept with a smile on his face, and 哥哥' never minded being woken up if I-pin or Lambo had a nightmare. But now 哥哥' looked like he was having a nightmare. I-pin shook 哥哥' hard.
"He won't wake up," said Master's voice. I-pin looked up to see Master sitting on Takeshi's desk and watching over the two. "Tsuyoshi and Takeshi made certain he wouldn't wake for a few more hours. And he needs to rest, nightmares or not."
"But nightmares are bad!" cried I-pin in Chinese, too upset to try speaking in Japanese. 哥哥' needed to wake up. I-pin didn't like being stuck in her nightmares, and 哥哥' shouldn't be in one.
"They are," said Fon in Chinese. "But your 哥哥' needs his rest."
I-pin looked a pleadingly at Master, but the dark eyes remained firm. But they also seemed tired and sad. Master didn't look like he could sleep. 哥哥' groaned, and I-pin bit her lip. She didn't like seeing 哥哥' upset. But she couldn't wake him up.
"I-pin, you should go back," said Master gently. "Tsuyoshi and Nana need rest too, and they'll worry if they can't find you."
"I-pin's not sleepy," she said, trying not to sound like Lambo did. No one seemed to mind that Fuuta was still hiding.
"Go back to bed," said Master.
"No." I-pin covered her mouth immediately, but the word had already come out of her mouth. She had never gone against Master. But…but it was 哥哥'. It was 哥哥' who was hurt and maybe scared (哥哥' had admitted he got scared). I-pin couldn't leave 哥哥' when he was like that.
"No?" said Master with an almost smile. "So what do you think you should do?"
I-pin didn't know. What could she do? 哥哥' wouldn't wake up, so he was stuck in the nightmare. Then…then I-pin had to chase away the nightmare, like 哥哥' did for Lambo and I-pin. She put her hand on 哥哥''s head.
"I-pin here," she said in Japanese. "哥哥' not alone."
哥哥''s face didn't stop frowning, but 哥哥' stopped moving. Carefully, I-pin lay down and gave 哥哥' a hug. The upset frown went away, and I-pin smiled as 哥哥' wrapped an arm protectively around I-pin. She snuggled against 哥哥''s side and decided to stay here so that 哥哥''s nightmare wouldn't come back. She closed her eyes and listened to hear 哥哥' breathing calmly like Master had taught them. Soon she was breathing just like him and dreaming of sparring with a smiling 哥哥'.
First thing that Iemitsu noticed was that the gun that Reborn held pointed directly to the CEDEF leader. Apparently, Iemitsu had done something to tick the hitman off. Or perhaps Tamaki had proved to be quite the handful. Iemitsu and Nana's youngest could be, especially when he was forced to do things he didn't want to. But most boys were like that. There was no reason to be so aggressive. Enrique had been several times worse.
"The Vongola Decimo candidate, Sawada Tamaki, has been taken by the Vinidice and imprisoned."
Both Iemitsu and Timoteo started to open their mouths, but the recognizable click of a gun's safety shut both mouths quickly.
"They came at 4:34 PM Japan Standard Time and collected him due to a deal that was made under false pretenses. Their true target was not Sawada Tamaki, but Sawada Tsunayoshi."
"Tuna-fish?" Iemitsu asked. A bullet grazed his cheek.
"The reason for this is because Tsunayoshi was the one who made a deal with them while impersonating the most likely Vongola Decimo candidate for the temporary custody of Draghi Lancia, who Tsunayoshi considered innocent of all his crimes since they were done under the direct and possessive influence of Rokudo Mukuro." The hitman paused, as if daring the two men to say something, but Iemitsu's mind was too busy trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his little precious Tuna-fish had stood up and lied to the world's worst organization. "This transaction was done after Tsunayoshi had finished defeating and subduing Rokudo Mukuro in a 3 on 1 fight in the Rokudo's favor. It was after this incident that my reports began to hold false information, since I decided that the true potential to become Vongola Decimo lay on the older and not the younger twin."
"That's not something for you to decide, and Tamaki's obviously the better choice sin—" Iemitsu began, a hardness in his tone, but another bullet cut across his cheek and silenced him. Iemitsu decided for the sake of famiglia unity not to continue his argument and let the hitman finish. Then the CEDEF leader would make the truth clear. Iemitsu could see that the Ninth was not pleased with the fact that the reports the older man had been receiving were falsified.
"Since reports bearing the truth would have been met with skepticism and argument due to deals and promises made under false pretenses," continued Reborn as if Iemitsu's interruption hadn't occurred, "I sent the edited reports you received to stall until I had enough time to present you with the undisputable facts of the situation. But the Vindice appeared and took Sawada Tamaki before I had finished my second set of reports. Now that you have been informed of the situation, I intend to return to Japan and keep my student from doing something stupid like attempting to rescue his brother without aid."
"Your student?" asked the Ninth lightly, but Iemitsu knew that the question held a barely restrained anger behind the question.
"I couldn't leave the future Vongola Decimo to be trained solely by a martial artist."
"A martial artist?"
"Fon."
"The storm arcobaleno has been training the boy?" asked the Ninth, a little wonder entering the man's tone. Iemitsu shifted, preparing to attack. World's greatest hitman or not, no one put Iemitsu's family in danger.
"Apparently the father of one of Dame Tsuna's friends contacted him to train the boy while he trained his own son," said Reborn. A smirk formed under his fedora as black eyes bored into Iemitsu. "Akai Shigure wants a meeting with you when you return to Japan."
"Akai Shigure? The assassin swordsman that had ties to the Estraneo famiglia?" said the Ninth as Iemitsu's blood grew cold. Why was such a coldblooded man near Iemitsu's sons? Fists tightened and Iemitsu fought to keep from demanding answers from the hitman. "Tsunayoshi has made some powerful allies."
"He has a knack for that," said Reborn. He bowed to the Ninth, but the old man shook his head.
"I cannot let you leave just yet, old friend. Decisions need to be made concerning the rescue of the original Vongola Decimo candidate."
"Leave those decisions in Dame-Tsuna's hands," said the hitman. A snort preceded his next words. "It's not like he'll trust anyone else to save his precious little brother."
"I cannot do that unless I know into whose hands I have left such an important task," said the Ninth as he leaned forward. "Now is as good a time as any to learn more about this new possible Vongola Decimo candidate."
"Nono, we had an agreement," said Iemitsu, his voice strained to keep from taking on an insolent tone like the hitman's. "Only one of my sons was to be involved in the world of the mafia."
"That is our agreement," said the Ninth, his chin settling onto his interlocked hands. Iemitsu knew that position. The Ninth wanted answers, and he would not budge until those answers were given. "But I would like to hear Reborn's honest assessment."