Tsuna frequently dealt with a full house. After all, it almost always contained, Tsuna, his brother, his mother, Reborn, and two six year olds. And more often than not, Yamamoto and Gokudera who came to eat, to hang out, to stay over. And then Ryohei, who liked to play with the kids and box with Tsuna. He had taken a liking to Gokudera, ultimately. And Tsuna was certain that Ryohei wasn't half as dumb as he so frequently seemed;the boxer certainly took joy in riling up Gokudera. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Bianchi showed up to, to tease her little brother and cause a little strife. Sometimes she flirted with Reborn in a way that made Tsuna very uncomfortable.

And then Kyoko and Hana, who were around less often, but enjoyed Tsuna's chaotic household. They didn't love it, which is why they rarely stayed over, but it was like a nice vacation. Kyoko tried to be nice about it, but Tsuna saw her face the first time she saw Lambo leap onto Gokudera's head, crying and pulling on the silver-haired students hair, and the ensuing explosions. Lambo had grown too, since he had first arrived, though the little boy certainly didn't act like it when he flung his tiny body at Gokudera.

"It's okay, Kyoko." Tsuna said. "I know this is less than ideal."

"Um, no, Tsu-kun! It's...cute." Her smile was pained.

And when Hibari appeared, it was like a stray cat gracing them with his presence. He also preferred to climb the wall to get to Tsuna's window, instead of using the door. He had done it until Tsuna spied him outside his window one day, and threw it open, sticking his head out.

"Kyoya!" He had shouted. Hibari looked up at him, surprised. "Get off the wall! Use the gate, like a normal person!" The skylark complained, but leapt down off the wall and headed to the door. He still climbed in through Tsuna's window on occasion, but during what Tsuna liked to think of as the Sawada household's regular business hours, Hibari would use the door. That meant basically whenever the sun was out.

All in all, what this meant was that Tsuna didn't mind having a full house. It was chaotic, it was loud. It drove Ietsuna insane, which Reborn certainly appreciated. But Tsuna actually liked it. His house had been so quiet, for so long. And he was pretty sure it never would be again. It was home.

So when he opened the door to see a small, brown-haired boy in a little green sweater and a scarf, clutching a huge book to his chest...what was one more, really?

"I'm Fuuta de la Stella. Can I stay here?" Tsuna's heart melted.

"Of course." The words were out of his mouth before Tsuna could stop himself. Fuuta's face lit up. "Here, come in. We'll get you some food." Tsuna ushered the small boy in, calling out to his mother. Yamamoto and Gokudera poked their heads out of the living room, when they heard Tsuna inform Nana there was another for dinner.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked. "Who's that?"

"Fuuta de la Stella." Tsuna said automatically. Ietsuna peered down the stairs, Reborn on his shoulder. Reborn tilted his head curiously.

"You attract interesting people, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn pulled on Ietsuna's hair. "Go down." Ietsuna obliged, as Tsuna brought Fuuta into the living room.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna realized he had yet to tell the little boy his name. "But you can call me Tsuna!" Fuuta nodded, taking a seat in front of the coffee table.

"I know! I have you in my book here." Fuuta held out the giant book and flipped it open. "Mafioso who can't refuse a request." Fuuta read out loud. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, first." Tsuna's face turned bright red.

"That's humiliating, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn commented out loud.

"Reborn!" Tsuna hissed. Yamamoto laughed, wrapping his arm around Tsuna.

"Aw, that's kinda sweet." Yamamoto said.

"No, it's not." Tsuna muttered.

"Yes, it is. Can you get me a glass of water?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna went to stand up.

"Sure-," Gokudera grabbed Tsuna's shirt and pulled him back down, glaring at Yamamoto.

"He's not your errand boy, baseball idiot!" Gokudera snapped. Tsuna realized what had just happened and slammed his head down on the coffee table, groaning.

"I really can't refuse a request." He realized. He felt Yamamoto's hand on his back.

"Sorry, Tsuna. Had to test it." Yamamoto admitted. "It's okay!"

"How did you know that?" Gokudera demanded. Tsuna slowly came up from the table. "Who are you?"

"I'm Fuuta de la Stella." Fuuta said. "Also known as the Ranking Prince?" Ietsuna and Gokudera groaned simultaneously.

"Is this another weird mafia thing I don't know about?" Tsuna demanded.

"The Ranking Prince can rank...anything. It's unlimited information about enemies, allies." Gokudera explained. "I didn't realize that he was...so young." He regarded the small boy with both admiration and apprehension.

"He can't stay here, Tsuna." Ietsuna said, serious. "All kinds of people are after him. He'll only bring trouble." Fuuta looked at Tsuna with big eyes. Tsuna knew he was being manipulated by this child but had no power to stop it. "Tsuna!" Ietsuna exclaimed.

"I can't refuse a request." Tsuna said weakly.

"He can't stay." Ietsuna said. "I'm drawing a line in the sand."

"Hey, Fuuta." Yamamoto said, leaning back against the couch. "Do you have Ietsuna ranked in something?" Fuuta nodded, flipping through his book.

"Mafia boss with no ambition, Sawda Ietsuna. First." He read out loud. Ietsuna turned red.

"That's not-," He stopped talking abruptly. "He can't stay here, Tsuna. He's only going to bring violence and trouble."

"I can protect him." Tsuna said, blinking. "That's why you're here, right? For protection?"

"I'm sorry." Fuuta confessed. "I knew you couldn't refuse me. And I need help."

"How old are you?" Tsuna asked.

"I'm 10."

"Then you have nothing to apologize for. I won't let anything happen to you." Tsuna promised.

"Tsuna, stop." Ietsuna snapped. "We can't-, you can't-..." He paused. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Fuuta can't stay here. I won't allow it." Tsuna saw Gokudera's face darken; he would never say it, but Tsuna had noticed that Gokudera had a soft spot for children. Especially children in the mafia. Sure, the silver-haired boy complained and fought with Lambo all day, but there was an unspoken understanding that the six-year-old had been abandoned by his family. That sending him to Namimori had been an effort to get rid of him; that the Bovino family had hoped he would be killed by Reborn or never would return.

When Tsuna had first worked through that conclusion, he had cried for the little boy and hugged him tightly. Lambo didn't know why Tsuna was crying and started pulling on Tsuna's cheeks.

Tsuna wasn't about to abandon a child who had asked for his help.

"Ietsuna, he's staying. That's final." Tsuna said quietly. "We don't turn away kids. Ever."

"Just think what would have happened if you hadn't tried to turn away Lambo." Reborn added. Ietsuna didn't understand.

"He still would destroy half our house on a regular basis." Ietsuna muttered, crossing his arms.

"No, you would have a Lightning Guardian, Stupid Ietsuna." Reborn snapped.

Tsuna and his friends got Fuuta settled in, while Ietsuna stormed out of the room, too angry to interact.

XXXX

"What's got your goat, Stupid Ietsuna?" Reborn had followed him to his bedroom, where Ietsuna had simply taken a seat on the bed and pulled out his homework. He was trying to focus but he was so frustrated that the graphite of his pencil kept breaking.

It was actually an understatement, to say that Ietsuna was frustrated. He had been angry for a while about a lot of things. Mostly regarding his brother.

It wasn't that he was angry at Tsuna necessarily. But the circumstances that surrounded him.

Ietsuna slammed his book shut.

"Tsuna is about to be in harm's way again. I know it. He shouldn't even be classified as a mafioso! But Fuuta came running here because I got him involved." Ietsuna snapped. He rubbed his forehead. He knew, objectively, that Tsuna could protect himself. But there was this irrational, fearful response that Ietsuna couldn't control at the thought of his brother's life being risked for some stupid mafia bullshit. It had probably been obvious to everyone at this point, but Ietsuna was feeling some intense guilt over the years of neglect and danger that Nana and his little brother had suffered. And with every passing incident, the feeling worsened. It was nearly crushing, at this point.

"Not everything is about you, Stupid Ietsuna. Your brother can handle himself." Ietsuna felt tears prick at the back of his eyes but he held them in.

"I know, I just..." Ietsuna shook his head. "And it's your fault too." He pointed a finger at Reborn. "You want him involved. You want him...I don't know." Reborn shrugged.

"I want to teach him. He's better suited to this life than you." Ietsuna knew deep down that that was true. But he hated to think about it.

Ietsuna had seen the flames in his brother's hand, had felt the rising temperature of the room when Tsuna had gotten angry. He knew what that meant for him.

"You think he'd be a better Vongola Decimo than me." Ietsuna said quietly. It was no secret; Reborn had made it clear from the beginning that he thought that Ietsuna was better off in therapy and out of the mafia for the most part. That didn't stop him from training Ietsuna anyways, under Nono's orders. And Ietsuna agreed with Reborn; he didn't know if he could do what Nono wanted him to do. If Xanxus were still around, Ietsuna had no doubt that his distant cousin would crush him under foot like he was nothing. Xanxus was a stronger leader and a superior fighter. Really, all of Nono's sons had been. Ietsuna was beyond the backup; he was the last resort.

"Objectively, yes. You know it's true." And it was.

"I won't let them make him." Ietsuna said. "I don't care what I have to do. I won't let them force him into this life. He deserves better."

"If you don't get stronger, Stupid Ietsuna, that won't be up to you." Reborn said, bouncing onto the bed. His cutesy infant face betrayed nothing. "I intend to have Tsuna trained regardless, though. So he doesn't burn the house down on accident." Ietsuna's initial instinct was to protest, but he remembered how hot that room had gotten and watching a single touch burn Hibari.

"I don't want them to make him Decimo, Reborn. I mean it. I know what you think. But I'm drawing the line. His life is his own." Ietsuna said quietly. "I can't protect him from a lot, but I can protect him from this." Reborn shrugged.

"That's up to you, Ietsuna. But remember, your brother can't stay in Namimori forever."

"Why not?" Ietsuna demanded. "If that's what he wants."

"Because he can never go back to a normal life. I don't know if he realizes it yet, but he's already entered the mafia world and he can't leave it. Even if he's not Decimo. So you can sit here and complain about things being dangerous and wanting to keep him uninvolved, but with every passing second he becomes more deeply entrenched." Reborn's tone didn't change, but the gravity of his words was not lost on Ietsuna. They were dark.

"I'll leave. I won't keep bringing trouble to his doorstep." Reborn hopped onto his shoulder to flick him in the head.

"Stupid Ietsuna, what did I say? Not everything is about you. The moment a hitman put a gun to Tsuna's head and he lived to tell the tale was the last time he would ever be a civilian." That sent a chill down Ietsuna's spine.

"He can go back to whatever life he wants." Ietsuna insisted.

"He shoots fire from his hands, Stupid Ietsuna. That boat has sailed." Ietsuna wanted to throw his book at the wall. He hated the idea of this. That there was nothing he could do to stop this.

But being involved in the mafia and being Vongola Decimo were two different things. And even if Ietsuna couldn't stop one of them, he could stop the other.

XXXX

After realizing that Fuuta had basically nothing to his name, they had decided to take him shopping in downtown Namimori. It was an arrangement of people; Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were planning to meet up with Kyoko and Hana, but for now it just looked like three dads and their children, Fuuta and Lambo. Tsuna had informed Hibari that he had somehow adopted another child and Hibari had rolled his eyes, huffed, and said, "Of course you did." Tsuna tried to be apologetic, but after the skylark told him that it was "the most disingenuous sentence to ever come out of your mouth", Tsuna decided to stop trying.

"Hey, Fuuta, how does this whole ranking thing work?" Yamamoto asked. He was carrying a bag with clothes for Fuuta. Gokudera was carrying one with some toiletries and bedding for Fuuta and Tsuna had insisted on getting Fuuta some toys and games. They had some for I-Pin and Lambo, but what two six year olds might like and what a ten year old might like were very different things.

"I don't really know." Fuuta said. "I've been able to do it since I was young. When I concentrate on ranking, especially when I'm looking at a person, I can rank them on anything. It makes the gravity around me pretty weird, though."

"So that's why all these people are after you? I don't know if I really get it." Yamamoto confessed.

"Baseball idiot." Gokudera snapped. "He could rank them on anything. As in, top ten mafiosos most likely to betray Vongola. Top five places to infiltrate the Iron Fortress. Top secret information that's incredibly valuable." Fuuta nodded. Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I guess I didn't think of it that way."

"It's okay." Fuuta's voice was small. "I wish more people were like you." Tsuna just wanted to hug him, but refrained, just clutching the bag of puzzles, board games, and a teddy bear he snuck in when Fuuta wasn't looking, tighter.

He spotted a figure waving at him down the street.

"That's Kyoko and Hana!" He gestured over to them.

"SAWADA!"

"And I guess they brought Ryohei-nii along." Ryohei sprinted over to them, his intense sunny disposition causing Fuuta to take a step back. Ryohei grinned and put his hands on his hips, evaluating Fuuta.

"I heard you've adopted another kid, little brother!" he exclaimed. He bent down to look at Fuuta. "I'm Sasagawa Ryohei! It's extremely nice to meet you!" Fuuta took a step forward timidly, holding out a hand for a handshake.

"I'm Fuuta de la-," Fuuta didn't even get to finish his sentence before Ryohei swept him up in a big hug, lifting him off the ground. Fuuta squeaked.

"You're extremely polite!" He exclaimed. Tsuna watched Hana smack herself in the forehead. When Ryohei finally released Fuuta, Tsuna leaned over and gently put a hand on Fuuta's shoulder.

"Sorry, Ryohei-nii can be a little intense."

"I don't know what you mean, little brother!" Ryohei beamed down at Fuuta, a wry smile beginning to cross the shy boy's face.

"I like your friends, Tsuna-san." Tsuna introduced Fuuta to Hana and Kyoko, and they all decided to get lunch together. It was a nice day out, so they sat outside while Kyoko and Hana talked to Fuuta, trying to narrow down what other kinds of things he might like. Fuuta had confessed to never having Japanese food before, so they were trying to pick something off the menu that he would enjoy. Tsuna had noticed a similar problem when shopping for some games and toys for Fuuta; the little boy had no idea what some of them were, or had only ever seen them, never played them. It spoke to a childhood worse than Tsuna's own.

In the middle of lunch though, Tsuna felt a chill go down his spine. He tried to keep a straight face, and discreetly pulled out his phone, opening it to text Hibari.

"Everything good, Tsuna?" Yamamoto said quietly next to him, the smile on his face never faltering. Gokudera's head snapped to the side, but Tsuna quickly put a hand on Gokudera's.

"What's wrong?" Gokudera hissed. Thankfully, Ryohei's voice was so loud that it covered their quiet conversation.

"Nothing. Nothing for sure." Yamamoto shifted forward.

"How about one of us takes a lap around the block? Just to make sure everything is good." He suggested. "Check on that intuition of yours." Tsuna knew that Yamamoto would go check if he asked him to, but that in general, he preferred to stay by his side and personally watch his back. Though, with Ryohei and Gokudera there as well, Tsuna had more than enough people by his side.

Thankfully, Gokudera was always incredibly eager to please.

"I'll go." He insisted. He stood up abruptly, and everyone at the table turned to look at him. "I'm, uh, going to the bathroom." He took off.

"He's not really that good of a liar, is he?" Yamamoto whispered to Tsuna as the conversation at the table resumed. Tsuna texted Hibari anyways, just to check on DC activity in the area. Yamamoto stretched his arm over the back of Tsuna's chair, a casual motion that Tsuna knew was protective.

"How long are you going to stay with Tsuna?" Kyoko asked Fuuta sweetly. The conversation halted as Fuuta looked to Tsuna nervously, mouth slightly open and unsure how to answer.

"However long he wants." Tsuna said firmly. "My house is always open."

"Tsu-kun, you have such a big heart." Kyoko said.

"That's gonna get you in trouble one day." Hana remarked. Yamamoto laughed out loud.

"Oh, it most certainly has already." Yamamoto said.

"I mean, I wouldn't say that, Takeshi."

"Oh, I definitely would." Yamamoto countered good-naturedly. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't have such a big heart. Sometimes, it just gets you into trouble." Tsuna's brow furrowed.

"Like what?"

Gokudera appeared from around the corner, sprinting up to Tsuna's chair. He skidded to a halt, panting lightly. Kyoko blinked.

"I thought you went to the bathroom?" She asked.

"Can I talk to you Tsuna?" He forced out.

"Um, sure?" Tsuna started to get up and Gokudera grabbed his arm and pulled Tsuna to the side.

"Better make sure everything is alright as well!" Tsuna heard Yamamoto tell the table as he rose from his seat behind them.

"Three men that I saw, scoping out the table." Gokudera whispered. "Guns holstered under their jackets. Rings tell me Marco family. They're notoriously bloodthirsty." Without even looking down, Tsuna texted to Hibari, GET HERE NOW.

"Okay." Tsuna said evenly.

"And a van, parked to the side." Gokudera admitted. The smile on Yamamoto's face never faltered, but he removed his bamboo sword from the bag on his back.

"We'll just have to take care of it then!" He said cheerfully.

"The DC is already on its way." Tsuna said. He didn't even need to look down at his phone. He knew Hibari had already sent his enforcers marching out. And he was certain Hibari himself would be here any minute. "What we're gonna do is I'm gonna stick with Fuuta, Kyoko, Ryohei, and Hana. We're gonna get him out of here, but we'll wait until the DC gets here before we make our move. You guys are going to fan out and pretend to shop." Tsuna said. "Don't get too far away, but just far enough that you can see them and us at the same time. Wait until they make the move first." Gokudera and Yamamoto nodded back seriously. Tsuna softened, reaching out to put a hand on both Gokudera and Yamamoto's shoulders. "Be careful, guys. I don't want anything to happen to you. We're just trying to keep Fuuta safe, but never at your own expense, okay?"

"We promise." Yamamoto said.

"We won't let anything bad happen to you and Fuuta." Gokudera said firmly. They nodded back and split, Tsuna retaking his seat.

"Is something going on?" Fuuta asked timidly.

"Nothing to worry about yet." Tsuna said. He leaned back in his chair a little bit and smiled at Fuuta.

"Tsuna-san, I've been running from these people for my entire life. You can be honest." He clutched his backpack to his chest. It held the large ranking book he always carried with him.

"I am." Tsuna said. "Nothing to worry about yet." The DC and Hibari would be there before long and with Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei all there, they had more than enough firepower to keep Fuuta safe. Tsuna was worried in a general sense, yes, but he had seen what his friends were capable of. And he trusted them. A text buzzed on Tsuna's phone.

DC FORMING PERIMETER

And sure enough, Tsuna was beginning to spot the pompadours and black jackets in flashes through the crowd. He was certain that there were several more that he couldn't see, boxing in the hitmen.

They sat there, idly chatting for a few more minutes. Tsuna was taking a more passive role in the conversation, tracking DC members and hitmen in the crowd. He was counting more hitmen now, five instead of the initial three Gokudera had seen. He made eye contact with his friends who were pretending to browse racks and window shop.

The sound of a loud motor turned Tsuna's head. People jumped out of the way, screaming as a black motorcycle pulled up onto the sidewalk. Even though the figure had a black helmet on, Tsuna knew who it was immediately from the jacket. He stood up.

"Did you wear a helmet just because you knew I would tell you to?" Hibari pulled the helmet off, setting it on the seat as he climbed off the motorcycle.

"Yes."

"Hibari! That's an extremely cool bike!" Ryohei exclaimed. Hibari shot him a withering look.

"Tetsuya and the DC are in place. The van is parked a block down." Hibari turned loftily to Kyoko and Hana, who were giggling to themselves. "Why are these herbivores staring at me?"

"Who is this?" Fuuta's quiet voice came in.

"This is Tsu-kun's boyfriend." Kyoko giggled. "Hibari-san."

"Oh." Fuuta said.

"Y'know Tsuna, I never really thought about it before, but Hibari's smokin' hot. Even if he is crazy." Hana was enjoying herself too much.

"Hana!" Tsuna hissed.

"I'm just saying, good for you." Hibari rolled his eyes.

"Um, Kyo, we need to get Fuuta safely to the DC van and handle all of the hitmen here. We can take him back to my-,"

"No." Hibari interrupted. Tsuna blinked. "We are not leading them directly back to your house."

"They probably already know where I live. It can't be that hard to find." Tsuna reasoned.

"It is, because I have taken great pains to make it so." Hibari snapped. "Despite the cursed baby's efforts to seed chaos into Namimori, I have ensured that you and your residence remain protected."

"Oh." Tsuna rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"We will be taking him to a DC stronghold." Hibari said. "Just get the child to the van." Tsuna nodded and turned to Fuuta.

"Ok, Fuuta. We're going to leave right now." He held out a hand. Fuuta slowly got up and took Tsuna's hand. "Wait, the bill-," Tsuna began to realize. Hibari huffed and pulled a wad of cash out of his jacket, tossing it on the table.

"Let's go." Hana blinked at it.

"That's a lot more than the bill there." She commented.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Tsuna said. "The Hibaris are filthy rich."

"Y'know, that explains a lot about Hibari." Tsuna turned to Ryohei.

"Nii-san, I can protect Fuuta. Can you make sure nothing happens to Hana and Kyoko and get them home safe?"

"Of course, little brother!"

"Tsu-kun-," Kyoko's brow furrowed. "Do you need anything from us?"

"Just for you to be safe." Tsuna said.

He started leading Fuuta as Ryohei and the girls split to the other direction. Tsuna was fairly sure the Marco family wouldn't follow them, as long as their primary target was Fuuta. But Ryohei could keep them safe, just in case.

Tsuna could see the van from where he was standing and he started to slowly lead Fuuta down the street. Hibari, meanwhile, pulled his helmet back on and revved up the engine. It was hard to read with that black helmet on, but Tsuna knew he was keeping an eye on all visible Marco targets. Gokudera and Yamamoto themselves were each quite close to them. And the moment one of them moved, they would find the hammer of the DC cracking down on them with little to no mercy.

Tsuna could feel how tight Fuuta was holding his hand.

"Are you sure about this?" Fuuta whispered.

"Absolutely." Tsuna confirmed. He craned his neck, at the moment one of the Marco men realized what was happening and took a step forward, going for their gun. Gokudera's fist collided with his face, Gokudera's foot with his knee, and the moment the hitman was low enough, Tsuna watched Gokudera get him in a chokehold long enough to knock him out. The other hitman panicked, but went down quickly as Yamamoto got him with a knock to the temple.

Tsuna felt a chill go down his spine, and he pulled Fuuta off to the side at the same time there was a loud crack!

People immediately started screaming and darted away. Tsuna twisted to see Hibari revving up the engine, in hot pursuit of a hapless hitman who was quickly realizing that the motorcycle was going to run him down. The hitman ducked to the side, eyes widening, but Hibari pivoted the bike, going after him.

Tsuna picked up the pace, pulling Fuuta with him. Tsuna could vaguely hear the signs of the men on the perimeter getting caught by the DC; any gunshots faded away immediately as they were disarmed by the surprisingly competent and bloodthirsty teenagers. Tsuna pulled Fuuta into the van, closing the door. Ren, one of Tsuna's friends on the committee, twisted around in the front seat.

"Everybody in?" He asked. Tsuna briefly considered waiting for Gokudera and Yamamoto, but knew that they could more than handle themselves. The top priority was keeping the little boy who was clutching his hand safe.

"Yeah, they'll catch up." He decided. "Let's go." Ren hit the gas, and the van took off. Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't out of the woods yet, so he pulled Fuuta close. Fuuta had taken off his backpack again and was clutching it to his chest. The little boy pulled out the ranking book and gazed at it.

"I should just let them have it." He said quietly. "I should just let them have me."

"No." Tsuna said. "That's not going to happen." They must have been on the road for only a few minutes when something hit the side with a THUMP. The van rocked suddenly, and Tsuna held on tight to Fuuta, who let out a squeak. Ren cursed in the front seat, but the van rocked back, thankfully. Ren slowed to a stop.

"What the f-,"

THUMP!

The door dented inwards, the metal screeching and bending. Tsuna couldn't control the noise that left his mouth. He knew that he himself firmly fell into the category of freaks but what the hell could do something like that?

An animalistic roar ripped through the air.

THUMP!

This time, the entire van tipped over and Tsuna stumbled, arms flailing as he fell back against the wall of the van. He groaned as he fell, legs splayed out weirdly. Thankfully, Fuuta had remained seated so the sudden movement startled him, but he didn't get hurt. Tsuna blinked up at the bent metal in front of him. There was a roar, and then it was gone.

Tsuna bit back the urge to swear.

A face swam into view, the figure hunched over the top of the gaping hole in the side of the truck. His face was scarred and blonde hair wild. The teeth barred showed fangs, and the hands that were gripping the edges of the hole were more like claws than anything else.

"The kid." He snarled.

"Back off." Tsuna responded, groaning as he tried to get to his feet. The figure let out a roar and ducked in, trying to grab Fuuta. Fuuta cried out as a clawed hand reached his book, trying to pull it away from him. Tsuna sprang to his feet and grabbed Fuuta and the book, pulling him back. He snatched up a scrap of twisted metal that had fallen when the door was ripped off and stabbed the figure in the hand with it. It didn't go in very far, but it certainly punctured skin. Their attacker roared and his grip slipped on the book. He didn't let go, but scrambled for purchase, taking hold of a few pages on accident. He yanked, ripping some out.

"That's enough." Tsuna lit up his hand and took a swing at the figure, whose body was hanging halfway into the van at this point. Tsuna saw the shock register on his face, just as Tsuna put some power behind it. He caught the kid squarely in the jaw, his head snapping back painfully and his body swinging up to knock against the edge of the roof.

"Fuck!" The attacker scrambled out, and Tsuna jumped up, grabbing the edge of the van and pulling himself up after him. He grabbed the ankle of the attacker as he turned to run, not realizing how insanely hot his hand must have been. A shrill scream came out of the boy as Tsuna burned through the material of his pants in a second, straight through to the skin that sizzled. He kicked out with his other leg, and Tsuna let go, so he could dodge the boot aimed at his face. He started hauling himself over, just as the boy crouched, howling in pain and leapt with a force that shook the van. He landed 20-some feet away and took off running.

What the fuck.

Tsuna blinked in disbelief, extinguishing his hand. He dropped back into the van; he didn't think he would catch up with their attacker and wasn't about to leave Fuuta alone. Plus, he needed to check on Ren and make sure he was alright.

"Tsuna-nii?" Fuuta squeaked, shaking and holding the book to his chest. He still had it, even if they had lost a few pages.

"Everything is going to be fine, Fuuta." Tsuna promised. He ducked his head in between the front two seats. "Ren?" The DC member in question groaned in pain, but shot Tsuna thumbs up. He seemed to have hit his head against the window when they were knocked over, but was buckled in and all right. Tsuna reached up and unbuckled him, climbing into the front seat. He pushed the passenger door open over his head and helped right Ren. After Ren was out of the van and safely to the ground, Tsuna scooped Fuuta up and climbed out. Fuuta was heavy, much bigger than Lambo or I-Pin, but Tsuna was strong enough to pull him out of the van.

Once they were firmly settled on the side of the road, Tsuna called Hibari. He didn't even wait for a response once he heard the telltale click of the phone being answered.

"The van was attacked on the way. We're okay, but the van is toast-," Tsuna glanced back at the van, which was tipped over and a giant gaping hole on the top. Tsuna was sure it could be repaired, but there was no way that was happening right that moment. "They were after Fuuta, but I don't think it was the Marcos." Tsuna had noticed that the attacker was wearing a green school uniform. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. "He was...weird." Tsuna paused to give Hibari time to speak.

"Where are you?" Tsuna glanced around.

"Um, I'm not totally sure. I can hand you off to Ren." Tsuna offered.

"No. I know the route they were taking. We will come get you-,"

We? Tsuna almost asked, but he heard the voices clamoring in the background.

"Is Tsuna okay?" A certain fiery voice demanded.

"Ma, ma Gokudera, I wouldn't try to grab the phone from him again."

"Tell us that Tsuna is okay!" There was a thud and a cry of pain. Tsuna winced.

"We will be there soon." Hibari promised, hanging up.

Soon enough, the second van was pulling up with Hibari on his motorcycle behind them. Gokudera and Yamamoto piled out of the van immediately, Gokudera rushing over. He grabbed Tsuna by the shoulders, examining him.

"Tsuna!" He exclaimed, eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?" Tsuna bit back a smile.

"I'm fine, Hayato. We aren't hurt." Tsuna heard a noise, and turned to see Hibari climbing onto the top of the van, gazing down at the gaping hole in the side. The claw marks were distinct.

"Describe what you meant when you said weird." Hibari said. Yamamoto let out a low whistle, catching a glimpse of the marks.

"I mean, I'd say that's pretty weird." The baseball player said. Tsuna told them what had happened.

"I mean, I don't wanna say that he was like me, because he was nothing like me..." Tsuna trailed off. "But he was weird like me."

"You don't have claws that can rip through metal." Gokudera said. Yamamoto eyed Tsuna.

"Or do you?" Tsuna rolled his eyes.

"Takeshi."

"I'm just saying, I'm going to be deeply disappointed if you're holding out on us." From the thoughtful look on Hibari's face, Tsuna would guess that he would be too.

"Stop imagining me with claws." He poked Yamamoto in the arm.

"Just think of the possibilities!"

"Regardless, I don't believe this individual was with the men in the square." Hibari said, hopping down from the van.

"If they had someone who could do that, I don't think they would have waited until now to use him." Gokudera said. "And I've never heard of anything like that from the Marco family." Fuuta let out a groan behind them.

"So now I have whatever family this guy belongs to after me too?" He said timidly.

"I don't think he comes from any kind of family." Tsuna said. "He was wearing...what looked like a school uniform. I can't remember where from though." It was nagging at the back of his mind.

"Regardless, we need to get you out of the open." Hibari said. He gestured towards the white van.

"I don't think he's coming back." Tsuna responded. He glanced down the road.

"How do you know that?" Fuuta whispered.

"I just...do." Tsuna confessed. "I would know if he were still here." He was still trying to think of where he had seen that school uniform before. The attacker had looked pretty young; around Tsuna's age if he had to guess.

"He got a page." Fuuta said quietly. "A few."

"Do you know what?" Gokudera asked, as they started to guide the smaller boy towards the van. Fuuta opened up his book, thumbing through it. His brow was furrowed with concentration. He muttered under his breath.

"Namimori hiding place rankings...Nana's best dishes...best fighters in-," He stopped.

"Best fighters?" Hibari asked. Fuuta nodded.

"There's a few pages missing. They got Best Sushi Restaurants in Namimori, Nana's Best Dishes, Richest Mafiosos, Best Brands of Almond Milk, and Best Fighters in Namimori."

"I think they wanted the whole book." Tsuna said. "I don't know what they were after specifically."

"But if any of those pages were useful, there's a pretty clear winner." Gokudera said. Yamamoto nodded.

"Oh yeah. It's really hard to find a good dairy alternative." Gokudera's head whipped around so fast Tsuna heard his neck crack.

Tsuna didn't know how the baseball player said that with a straight face.

"Are you an idiot?" Gokudera demanded incredulously.

"Maybe so." Yamamoto said with a shrug, a mischievous smile creeping on to his face. Yamamoto was probably going to send Gokudera into an early, stress-related grave, Tsuna decided. "Do you remember who was on that list?" Yamamoto asked Fuuta, as he helped him into the van. Fuuta chewed his lip.

"No...I'm sorry. I forget the rankings after I do them. It's why I write them down." Fuuta paused. "I think you were on it. All of you. I just don't remember what the ranking was."

"That's okay." Tsuna said. "We at least know they'll be coming after us. It seems like what they were doing before, attacking the DC. It'll just be more pointed. We don't need to know what the exact ranking is." Tsuna watched the corner of Yamamoto's mouth twitch, and he immediately knew the baseball player was about to start something. He resisted the urge to groan.

"Yeah, we already know what the rankings are anyways." Yamamoto said. Gokudera's neck flushed red.

"What do you mean, we already know?" He barked out. Tsuna smacked himself in the forehead.

"Well, you know, Hibari and Tsuna at the top, I'm in the middle, and Gokudera's obviously at the bottom." Yamamoto responded cheerfully.

"Why am I at the bottom?" Gokudera was furious. "I am a highly skilled strategic fighter!" He snapped. "Obviously? Obviously?"

"Well, what do you think the ranking is?" Yamamoto teased him.

"Tsuna at the top and you at the bottom!" Hibari made a noise in his throat. Tsuna wanted to jump off a roof.

"Given the fact that I trained Tsunayoshi earns me the top spot." Hibari hissed icily. "Insult my skill again and I'll bite you to death."

"Any thoughts?" Yamamoto nudged Tsuna with his elbow.

"Please don't involve me." Tsuna begged. "Can we go?" Hibari glared and stalked back over to his motorcycle, picking up his helmet.

"Tsunayoshi." Hibari said. "Will you be joining me or staying in the van?"

"I mean, since he's probably at the top of the list-," Yamamoto paused part way through to cough, barely able to keep a straight face at the increasing rage on Hibaris's face. "-, Tsuna should really stay with us, to protect Fuuta, right?"

Tsuna could tell Hibari was caught in a weird place; somewhere between his borderline neurotic need to be the best fighter and his respect for Tsuna's skills.

And well, in Tsuna's opinion, projecting supernatural flames from his body was a little hard to beat.

"Stop talking." Hibari snapped. Tsuna stifled a laugh.

"We'll meet you there, Kyo." Tsuna said. He walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. At the very least, he was thankful Hibari hadn't attacked Yamamoto.

"Hn." Hibari responded. "I'll see you there."