Kazumi had a feeling that she was about to be put in an awkward situation as soon as Tsuna took her upstairs. It was probably the way he had been so oddly discrete, that she had even picked up on it in the first place. What she hadn't expected was for him to bring her into his bedroom and say it was hers to use during her stay in the Sawada house.
Immediately she tried to protest. He had already done so much for her; more than she deserved, more than she expected, she couldn't just go stealing his bed of all things! But he wouldn't have it. In fact, he had been so insistent on the offer that he didn't even give her the chance to reject it. Every time she tried to reason with him, he would just return with that stupid smile of his and reject her rejection. He simply wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Okay, fine!" She finally gave in. Not that there had even been a point in arguing about it. "That doesn't mean I don't feel bad about it." She pouted, earning her another humoured grin from Tsuna. "Thank you. Again." She muttered eventually, and she felt the flush in her cheeks become just the slightest bit warmer.
"You're welcome." Tsuna answered softly. "Did you need help getting back downstairs, or did you want to stay up here?" Kazumi didn't have to think very long about her answer; she liked to think she was a rather adaptable person, and she had already visited the Sawada home once or twice before.
"No, I should be fine to make it down on my own. Though to be honest the pain meds wore off ages ago." She let out a dry and bitter laugh when she caught Tsuna's disappointed expression.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?!" He nearly shouted in a chastising tone that surprised her a bit as he followed her out of the door.
xXx
Sleep eluded Kazumi that night. The itching of the bandages around her wrist alone was enough to cause her discomfort, let alone the rest of her injuries. And it didn't help that she was feeling anxious. While she knew, deep down, that she was relatively safe within the walls of the Sawada house, her instincts were on auto-pilot as if she was still in the hospital.
With a painful groan, Kazumi sat up and proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed, taking a now mostly warm cold-pack away from her ribcage and followed up with deep, rhythmic breaths to fight against the aching pain. She entertained the thought of going down the stairs and getting her pain medication, but one look towards the door and the thought of the journey made a whimper escape her lips. The last thing she wanted to do was wake up literately everyone in the house. Especially the kids.
Kazumi carefully rolled back into the bed and settled for just making herself as comfortable as possible. She would put up with it. It wasn't like she had never fought through pain before. She's had more than her fair share of cuts and bruises from missions to prove it. And it's not like this was the first time she had been beaten by her father. It was just the first time she was nearly killed. And it's definitely not like she had never had a broken bone before.
Kazumi eventually fell into a restless sleep with far too many things stuck on her mind.
When Kazumi woke up only a few hours later, the sky was just turning light. Her room, Tsuna's rooms she had to remind herself, however was still dark as if it was still true night rather than early morning. And despite being far too tired to be awake, Kazumi remained under the blankets, laying on her back and just staring at the ceiling.
After some time, she heard someone walk through the hallways outside the door. It couldn't have been Tsuna, and it most certainly wasn't any of the children. It had to be Nana. She was probably getting up to prepare breakfast for everyone. If there was one thing Kazumi had learned during her time in Namimori, it was definitely that Sawada Nana was the purest soul in existence. She probably didn't have a bone in her body that was capable of hatred.
With a sudden source of motivation, Kazumi slowly climbed out of bed and made to follow Nana down to the kitchen. When she finally got there, Kazumi could have sworn Nana already had the entire kitchen set up with organized chaos. Just how many people was she cooking for again? Kazumi did her best to ignore the thought that she was an extra mouth to feed and announced her presence.
"Anou, Sawada-san?" She seemed to have startled Nana, apparently even injuries didn't prevent her from being unintentionally stealthy, until she turned around and spotted Kazumi standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She probably wasn't expecting anyone else to be awake.
"Oh, good morning Kazumi-chan." Nana greeted with a radiant smile. Too radiant for this early in the morning, in Kazumi's opinion. But morning people were weird. "Please have a seat where ever you like. I'll have something ready for you in a moment."
"Actually," Kazumi interjected. "I was wondering if I could help somehow. I know I can't do much in my condition, but I have one good arm, and I'm pretty good with a knife." She almost felt embarrassed from downplaying her particular set of skills for something like kitchen work. "I just… You've done more for me than you could ever know just by letting me stay here, and I just want to be able to show my appreciation somehow." Now she was embarrassed; she could feel the heat rising to her face! As for Nana, she looked a bit surprised, but that quickly changed back into her welcoming smile.
"I'd love to have your help. So then, if you don't mind, could you cut these up for me?" Nana asked, holding out the hilt of the paring knife for Kazumi to take. Kazumi took hold of the small blade and easily handled it between her fingers as she approached the counter to assist with Nana's prep work for breakfast.
Within the hour, the other members of the household began to stumble their way into the kitchen. Reborn was first, naturally. In fact he had come down not long after Kazumi had started assisting. She knew he was watching her, making sure that she wasn't going to take advantage of her unique opportunity. But it didn't bother her. Though she did wished he would give her some credit. Even if she wanted to kill everyone in the house, there was no way she'd live long enough to make it out the door. She doubted she's be able to do it anyways.
A few minutes after Reborn gave his morning greeting and sat down at his place at the table, Kazumi carefully presented him his coffee and set back to work, stepping in at the stove as Nana moved to retrieve something from the fridge, then back to carefully placing dishes. From the corner of her eye, she acknowledged that Reborn was inspecting his coffee. He didn't take a sip form it until he was satisfied that it hadn't been tampered with.
"Oh, this is quite good." Reborn complimented as the light in his eyes changed just the slightest bit. "Is this a new brand Maman?"
"Hum? Oh not at all. Kazumi took care of the coffee this morning. Does it taste different?"
"Did I make it wrong?" Kazumi asked, slightly panicked as she eyed the coffee container on the counter. She hadn't even considered reading the brewing instructions when she made the coffee. Did she use too much coffee? Not enough water?
"Hum, I suppose being raised in Italia does have its benefits. You certainly know how to make a cup of Moka, Kazumi. Well done." He continued to drink the coffee, as if he hadn't just nearly given her a heart attack. Kazumi just starred at this mini-hitman, disbelief written across her flushed face. Nana laughed from beside her.
"Maybe you could make the coffee in the mornings from now on, Kazumi-chan? If Reborn-chan likes it, it must be very good."
"Y-yeah… sure." Kazumi had a sudden feeling that her stay with the Sawada's was probably going to kill her heart before it got to her sanity. She sighed and resumed setting out utensils just as Fuuta came down the stairs, fully dressed, bright eyed and bushy tailed for the day. Seriously. Morning people were scary.
"Ah, good morning Kazumi-neechan!" Fuuta greeted, startling Kazumi.
"Nee-chan?" She whispered, turning to the boy who was sitting at the table with a bright, grinning face. The visual brought an image to Kazumi's mind, and she found herself taking in a hiss of air through her teeth. Fuuta, being the diligent child he was, noticed her pained expression and was quick to act.
"Ah! Are you alright Kazumi-nee?" Kazumi blinked away the vision and looked down to the young, concerned face Fuuta displayed. With a weary smile, Kazumi reached and ruffled his hair.
"I'm okay, but I think I'll go and lay down for a bit. Sorry Sawada-san, I guess that's my limit."
"Don't worry dear. Do you need help getting back upstairs?" Nana reassured before asking after her. She shook her head, assuring that she would manage just fine before wordlessly making for the stairs to return to Tsuna's room. Silence followed her from the kitchen as she walked, broken only by Fuuta asking Nana if Kazumi would really be fine. She'd have to apologies later for making him worry.
Just as Kazumi reached the top of the stairs, Tsuna sluggishly emerged from the room he had been using. She walked right past him, not even fully aware that he was there. She thought she might have heard him greet her, but she only continued down the hall, lost in her own head, and closed the bedroom door behind her.
xXx
The sounds of laughter is what woke Kazumi up again later in the afternoon. That and the pounding little feet running through the hallway. By the time she was able to sit up, the door to the room was practically kicked open, and Lambo came charging in.
"AHA! DAME-TSUNA TIME TO WAKE UP! Ah… Oh. Sorry." Lambo said the second he remembered, or perhaps just realized, Tsuna's room was not in fact occupied by Tsuna and began to go sneak out the way he came.
"Ah, hold on a second." Kazumi called, reaching out for the boy. "Your name was Lambo, right?" She asked, having only encountered him once or twice by this point. Lambo seemed to pause for a second then turned to Kazumi with a prideful grin on his face.
"Hehe, that's right! I am Lambo-sama! And who are you, my loyal servant?" Kazumi felt a twitch in her eye. Was he playing pretend or something? Whatever, she could run with it for a while.
"Why milord, I am called Kazumi. Was there something you came looking for?" When Kazumi began to play along, Lambo looked a bit shocked. Even if it only lasted for about half a second and the child in cow printed clothing was back to his boisterous self.
"Yeah! Dame-Tsuna!" He declared. "I was looking for Dame-Tsuna so he could play with me!" Kazumi let out a thoughtful hum and a smile tugged at her face.
"Well, first of all little lord, it isn't very nice to call people names you know." She started in a teasing tone. "Secondly, isn't it a bit early for you to be looking for Tsuna-kun? He should be in school right now." The expression she got in return told Kazumi everything she needed to know. Lambo completely forgotten what time of day it was. Kazumi let out a soft chuckle as she slowly got up off the bed and approached Lambo who looked to be sulking from his blunder. "But if you wouldn't mind me, I'll do my best and play with you until Tsuna-kun gets home." She offered, and she would have sworn she saw the universe light up in Lambo's eyes.
"I-pin! Fuuta!" Lambo suddenly shouted as he ran back into the hallway. "The super nice nee-chan is going to play with us!" She could still hear him, even as he ran down the stairs. Kazumi all the while felt a tug on her heart at hearing being addressed as nee-chan again, but did her best to put it behind her and follow the child downstairs.
xXx
By late evening, Kazumi was resting under a kotatsu with the kids. It had snowed earlier, and the four of them had gone outside to play in it, or watch over them in Kazumi's case, and it had tuckered them right out. Lambo and I-pin were both asleep under the quilt on one side, and Fuuta was marking up a colouring book on the other while Kazumi sipped on some tea Nana had brought out earlier.
"Ne, Kazumi-neechan, is it alright if I call you nee-chan?" Fuuta asked suddenly, eyeing Kazumi carefully from over his book. Kazumi almost lost her tea when the memory of this morning came back to hit her like a brick wall.
"If that's what you want to call me, I don't mind." She finally manage after cleaning off her chin.
"Are you sure? You looked really sad this morning, so I thought maybe you didn't like it…" Kazumi could feel her heart practically shatter. Damn kid.
"Right, I meant to apologise to you about that. I was just startled because it brought back a sad memory for me from a long, long time ago." Kazumi explained in a gentle tone. Fuuta's expression wasn't so much worried now as it was saddened that he had somehow managed to upset her. Hesitantly, Kazumi reached out with her good hand and ruffled his flaxen hair, this time wearing a fond smile. "But please don't worry about that. If you want to call me nee-chan, I really, truly, don't mind if you do. In fact, it would make me very happy."
"O-okay!" Fuuta managed from under her hand, a smile creeping back onto his face. Kazumi let him go to resume drinking her tea, only to choke on it once again at Fuuta's next question. "Kazumi-neechan, are you in the Mafia?" All she could do was give the boy a wide-eyed, concerning stare. "Tsuna-nii, Haya-nii, and Take-nii were all wondering about it a while ago; saying you were an assassin. You're not going to take Tsuna-nii away, are you?" Tears were forming in Fuuta's eyes when his real question came out, and Kazumi practically melted.
"Never!" Kazumi insisted, putting down her tea with a little more force than she intended. But she could worry about the mess later. "Yes, I am a part of the Mafia, and I was sent her to take Tsuna-kun away from you. But I decided not to do that. He has two little brothers and a little sister to take care of after all, right? I can't very well take him away from you knowing all that, now can
I?" Fuuta frantically shook his head just as Kazumi registered the presence of someone behind her. She quickly turned, prepared to shield Fuuta from a possible intruder, only to find Tsuna standing there with wide, surprised eyes.
Kazumi relaxed again, once realizing there wasn't any danger, and instantly regretted reacting too quickly. She groaned in pain, covering her ribs with her hand as she leaned into the table. Why didn't she just try identifying his Flames instead? It certainly would have been less painful.
"Kazumi-neechan, are you alright?" Fuuta shot up worriedly. Kazumi muttered incomprehensible words into the table before sitting up straight a moment later.
"I'm okay. Thank you Fuuta-kun." She grinned through the pain reassuringly. It was something medicine could fix in a few minutes anyway. "Although, would you mind getting my medicine from Sawada-san for me?" Fuuta didn't need to be asked twice. He shot out from under the kotatsu and ran for whichever room Nana was presently in.
Tsuna moved to sit where Fuuta had been previously, looking down at the half finished drawing in the colouring book and smiled fondly. Kazumi could easily tell how much he cared for his surrogate brothers and sister just from that expression alone.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked finally, bringing Kazumi out from her daze. She nodded and waved off his concern. "It's hard to get Lambo to sleep in the afternoon; you must have had a hard time with him." Tsuna looked so apologetic Kazumi cracked a smile and laughed lightly.
"It wasn't a big deal. Fuuta was very helpful when he got a bit out of hand. Personally I didn't actually do much. But they seemed to have had fun." She let out a slow, deliberate breath as she leaned her chin on her hand, and continued to watch over the sleeping children. "They're good kids." She added while smiling.
"Well, Lambo's a bit spoiled." Tsuna and Kazumi both laughed when she lightly voiced her agreement. "I get a bit envious of them every now and again. But then I remember that each of them has had some involvement with the Mafia already despite being so young, while I've only been training to be Vongola Juudaime for three years."
"Three years?" Kazumi asked, a bit amazed, once she got over being thrown off by him using the Japanese term for Decimo.
"Yeah, since I was fourteen. I'm pretty lucky, I guess. I could have been like them; born and raised into it."
"Only to turn out like me?" Kazumi asked, catching Tsuna by surprise. "You wouldn't believe how envious I am of you Tsuna-kun. Being in that world makes you immune to so much; I can't even begin tell you how many times I've ended someone's life without batting an eye." She stared down at her hands then, staring at the blood only she could see that stained them.
"Then, what made you change your mind about me?" He wasn't accusing her of anything, Kazumi quickly realized. He was genuinely curious. She bit her lip, thinking about how she would answer.
"Because I was tired of obeying." Tsuna watched as Kazumi's eyes narrowed almost angrily as she stared into her palm. An answer which brought only more questions. And it was that grand silence which Fuuta returned to with Kazumi's medicine, breaking the heavy atmosphere as Kazumi came out of her thoughts and thanked the boy with an appreciative smile.
xxx
It was weird, Kazumi decided.
It was another weekend, and both Hayato and Takeshi had invited themselves into the Sawada home, as if they actually lived there. And it was weird. Hayato gave her a distrustful stare, and Takeshi greeted her with a warm "Yo". The only thing Kazumi had the mind to do was attempt to coolly wave off the odd vibes she was getting by returning to the tea and book she had with her at the kitchen table.
"Oi! Don't just brush us off like that, you sly-woman!" Hayato hissed, metaphorical hackles rising.
"Sly?" Wondered out loud, curiously.
"Don't act innocent! I'm on to you! Trying to get close to Juudaime by infiltrating his home – unthinkable!" Kazumi had never been so torn between defending herself, or actually playing along with the accusation. She was saved from having to make a decision thanks to Takeshi's intervention.
"Maa, maa, Hayato. You and I both know how hurt Kazumi was, and Tsuna isn't the type of person to not lend a helping hand." Although, those words definitely should have appeased the bomber, Hayato quickly turned on him and started accusing the baseball player of sticking up for the enemy.
"Hayato-kun? Takeshi-kun?" Tsuna called as he came down the stairs. "I didn't know the two of you were coming over." Weird. Kazumi thought with a narrowed gaze.
"Yeah, the Kid asked us to come. I think Senpai is supposed to be here too."
"Onii-san too?" WEIRD!
"That's right, Tsuna. I've called your available Guardian's over so that they can be present for Kazumi's questioning." Kazumi spit out her tea. Since WHEN was Reborn sitting across the table from her?! "Do you have a problem with that, Kazumi?"
"N-No! It's just… May I ask a question?" She asked hesitantly, practically feeling the sweat pour down her neck. Reborn merely nodded but it was enough for Kazumi to let out a relieved breath. "I've been wondering for a while now, why you've let me off for so long; avoiding answering your questions that is. I know that first day I was barely in a state of mind to answer comprehensively, but you've had ample opportunity since then. So why now?"
"It's as you said; when you first regained consciousness, you were hardly in a state of mind to provide answers to our questions. In addition, this is a secure location. We can be guaranteed that whatever is said here will not reach unintended ears."
"I-I see…" Kazumi answered slowly. She had a feeling that was the bigger picture, but it still didn't really answer her question. She chose not pursue the question more than she already had. "Well, then, I guess I'm ready."
"Excellent." Reborn stared as he hopped off the chair. "And since Ryohei is here, we'll make our way upstairs." And with that statement said, the front door swung open and a boisterous boxer made and extreme entrance into the Sawada house.
Moments later, Kazumi was seated before the five of them. She found herself getting nervous under their various stares and unconsciously gripped the fabric of her clothing.
"First thing's first," Reborn started, stirring the atmosphere. "What is your real name?" The question sent a shock through the room, all eyes turning to the Arcobaleno. And for the moment, Kazumi forgot how to speak, until a small laugh escaped through her lips.
"Actually, Yamashita Kazumi is my legal name. Here in Japan at least." She relaxed a bit as she continued. "It's only in Italy that I've ever been called anything else; members of the Famiglia would often call me by the simplified Harmonia, or Oncho."* Reborn absorbed Kazumi's answer easily and dove right into his next question.
"Have you ever used any aliases for missions? Particularly any that may singularly identify you?"
"No. My missions have always been top secret. If my name ever got out, it means something went wrong. There are very few people who should actually know me by name, and even then it should have no association with missions."
"I see. What do you know about any recent assassinations across Italy?" Well that was rather vague. Kazumi scrutinized the question, trying to figure out exactly what Reborn meant by it.
"I can't think of anything off the top of my head…" She began to mutter.
"Speak the truth!" Hayato suddenly shouted, reaching for bombs hidden in his clothing. "Or you'll regret it."
"Hayato-kun!" Tsuna warned in a slightly panicked tone. "L-let Reborn finish his questions before we accuse Kazumi of anything!"
"Hayato is right. I sincerely hope you're telling the truth, Kazumi. Any falsified information will not work in your favour." Reborn stated, eyes cold as her regarded her. Unease once again sunk into Kazumi's bones as she took on the chill they presented.
"I-I've already sworn to answer your questions honestly. I have no reason to lie." What is going on here?! "I really don't know anything about any big hits that have happened lately. Tsuna's assassination has been my only mission."
"For how long?" Kazumi opened her mouth to answer, but promptly closed it, only to open and close it again. She even began counting with her fingers.
"Probably like… eight months, before I came here?" She wondered out loud. "Yeah, I'd say about eight months."
"What lead you to Namimori?" Wow, did it get colder in here? Kazumi wondered. She really didn't want to answer that question.
"Um, you?" She supplied, cold sweat spreading across her skin.
"Reborn did?" Tsuna asked, voicing everyone's confusion and encouraging Kazumi to explain further.
"W-well, I mean, an Arcobaleno's movement doesn't exactly go unnoticed, if you know what I mean. When one suddenly up and leaves Italy, everyone is going to stop and turn to see where they're going. And it isn't exactly a secret that Vongola has been looking for an heir; given what happened to the previous candidates…" Kazumi muttered the last part. "It did take some time to figure out where you went; and truthfully I never got anything more concrete than Japan. I spent a lot of my time looking into possible locations before I came here. The rest was pure luck." Silence once again passed through the room as they mulled over Kazumi's barely believable answer.
"So in summary, for the past eight months, you've been in Japan following breadcrumbs?"
"I wouldn't even give them the courtesy of calling them breadcrumbs, but yes. Essentially." Reborn gave the answer nothing but a thoughtful nod before moving on with his questions.
"Have you at any point returned to Italy?"
"No."
"Can you explain how your name comes up in reports from our allies that have been investigating a series of suspicious deaths?"
"No – Wait, what?" Now Kazumi could feel her blood running cold. The feeling of foreboding sinking deep. "My name? That's impossible. I've never taken on anything closely related to Vongola before this mission…" Reborn was kind enough to present the reports from a Leon-folder, which Kazumi quickly snatched up and scoured over them. "This isn't…" She could feel the crease on her brow deepen the more she read. And the more she read the more confused she got.
"Most of these reports arrived around the same time you did."
"This is absurd! I've never even been to Muravera!" She cried, upon seeing the location on one document. But everything else checks out. Everything was taken care of in the way I would have done it if I actually wanted to be caught! Kazumi continued to flip through the pages apprehensively. Until finally she froze, and all the blood drained from her face. "I was set up." She rationalized.
"I had a feeling you would say that." Kazumi remained silent, facing Reborn with a sense of dread. "Tell me, if your name isn't widely known, even amongst your allies, who would go to such lengths to set you up?" Kazumi's mouth was dry; it was like she had been chewing on chalk, and her hands were shaking. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
"Kazumi-san…" Tsuna pleaded, his posture ridged with apprehension as he watched her struggle.
"Oi, spit it out already." Hayato pressed further.
"You should extremely tell us!"
"Senpai is right, if you tell us what you're thinking, we can help."
"No…" Kazumi muttered, dropping the papers back onto the table, as a mixture of fury and distress formed on her face. It didn't go unnoticed how tightly Kazumi's hand rolled into a fist, turning her knuckles white.
"Kazumi-san-"
"This isn't…" Kazumi took a deep breath, and gradually released the tension in her body as she exhaled, while trying to mold her face into a more neutral expression. It wouldn't do her any good to get worked up now. She had to keep calm and explain what was going through her mind. "I think I know what's going on now." Despite her attempt at neutrality, the despondent tone in her voice gave away everything she was feeling. Everyone in the room waited on baited breath for Kazumi to continue with her explanation. "If I had to guess, based on what I just learned, I don't think I was ever meant to succeed in this mission."
"Hun? What do you mean you weren't meant to?" Tsuna asked, confused by the word choice.
"I mean that I was deliberately given a mission where I wasn't expected to go back alive." Kazumi clarified. "I believe my father has sent others on mission to be completed in my name, leaving a trail to be found by those who were looking while I was here searching for you."
"What you're saying then, is that your mission wasn't necessarily to kill Tsuna, but to have you killed instead." Reborn summarized. Kazumi nodded.
"What?!" Tsuna practically shouted, appalled. "Why would you be given such a mission? You're part of the same Family, aren't you?"
"Do you know something you're not supposed to?" Hayato asked after having listened to the conversation for so long.
"I wouldn't say that," Kazumi answered solemnly. "Nothing that isn't already known by other core members at least. I think it might be closer to say that my father considers me a nuisance. A thorn in his side, as it were. I believe I mention this before, but my father is the right-hand of the Famigilia, and given such, being his daughter, certain… expectations are demanded of me." Kazumi left out a sigh, preparing herself for a lengthy explanation. "My position in the Famigilia demanded that I stood as a model example of what each member should achieve to be. When I was younger, I often rebelled against that ideal and acted on my own beliefs. Of course that got me in more trouble than not, but that hadn't prevent others from viewing me as opposition to the internal workings of the Famigilia."
"You said when you were younger. Which implies you stopped rebelling at some point." Reborn stated, encouraging Kazumi to expand on the topic. Kazumi however remained silent for a moment with a pained expression.
"My brother." She answered quietly. "My father decided the best way to make me cooperate was by setting an example. He killed my brother in front of me and those core members I already mentioned. After that, I was too scared to disobey anymore." Tsuna and his Guardians each felt their own blood run cold form the revelation, and Tsuna recalled the conversation he overheard with Fuuta earlier that day.
No wonder she looked so upset. He thought to himself.
"But why would he kill your brother?" Takeshi spoke up in wonder. "Wouldn't it have been faster to just get rid of you instead?"
"Normally, that would be the case, yes. But the example wasn't just for me, but for the entire Famigilia. It was meant to show everyone that even the right-hand's children are not exempt from punishment, no matter how talented or loyal they are. That even they are expendable."
"Leading with an iron fist." Hayato assessed quietly. "I don't understand one thing here; the way you talk, you make it sounds like your old man is the one running the show, I thought he was supposed to be the right-hand?" At this, Kazumi quirked an uncomfortable smile.
"Well, to put it simply, the Acerbi Famigilia is basically a dictatorship run by a puppet leader. The Boss exists in name only – the man is pretty much there to put a face to the name, and my father is the one putting words in his mouth. And if you disagreed with anything, you didn't get the chance to voice them."
"You mean…"
"You were killed." A chilling silence filled the room after that, as everyone tried to wrap their heads around the information they had been given.
"So what do you intend to do now, Yamashita Kazumi?" Reborn asked, eyeing her critically. Kazumi for her part starred at the Arcobaleno blankly.
"What do you mean?" She wasn't the only one looking at the hitman curiously, everyone else in the room was as well.
"It's safe to assume for the moment that your father believes he has killed you or at the very least did enough damage to keep you out of the picture for whatever his end goal is. How long will it take him to find out the truth and come back for a second attempt? What are the chances that this time, he will succeed?" Kazumi bit her lip as she thought over the questions Reborn presented. It wasn't like she hadn't already considered them – it was part of the reason why she was still an anxious mess all day and night.
"Most likely he'll be sending out a team to confirm my status before long, if he already hasn't arranged it." Kazumi answered. "The chances of my father coming himself are slim. More likely than not, the confirm team has orders to kill me if I'm not already dead."
"Speaking of end goals, what exactly is this assholes?" Hayato asked eloquently. "He couldn't have sent you after Juudaime for no reason other than to set you up, right?" At this Kazumi clenched her fist again.
"I can't say for sure. Everything I've said already is just about the extent of my knowledge of what's going on." Kazumi explained, watching her own hand shake in its clenched form. "But if I had to guess, it would probably be to put an end to the reign of the Vongola. The most I can offer here is that a lot of Vongola's enemies are dissatisfied with the hierarchy and want to have a chance to be at the top. And the best way to do that is to kill the future."
"I see." Reborn muttered quietly to himself. "Either way, we cannot let our enemies get the jump on us. Dame-Tsuna,"
"Y-yes?" Tsuna answered hesitantly, despite already knowing what was coming.
"From now on you can expect more training to be added to your schedule." Tsuna just slumped in his spot and accepted his fate. "As it stands, one Guardian will always be with you, and another with Kazumi."
"Wait, me too? Aren't I technically still your prisoner?"
"At what point did we ever call you our prisoner? Last I checked, you were under our custody. While you remain with the Vongola, Kazumi, we will protect you." Kazumi was speechless again, but for the first time in what felt like a very long time, she felt a little warmth reach her heart.
"Thank you."
* Oncho (音調) – If you didn't already guess, translates to Harmony, in reference to tone or melody. In this sentence Kazumi is translating the Italian Harmonia.