Author's Note:

I'm slowly making my way towards something resembling sense. I don't really know if what I made is enough but this part of the story has been written a long, long time.

These next few chapters were written long before some of the previous chapters. They were fragments of thoughts I've scrapped and scrimped while I made my way through the story. I've always intended them to be part of the over-all whole but I just didn't know how to flesh them out.

Maybe that's because I always start with the dialogue and then spend the longest time trying to figure out how to describe how those words came to be.

I still don't know if it will ever be enough. I hope they will be.

No beta still.

CHAPTER 20:

Le brutte notizie arrivano sempre tre alla volta

Part I

"The first duty towards children is to make them happy.

If you have not made them so, you have wronged them.

No other good they may get can make up for that."

Charles Buxton, Notes of Thought

The weeks following the presence in his life of the leather-clad Arcobaleno made Tsuna feel like he was sent through the proverbial wringer and back. His joints ached and he felt pain in muscles he didn't even know existed on his body. Together with his own sadistic Tutor's daily exercise regime and the ones the other Arcobaleno insisted he do, he was wondering if his body resembled more a disconnected bruised marionette or a slab of badly beaten beef.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the itch was back.

And no it wasn't that literal itch that seemed to elude hands desperate to scratch it to satisfaction. That would've been a cakewalk compared to whatever it was that plagued him. This one was entirely metaphoric and equally annoying in nature. Somehow, somewhere down the road he was certain the itch came when the other weirdo baby came and it hasn't left even when the other did. Instead it grew more insistent…more persistent…more relentless as the days progressed.

It got so bad that Reborn noticed his preoccupation and strapped him unto a minefield-laden obstacle course in order for him to 'loosen up and spill his guts'. So there he was, sprawled on his back, panting from exhaustion and still faintly sizzling from all the blasts, muttering about how he felt like he was being watched by something at the same time that he felt like he was supposed to watch for something. It was confusing and irritating and it left him twitchier than normal without anything concrete to show for it.

Reborn as per his usual modus operandi snorted and hmmed and told him to work through it. Tsuna gave his tutor such a glare that the Arcobaleno gave out an amused chuckle. It didn't improve Tsuna's mood at all.

The feeling followed him all the way to school that Monday morning and so he spent the better part of the day just staring blankly at the window causing him to be repeatedly reprimanded and laughed at in class. Used as he was to the treatment, he managed to endure with enviable equanimity and brushed the entire matter aside.

Deciding to simply spend some time hanging out with Yamamoto to distract his mind from its constant 'itch' he consigned the entire issue to the back of his mind. Whatever it was that was coming, he was certain it would make itself known as soon as it was able.

Tsuna was about to exit his classroom, mind now filled with the newest homework and worksheets he needed to accomplish, the vague curiously about what kind of mean his mother might present them that night and Yamamoto's cheerful chatter in his ear when he felt something soft bump gently against his leg. Conscious as he was of stray cats that would sometimes weave their way around him whenever he was within school premises, he automatically looked down and looked for the local stray. Finding none, he was about to turn around and look further when Yamamoto's amused chuckle called out to him.

"Ah, Tsuna, I think you have a growth on your leg."

Tsuna spluttered at his friend's choice of words. "Wh-what?!"

He immediately ran his hands down his body, patting and checking as looked down his limbs intent on finding whatever kind of string or plant maybe clinging to his trouser pants or worse maybe another one of those pranks where kids attached a sign on his back asking other to kick or hit him.

Frantic, he twisted and turned and found himself staring dumbfounded at the blackest pair of eyes squinting at him with such focus that might've been unnerving if it wasn't just the slightest off-kilter.

It wasn't a plant, paper or even pet—stray or otherwise. It was a person.

An incredibly tiny person.

Bending his knees slowly as to not startle this unusual guest, he raised a hand towards Yamamoto, absently noting the boy no longer spoke but rather stood just behind him, legs comfortably spread in a relaxed pose that seemed to imply that he was just a simple bystander and meant no harm at all. It chagrined Tsuna to note his new guest relaxing incrementally at the gesture and wondered anew how everyone deemed Yamamoto as 'benign' when he clearly wasn't so. Turning, he focused once more on the child staring at his face and was surprised to note that she came much closer than before. He gave the child a smile and extended a hand.

'Hello'

'Ni hao.'

The little girl had a palm-sized face and skin the color of unblemished white jade. Clad in traditional Chinese clothing, she seemed more like a doll than an actual person. Eyes slanted like a cats and thin lips that she seemed determined to bite until they bled.

'My name is Tsuna. The one behind me is called Yamamoto.

Yo! Little girl, how's it going?

The little girl looked at the grinning figure of Yamamoto and had to do it for a few seconds since her sweeping look started from his feet up.

"Tall Gege"

The comment brought an unexpected smile to Tsuna's lips. He tossed an amused look at Yamamoto who gave him an equally cheerful grin.

"That he is. Can I ask what's your name little one?"

'This one named I-pin.'

Tsuna noted that she was especially tiny, assuming based on what he's seen from the kids in the park that she couldnt have been barely school age if at all.

'Are you lost Ipin-chan? Are you looking for someone here?'

'I-pin has target. Target is here.'

Tsuna's brow wrinkled at the choice of words. The little girl didnt seem like it was something random she was just repeating. It was like it was something she was certain and something she understood the meaning of.

'Target?'

'Yes.'

'What will you do if you find this target?'

'I-pin will fight target and win. Then I-pin will return and find Shifu.'

Tsuna gave a concerned glance at Yamamoto before turning towards the child that seemed determined to find a nebulous someone and do things that he feels instinctively a little girl should not be doing.

Yamamoto, empathetic as ever, grinned at the little girl and asked.

'Who are you looking for Ipin-chan?"

'I-pin looking for a boy. Name Sawada Tsunayoshi.'

Tsuna startled at the name. Blinking rapidly, he glanced at Yamamoto and then turned towards I-pin once again. Clearing his throat, he muttered hesitantly.

'I-I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi."

I-pin's thin-slit like eyes opened just the slightest and revealed an intense vibe not unlike the one produced by his tutor. Her small body was braced in preparation for an attack. Tsuna, Yamamoto and their tiny new acquaintance was caught in a tense pas de deux when a cold voice cut through the mounting tension.

"Well well...are you bringing chaos into my domain Herbivore?"

The temperature in the hallway plunged into the negative; the lively space suddenly became vacated of people that until then hovered in curiosity.

Tsuna felt a shiver of atavistic fear crawling up his spine, not at all belayed by Yamamoto's carefree saluation towards one of Namimori's most frightening denizens.

"Yo Hibari-senpai!"

"I dont like Herbivores gathering around me. Scram or be bitten to death."

Tsuna kept an eye on Hibari even as his senses kept attuned to I-pin who was now demonstrating an alarming flush on her face. Her bright dark eyes staring at Hibari's face with the zeal of a devotee.

"Sh-shifu!"

Hibari blinked at the little girl then turned towards Tsuna. And then all hell broke loose.

"Reborn!"

"Ah, there it is-the dulcet tones of my intrepid little charge."

"Reborn! This-I-!"

Tsunayoshi skid into a stop inside his room and noted that there were now two toddler-shaped beings perched on the matching armchairs that decorated his room.

Sitting adjacent from his smirking tutor was another unusual toddler; this one eeriely composed and dressed in a what looked like a red Han costume complete with frog ties. He was blessed with skin as pale as jade and long braided hair that flowed down nearly to the floor. His eyes were calm; a cool mysterious vibe emanating from surprisingly dark grey orbs. A smile seemed to constantly hover on the corner of his lips as if they always resided there.

"Hello Decimo."

The oddly sweet voice caused Tsuna to flush, discomfited somewhat at his behavior and a tell-tale blush bloomed on his cheeks.

"Ah...um...hello."

In the toddler's tiny hands nestled a small handle-less cup resided and the fragrant aroma of well-steeped tea could be discerned even from the doorway of his bedroom. The smell lingered and blended with the more familiar coffee scent that normally permeated his bedroom air.

"I-I apologize for intruding...shouting..."

A tiny hand gracefully waved his away his apologies.

"Its all fine Decimo. In fact I think it is I who is rightfully intruding. Do forgive me."

"No-no its fine! Please make yourself comfortable-er..."

"This one is called Fon. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance Vongola Decimo."

Tsuna immediately raised his hands in denial of the moniker, waving them frantically as if to emphasize his point.

"I-I'm not Vongola Decimo! I'm Tsuna-Sawada Tsunayoshi. You can call me Tsuna Fon-san." He turned and gestured towards the figure that until then hovered quietly beside him. "This is my classmate and friend, Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Yo babies!"

Yamamoto flashed his usual easy-going grin and Tsuna noted that both his guest and tutor seemed amused by it.

"It is my honor to meet both of you but I fear I cannot address you so informally Decimo considering the circumstances."

Tsuna blinked back at him.

"What circumstances?"

Reborn snorted and Tsuna was immediately chagrined.

"Never mind it. Now, care to tell me what made you screech like a banshee when you came up just now Peanut?"

"I wasn't screeching Reborn!"

"Yes you were. Now what is it?"

Tsuna scrambled to get all the thoughts of his head.

"There was this-and then she said-and I couldn't understand what she-!"

"Remember what I told you Little Tuna use your words, I'm not a bloody psychic and I abhor charades. Now, what were you screeching about?"

Tsuna gestured at the figure lying in his arms. He wondered if Reborn was being deliberately obtuse or he really did miss the tiny girl he was carrying.

"There's this-this child! A little tiny girl! She came to the school and at first Yamamoto and I thought she was just lost you know? But then she-she called me a target and tried to-I don't know-hit me or something!"

Reborn chortled. "Not hit you-well you might call it more like a hit."

"What?"

"Peanut, she's trying to assassinate you."

Tsuna exploded. "WHAT?!"

"Ah...the sweet sounds of puberty...squeaking and squawking your way towards adulthood finally are you Tsuna?"

"Stop blathering like a loon and make sense darn it! Reborn what new level of hellish madness is this?! You're sending toddlers after me now? Have you no shame?! This is a child were talking about now—now tell me what am I suppose to do with her!"

Unaware the girl in his arms has awoken, Tsuna scrambled to keep her still. The little tot jumped from his arms unto the coffee table, her intent clear for all to see. Tsunayoshi braced himself for another one of her kicks when Fon simply smiles, waves a hand to brush against I-pin's neck and the little girl started slowly losing consciousness.

Tsuna caught in the moment simply couldn't have reacted quickly enough and so I-pin's prone body landed on the long-fingered and steady grasp of a pair of hands. Yamamoto tossed an amused glance at the chagrined young Tsunayoshi before noting that the culprit was waving a hand and gesturing towards his ready lap. In his atypical contrariness Yamamoto paid no attention to anyone else but Tsuna, waiting for his instructions despite not really understanding the dynamics of the room he found himself in. Tsuna found himself nodding at Yamamoto and the cheerful young man promptly deposited the now unconscious baby girl next to the smiling red-clothed toddler.

The awkward tableaux that could've persisted for who knows how long ended quite swiftly upon the timely entry of Sawada Nana bearing a tray full of snacks and nibbles for afternoon tea that she had thoughtfully prepared the moment her son came home with a friend in tow.

She gave a smile towards Yamamoto and Fon, inquired solicitously if the little one needed a pillow and bowed out with little fuss after reminding them to finish everything on the tray and to inform her if everyone would be amenable to staying for dinner to which Yamamoto promptly declined and reasoned that his father was expecting him.

Fon was suitably impressed and Reborn oddly proud leaving Tsuna feeling discombobulated about the entire exchange.

He was reminded ruefully once more that his mother was in many ways eminently suitable to being the spouse of a Mafioso. No one does schadenfreude better than one sweetly naive Sawada Nana.

Shaking his head, his eyes fell on the sleeping I-pin and all the questions he had been plagued with since meeting her came pouring out.

Clearing his throat, he tried to prod delicately at the smiling affable-looking Arcobaleno.

"Is she your daughter? Younger sister? Someone related to you?"

Fon shook his head at every inquiry. When he replied, his voice was impassive.

"No, I-pin and I share no blood ties but she is mine as much as anyone could be. She was given to me."

Tsuna blinked ."Given to you? Like entrusted to you by her relatives?"

Fon shook his head at Tsuna.

"Like a gift?" the young man asked uncertainly.

Fon smirked. "Nothing quite as pleasant as that I'm afraid. More like an added remuneration of sorts. From my employer for a job they have commissioned me for."

This time Tsuna's spine stiffened and his voice was slightly confused even as his eyes darted towards his erstwhile silent tutor.

"Remu—she's payment? Some kind of salary? For a job?"

"Well...they offered a lot of options but on hindsight I felt a disciple is preferable to material possessions compared to the other things they offered me as a bonus."

This time Tsuna's voice was scandalized.

"A bonus? A bon-she is a person not a thing! You can't award a person as if she's some form of medieval payment!"

Even Yamamoto had a frown wrinkling his brow at the revelation.

Fon gave a short shrug of his shoulders.

"For the organization that I work for...there are more shades than simple black and white Decimo."

Tsuna nearly snapped. "Don't call me that!" He flushed immediately after and bowed his head in apology for his behavior. "Please...I-i apologize for raising my voice...but I am not Decimo nor will I be. Just Tsuna, please."

Fon smiled and waved away the apology with ease. "I mean no disrespect but courtesy must be observed yes? Still, as you wish, I shall address you as Tsuna when things are not as ambiguous as they are at the moment. For now, allow me to call you Decimo."

Tsuna gaped, sputtering, "But I'm not-!"

"Pipe down Peanut and let the man address you as he sees fit. It's no skin off your back anyways what he calls you. "

Chastened, Tsuna apologized once more. His voice when he spoke was halting; hesitation coloring every word.

"I-i...sorry Fon-san...please...I don't understand...make me understand."

"I will attempt a way then Decimo. I just hope it will be enough." Fon gave Tsuna an encouraging smile, took a deep breath and then continued with his explanation.

"Now, as I was saying, little I-pin was but one of the options offered to me when I completed a particularly delicate assignment…"

Fon moved with a smooth unhurried motion as small hands reached out to remove one tiny black canvas shoe. With a gentleness that couldn't be belied, he cradled I-pin's doll-like left foot in his palm and displayed a black sigil tattooed on the heel.

Tsuna stared at the mark for a moment before shaking his head.

"I-I don't know what that means."

"It's the mark of one belong to the Triad."

"Triad? What is that?" Tsuna tossed a look at Yamamoto and the other boy shook his head.

"Ah Peanut, I doubt Yamamoto knows what that is when your own idiocy is showing but this is understandable. Let me explain."

Tsuna glared at his tutor. "Reborn couldn't you just explain without the insult please?"

Reborn looked at Tsuna before fluttering his lashes complete with a frighteningly innocent purse of his lips.

"How will I get my daily dose of chuckles then?"

"Reborn!"

"Keep your pants on Peanut, can't you see the baby is sleeping?"

Tsuna rubbed a palm across his face in clear exasperation, desperate to ignore his sadistic tutor's amusement. "Just explain what this Triad is."

Reborn's voice when he spoke however, was anything but amused.

"It operates pretty much like the Mafia here in the East. They have their own rules and mores that governed those within their sphere of influence, much like Omerta for those in the Underworld. The mark on the little girl's foot is one means of keeping track of their properties."

"Property?!" Tsuna nearly screeched.

"She is one of theirs. Given my understanding of the organization-she was sold to the group as payment so therefore was their property to dispense with as they saw fit."

"You're an Arcobaleno—"

"Even we Arcobaleno's must recognize and respect the rules that govern the world in which we dwell. I took an assignment from them and she was offered as a prize. Although she is nominally mine from that moment on…she is still theirs until I manage to buy her freedom completely or she earns her freedom in some fashion."

Reborn was watching Tsuna and acted swiftly enough to wrap a hand against Tsuna's wrist, preventing the easily excitable young man from exploding in his outrage. He reached out and clamped a hand on Tsuna's chin forcing the enraged boy to look at him.

"Before you pop a blood-vessel Peanut, try and get this through your ridiculously rosy-hued, naive noggin-there are many societies and organizations out in the world that doesn't quite operate within what you or any other average Joe would call normal or logical or even fair. Now, shut up and listen. You want an explanation and the man is humoring you. Don't piss me off with your constant disruption."

Tsuna glared at Reborn before giving a short nod. Staring at his charge for a moment, Reborn released Tsuna and gestured to the Storm Arcobaleno to proceed.

Fon laughed and reached out a conciliatory hand towards Reborn, patting the other's arm. It was promptly smacked much to Fon's amusement. When he turned to face Tsuna's once more, his gaze and tone was serene but there was gravitas to it that made Tsuna oddly calm down.

"I knew she would've been traded off sooner or later. Perhaps picking her as a disciple and making her an assassin was not what you would've chosen for a little girl...but considering the other options for someone like her-teaching her to kill so that she could protect herself seemed the lesser of other evils."

"Options? She's a little girl-the only option should've been what doll she'd like and what she'll be when she grows up..."

Fon laughed softly and something inside Tsuna was assailed by a sudden bittersweet tinge of unfamiliar regret.

"In an idealized world that might have been her path in life but she lost all that when she was sold to the organization."

Tsuna's eyes were wide with chagrin, his mind racing with possible scenarios based on what little he gleaned from what he read and seen. "But-she's just a little girl! She shouldn't have been—her parents—was she taken, kidnapped or something? They must be going crazy looking for her!"

Fon clearly understood what Tsuna meant but he shook his head in regret signaling that it was all moot now.

"Whether she was forcibly obtained or surrendered voluntarily—all that ceased to matter the moment the Triad gained possession of her. She ceased being a person in the eyes of the organization that had her. From that moment on—she was commodity, to be used or disposed of as they see fit."

Seeing the panic-stricken look in his charges eyes and the way his knuckles whitened with tension, Reborn spoke. His voice was cold; detached.

"Had Fon not taken her Peanut she would've been sold to something more scarring than merely learning thirty ways how to incapacitate a man. She would've been sold to the kind of places where nothing innocent survives."

The incredulity, fear and shocked awareness that bloomed in his gaze made even Fon look away unable to meet those brilliant citrine orbs. Those eyes screamed a silent betrayal that seemed far more accusing than any loud screams. There was something scalding about the young man's stare-something guilt-inducing and yet terribly knowing-that seemed to burn straight through him, making his hands clench within the concealing depths of his sleeves.

Pain, frustration and anger roiling in Tsuna's guts reflected the tumultuous shades of gold that flashed in and out his expressive eyes, turning his already arresting gaze even more haunting. Reborn watched as Tsuna's eyes turned from the clearly affected Storm Arcobaleno towards the peacefully unaware toddler that was the center on their discussion.

Tears filled Tsuna's eyes to the brim but strangely enough they didn't fall...instead they continued to simply hover there as if allowing them to fall would shatter whatever composure was left holding Tsuna back. His lips had been bitten raw; the tell-tale stain of blood in the corners revealing his state of mind and the outraged cries he refused to give voice to. His hands, trembling as it had ceased to do so during the past weeks trembled anew as he brushed back a few strands of I-pin's hair.

"How long before she's free?"

Fon stared at the eerily discerning young man in front of him before his eyes flickered towards the oddly silent hitman. Their eyes met and a silent exchange took place that only the two of them will ever know but whatever it was that passed between them, it was enough to make the usually affable Storm Arcobaleno to wipe the smile from his lips and his keen eyes to shimmer with a darkness that were usually absent from those uncanny grey depths.

Taking a deep breath, he reached out for the cup of tea that has long lost its heat and brought it to his lips. A careful sip to moisten his throat, the bear silent chink of the china being placed gently against smooth sandalwood and the Storm Arcobaleno found himself allowing his thoughts free rein.

"One more job. Then the debt is paid. For both of us. I would've discharged my obligations to the group and her bond would be paid; her slate wiped clean. Her name would be erased from their records and the tattoo on her foot removed. She will regain her freedom in all sense of the word—both from the Underworld and here in the world of laws."

When Fon raised his head, his gaze was pinned by a glowing sunset-hued flame that made the Storm Arcobaleno feel like he had been stripped bare and left exposed to the dangers of a tempest held back by the most tenuous of threads. The one staring at him now was not the weak-willed teenager Reborn is tutoring but a true scion bearing the blood of the strongest Mafia Famiglia in the world. His gaze, clear and untainted by judgment of any sort still scorched as if this lack of malice was even more excruciating than the most scathing words or the most torrid of flames. From the depths of those golden citrine orbs Decimo watched him, taking his measure; weighing his value—seeing him as few had ever had before. Between one breath and the next, Fon felt himself evaluated in ways never before by eyes that seemed to see through everything—his truths, his lies, his deceptions and excuses, his reasons and his convictions. He felt judged and been found wanting in some indefinable way. He wished he could open his lips and let the glib appeasements that he so often employed to flow free but he knew instinctively that that would be a mistake in front of this strangely damaged, fragile child with the tranquil, unfathomable eyes of an untainted saint.

Expelling the breath he was holding, he calmed his mind and waited. He knew it wouldn't be long. When Decimo spoke, Fon knew that what he delivered would be his sentence and Decimo's decree.

"You're leaving."

There was no question in Tsuna's voice. Fon glanced at Reborn before a sigh escaped from thin lips. He gave a short nod.

"I have spent far too long in the organization and they have grown—arrogant; complacent. They have taken my presence as a guarantee and a reason to feel empowered over those that they feel they have the right to bully using my prestige. I wish to correct the problem as soon as possible but her presence is a consideration I have not factored in when I made my initial plans."

Fon brushed a finger across I-pin's chubby cheeks with obvious tenderness; his eyes filled with reverent light.

"Once I make my move, they will react and they will seek to find a suitable leverage over me. I have not allowed myself any attachment save for the others like myself and my adversaries know better than to get even just one other of us involved. But I-pin is my disciple and though many is not aware of this fact, they know that I have her even if they don't know what status she holds with me."

Tsuna nodded. "Then leave her to me. No...give her to me. Entrust her to us...to me..."

"Peanut-"

"Decimo-"

Tsuna raised a hand and the two Arcobaleno found themselves acquiescing to the silencing gesture.

"My mom loves caring for someone and she has never had a daughter to pamper and care for. She will adore having a little girl to dress up and coo over."

Fon's gaze was sharp with razor-edged insight.

"She is not some average girl Decimo. Suburbia will deprive her of opportunities and targets but it will not dull her edge nor curve her learning. I have taught her well and she is an excellent student. When confronted with the correct stimulus, her first response will be to neutralize the threat with deadly force."

Tsuna gave the Arcobaleno a surprisingly sweet smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling with odd merriment.

"Good. A little girl should have some kind of way to protect herself when people who should couldn't be around. It will keep her safe long enough for help to arrive and rescue her. If not, she can rescue herself."

Fon found himself feeling lost. He glanced at the clearly amused Sun Arcobaleno that was now sipping his coffee with seemingly carefree insouciance.

"Decimo-I cannot impose!"

Tsunayoshi gazed at the Arcobaleno, his head titling just the tiniest bit.

"Isn't that why you came here for? I mean yes, you came for Reborn I suppose but you were hoping you could leave her here right? Or have Reborn find a way to hide her from your targets?"

Fon was now clearly flustered at being found out so easily by the young Decimo heir and he struggled to gain back his serenity.

"That was my intent-of course, but given the circumstances and the possible danger, I couldn't possibly-!"

"Then what could be more effective than here? An entire country away and situated here at the heart of what Reborn often derides as disgustingly normal suburbia?"

Reborn chuckled.

"He has a point. No mafioso would deliver himself to this Nothingsville Bumblefart."

"Hey!"

Fon watched the exchange between tutor and student and for the first time since he decided to cut ties from the Triad and begin his crusade he felt the coil of tension inside of him relax marginally and the sense of things spinning out of his control settle into its usual equilibrium. His brief moment of relapse ended when Decimo spoke once more.

"Do what you must. What you need. She will wait here for your return. I will try and give her some normalcy while you do your duty to your family."

Fon blinked. "I-!"

"She is yours is she not? Then she is your family. While she stays here, she will also be mine. When you are able to reclaim her, she will be here. Tell her that you are entrusting her to me while you attend to matters. Say your goodbyes properly Arcobaleno of the Storm and then leave this place until such a time when you can return as unshackled as she ought to be."

Tsuna watched as Fon gently woke the sleeping I-pin and explained his next course of action. He watched as I-pin first expressed her discontent and sadness at being left behind but gradually the trepidation on her face faded and settled into acceptance. Her small black eyes darted towards Tsuna frequently during this time and Tsuna maintained a warm smile every time their gaze met.

Fon gazed at the young man whom fate and the machinations of man decreed would become the Vongola Famiglia's Decimo and wondered if he was inflicted with some kind of poison or hallucinogenic.

For a moment, he had to fight the urge to run and hide from the world not just with I-pin but with this earnest, warm-hearted, gentle natured young man.

"Don't even think about it you squinty-eyed bastard."

"I was only ruminating on the idea, old friend. There is no crime in that."

"Yeah well, save me the aggravation, will you? Don't ruminate, imagine or even indulge in the fantasy."

"I never pegged you to be so overtly possessive of your acquaintances or indeed any of your previous charges Reborn."

Reborn snorted.

"Yeah well, the kid grew on me. He's entertaining and he's quirky." An unholy light of amusement glinted deep in Reborn's dark eyes and a sadistic grin bloomed on his lips. "Besides, I kinda enjoy the idea of making him a menace in the Underworld. Can you imagine the chaos he'd create?"

A smile, genuine and warm shaped his thin lips and that warmth lit his usually cold gaze as he watched the young Decimo's charming friend weave a tale worthy of drama to the Vongola heir-to-be's mother. The young man had an enviable skill at disarming people and Decimo seemed particularly keen at noticing such a useful talent in his associates.

"Is he as completely untainted as you implied my friend?"

"As innocent as a newborn lamb, I'm afraid."

"Remarkable. The Vongola has been known for their eccentricities but this—is it madness or desperation that fuels this unusual gamble?"

"Who knows with those fools? However, they have given him to my tutelage and so whatever machinations and evil plots they may have devised—they best give up now. I don't suffer fools gladly and I don't appreciate being used as a mere pawn or tool. They should be well aware that I have the propensity for biting back when the hand that wields me trespasses on my limits."

Fon stared at the man he has known for decades and felt that somehow the air around him was profoundly different.

Reborn has always been the most inscrutable among the seven of them despite Fon being mistaken due to his constant smiles and silence.

But while Fon was simply introspective, Reborn was genuinely private in regards to things that truly mattered. His reputation has always served as a drawn shield and spear towards the world and everyone in it.

Fon's lips quirked in genuine amusement and was tickled even more when he noted that Reborn was irritated.

"Ah...old friend...affections does you a world of good."

"Shut your smirking pie-hole Squinty."

Fon burst out in laughter. Reborn contemplated emptying his gun on the rude bastards head but Nana was around and he wasn't that rude.

The tiny hands that clasped his were cool but strength just seemed to seep through them despite their size. Tsunayoshi wanted to look away but there was something about the long-haired perpetually smiling Arcobaleno that stayed his impulse to run. The clear grey eyes settled on his own clear brown and a spark of genuine understanding passed between them.

A gentle look settled in Fon's gaze and a soothed one in Tsuna's own lambent ones before they broke away from their oddly silent exchange.

"You have my gratitude for caring for I-pin Decimo. Thank you for wanting to rescue her from this dark life." Fon murmured quietly.

Tsunayoshi kept his eyes pinned on I-pin though his gaze did pause for a moment in the Sun Arcobaleno's direction. When he spoke, his tone was rueful.

"She's lucky to have met you. You rescued her far earlier than I have been."

Fon glanced at the silent Sun Arcobaleno who only gave a huff and Fon found himself resisting the urge to chortle.

"Is that so? I don't suppose he makes it easy."

"The word is not in his vocabulary, but-" Tsuna's eyes gentled, "he tries and that's all I ever wanted from anyone."

Fon gave a short nod. Tsuna's eyes were on I-pin's once more.

"You gave her a path to live even if-"

"Even if I had to use death to do so."

Tsuna swallowed with difficulty, hesitating before asking haltingly.

"Had she ever...taken..."

"No...she has taken part in some of my assignments but I have always tasked her to simply incapacitate never terminate. She was still-is still too young. Her skills are formidable but they are by no means lethal-not yet."

Fon was very amused to note the relief that flooded through the young Decimo. His smile however developed an edge that stirred awareness flooding through Tsunayoshi nerves.

"Decimo...you must understand-there is going to be a very long road ahead of her in terms of becoming what others would deem normal. I have trained her well...too well I fear...so there is little chance she ever will be as mundane or harmless as anyone raised here in the light."

"I understand."

Fon stared at the young man with a look sharp enough to draw stared at Decimo and the young man stared fearlessly back. Fon stared for a full minute; weighing and measuring the man destined to sit at the throne of the Vongola Famiglia whilst promising him that his ward would get a chance at a normal conflict-free life.

"Do you? Do you really know what it's like to be aware that you are different from everyone else? To know that there is something dangerous and dark inside of you?"

Tsuna gave the glaring Arcobaleno a shrug, a nod and looked away, murmuring almost absently.

"Yes. Believe me, I know better than most what it feels-what its going to be like for her-being torn in two because what you know, what you've learned, what you've been taught to know and what you remember-" Tsuna's hands clenched and he took a moment to consciously resist the impulse, forcing every finger of both hands to relax.

"I know what it's like to navigate a world that seemed determined to drive you out of your mind whilst it batters your heart and your soul in the quest to fit in just like everyone else."

"Then I'm glad it is to your hands I am entrusting my disciple. I look forward to the surprise she will offer me under your auspicious care. Please take very good care of her Decimo."

"I will."

"And while you're at it-take care of yourself as well."

Tsuna waved goodbye to Yamamoto and then turned to watch the figure of Fon vanish from the horizon contemplatively. When he spoke, his tone, though soft, was clearly aggravated.

"Is everyone from your world stupid or just wildly inappropriate in some indefinable way?"

Reborn was nibbling on one of the remaining biscotti that Nana brought.

"Considering the amount of exposure you've had and my presence in your life-"

Tsuna snorted causing Reborn to chuckle.

"Yes, well...compared to me...yes, most of them are, unfortunately, utter morons."

Tsuna glanced at his tutor. "Should you be saying that about them? Aloud, I mean? What if they found out that you've been dissing them when you go back?"

Reborn flashed him a condescending look. "I don't believe in prevaricating and I like calling a moron a moron whenever possible. Of course, there are levels or idiocy so my terms vary."

Tsuna blinked. "On what-a descending scale of common sense or ascending scale of idiocy?"

"Isn't that the same? Be that as it may-you should probably resign yourself to constant exposure to the unfortunate truth that the mafia is littered with people with IQ's that would make a goldfish seem like a genius."

Tsuna hmmed and quietly began gathering the detritus of their afternoon tea. Once he stacked all the cups and saucers and wiped the table clean of crumbs, he lifted the tray and found himself pausing before the threshold of his bedroom. He turned towards Reborn.

"Reborn, tell me the truth."

"Shoot, what do you need to know Peanut?"

"Will there be more cases like this? More people like Skull and Fon and I-pin coming here and disrupting our lives?"

Reborn stacked his hands upon his stomach; his eyes pinned on the ceiling. His voice when he spoke was oddly calm.

"Hm...how shall I put it...think of it this way little Tuna-fish...they are like the ebbing tide. They come and they warn you that a bigger wave is fast approaching."

His eyes turned from the ceiling to stare directly at Tsunayoshi's panicked brown ones.

"So better be prepared Peanut. Clock's a-ticking and the storms about to hit."

Title Translation: = Le brutte notizie arrivano sempre tre alla volta

"Bad things come in Threes"