07

Normally Tsuna would have kicked the sorcerer killer in the shin for uttering such cruel words or even planning to spill unnecessary blood. But he couldn't at the moment, not when the source of Toji's fury stemmed from his worry over Tsuna's safety.

"I don't like killing Mafia or Yakuza because they are like cockroaches, kill one and the rest start showing up from all the cracks and shadows," Toji pointed out the problems that might come. "But they are pretty easy targets, even with the superpowers. Heck, it'd be a hell lot harder to try and kill the Gojo's six eyes than dismembering a few underground big shots. Only a curse can defeat a curse. If it comes down to it, we can always just go capture a cursed spirit then drop it on them. They'd be one of the thousands that disappear every year and we wouldn't even have to worry about the clean up."

The plan sounded enticing. Normal people couldn't see cursed spirits so they would either get written off as another missing person or simply a victim of unfortunate events by the professionals. No one would suspect a thing.

No one.

Tsuna knew Toji-san could do it. He could plan everything out and make sure that not a single living soul ever saw it coming. Still, he wasn't sure if they would have to go that far yet. A small part of him wished they had made a mistake. That there were still pieces of the puzzle missing and they were wrong. Maybe...just maybe, his dad had nothing to do with this.

The uneasy feeling inside his chest made Tsuna restless.

Strange. He didn't realize he still had some sort of rosy expectations for the absent man he should call his father. He doesn't quite understand how to deal with it.

But there was one thing Tsuna needed to know right now.

"Toji-san, what did you do with Megumi and Tsumiki before you came here?" he asked.

"...Shit."

That was all the answer Tsuna needed. Toji forgot about his children. Again. He didn't hesitate to kick the older man in the shin this time. Toji howled in exaggerated pain and leaned most of his weight onto Tsuna, causing him to stumble. He pushed and struggled, trying to shake the childish man off.

Tsuna threw the thoughts about his father to some dusty corner of his mind. He felt like he was a piece on someone else's chess board and that feeling disgusted him. Not to mention that he didn't know what exactly he was up against but as long as Toji-san was beside him, he wasn't scared of anything.

They parted ways at the shrine. Deep down, he didn't want the other man to go. After their conversation, he wasn't really inclined to return home and face Reborn. But he couldn't just leave his mom alone with the hitman. Who knows what crazy schemes Nana will get dragged into?

He touched his forehead, where Toji-san said was on fire all those years ago when he got stabbed with the Inverted Spear of Heaven. Toji thought the fire meant a curse was dispersed or broken since Tsuna got better...but now it might have been something different, something with a darker meaning behind it. His skin didn't feel any different. There were no burn scars or discolored patches.

The tips of his fingers felt cold. Odd enough, the motion sparked a very faint memory. Well, maybe it wasn't even a memory. It felt more like a habit. An innate feeling that something should have been there. Not on his forehead but within him. Something that burnt like a hearth to fuel him. Something that belonged to him and made him who he was.

He tried to summarize what he was feeling into words and yes...it was as if there was a warmth that was lacking from his very soul.

Shaking his head, Tsuna decided he had too little information to work with. He will need to talk to Reborn and find out more about his dad.

Even if that meant playing along to Reborn's crazy plans for him to become the next Don.

#

Tsuna rolled out of bed and scrambled over to the wall on the other side of his room. His eyes were still groggy because he hadn't fully woken up. His body moved faster than his brain as he stuck his back right against the wall.

On his bed, a gigantic green hammer had come down to where his head was positioned just a moment ago. It buried itself deep into his pillow and Tsuna had cold sweat running down his back just thinking about what would have happened if he didn't get up in time.

"Good morning, Dame-Tsuna." The baby hitman set the weapon down. It shrunk and transformed into the green lizard thing then crawled up to rest on Reborn's hat.

Wait, that lizard transforms?

"Leon is not a lizard. He's a chameleon." As if sensing what Tsuna was thinking, Reborn landed a kick right on the teen's thigh that made him drop to the floor.

He groaned and rubbed the spot where Reborn had assaulted. "You can't wake me up like a normal human being?"

"I gave you a very traditional Vongola styled wake up call."

"You people are insane."

"It is good training for both the mind and the body."

"Like I said, I.N.S.A.N.E!" Tsuna felt the words seething through his teeth.

Even Toji-san had never tried to kill him in his sleep in the name of training. Somehow, he just knew this was going to be a normal occurrence so long as Reborn stayed.

Great. Just absolutely what he needed. Tsuna started wondering if he had cursed energy then maybe he could even make the hitman slip on a banana peel or something like that. The Inumaki clan's Kotodama [1] was sounding very tempting right now. A few words and he can make his wish come true.

Reborn didn't try to do much to him all through breakfast. He looked like he was a mere observer as he watched Tsuna get to school.

The Disciplinary Committee was checking up on the students this morning. A row of male students with perfect uniforms buttoned to the very top of their collars and gelled up airplane hair stood by the front gate. They wrote up people for not wearing their uniforms properly and started to count down to when the students coming in will be considered late.

Tsuna set foot on school grounds just as the largest of the airplane heads yelled out zero.

"Made it!" He let out a breath of relief. He wouldn't be facing the wrath of their school's demonic disciplinary leader today. Speaking of which, he didn't see the dark haired crownless ruler of Namimori middle school.

"Herbivore," a low voice came from behind him.

"H-H-Hibari-senpai!" Tsuna shrieked but then quickly covered his mouth because he remembered the stories of how Hibari had bitten some students to death because they were noisy.

The disciplinary leader's jacket fluttered with the wind as he walked. A red armband was around his left sleeve while two sleek black tonfas were in his hands. Grey eyes casted down on him, and there was a hint of displeasure and confusion within his cold stare.

He studied Tsuna, as if the boy had suddenly grown a second head.

"Hibari-senpai?"

Finally, Hibari let whatever was going on in his head go.

"Don't block the road." He moved past Tsuna. "Get going, class is about to start."

"Y-yes!"

Tsuna didn't need him to say that twice. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of Hibari's tonfas. No one was stupid enough to. But the moment he opened his classroom door, he instantly regretted it. Inside, Gokudera turned his head around and sent him murderous glares.

If looks could kill, Tsuna would probably be lying down flat already.

Yeah...this was going to be a problem. Tsuna decided that he was going to have a chat with the silver haired transfer student.

He didn't know what he had done to piss him off so bad and who knows? He might even get some information out of Gokudera if he really did come from a mafia background like Reborn said.

#

"Gokudera-san, can we please talk?" he asked the taller teen during lunch break. Tsuna saw surprise flashing across his classmate's face but in the end, Gokudera followed him behind the school building. There were a few trees and some bushes. Tsuna even spotted a hose that was probably left by the maintenance staff.

No one else was around, which made it the perfect opportunity to talk.

"Let's cut to the chase," Tsuna started as he took in a deep breath. He wasn't used to talking to people his age and the scary look on Gokudera's face really wasn't helping his confidence. "Since you've been glaring at me as if I had stolen your cat ever since you got here, I think I at least deserve to know what I did to piss you off so bad."

The teen in front of him was chewing on the end of his cigarette as his eyebrows knitted together. The corners of his lips sagged and he took his hands out of his pockets.

"If a twig like you becomes head of the tenth generation, the Vongolas are finished," he said with a dynamite in his hand.

Wait, dynamite?

Tsuna stared at the dynamite with his mouth hanging open. It was red, contained a fuse, and it definitely smelled like a real one.

Where in the flipping damn world did a teenager get his hands on dynamite?

"I won't accept you as boss. I have been watching you and you've shown absolutely no potential at all. School work, sports, even popularity...you don't have anything to show!" Gokudera suddenly raised his voice as his body language became more animated. "It's time for you to die."

He tossed the dynamites towards Tsuna. Tsuna hopped back with a surprised yelp but within a split second, the fuse on the dynamites was cut in half.

"Ciaossu!"

They both turned to find Reborn sitting by the window. The baby hitman had a green gun in his hand and it was still smoking slightly. It wasn't hard to figure out that he had stopped the dynamites from going off.

"You must be Reborn, the ninth's most trusted assassin." Gokudera clicked his tongue when he realized who the baby was. Still, his hands went behind his back and somehow, as if he had another dimension stuck in his pockets, he took out a number of dynamites. "What you said before is still good right? If I kill Sawada then I get to be the tenth."

"Absolutely," the hitman agreed to those terrifying threats with the most innocent and cheerful tone Tsuna has ever heard from him.

"Good, cause there's no way I will accept a spineless twig as boss." He turned to Tsuna and snarled. "I will defeat you and become the tenth myself."

Even though he was still holding dynamites in his hands, Tsuna walked up to him and smiled.

"You're absolutely right. I think Vongola will do well in your hands so please go right on ahead and become a great tenth."

"...What?"

"I know I am not cut out for the position. Hey Reborn," Tsuna called on purpose. He knew the baby was playing Gokudera and probably told the lad some very twisted lies. Still, he played along. "It looks like you've got a good candidate right here. I think you can pack up and get the hell out of my house now."

The corners of Reborn's mouth twitched, as if there was something he wanted to yell at Tsuna. In the end, he only warned, "You should focus on the enemy before you, Dame-Tsuna."

"That's right, Sawada." There was renewed fire in Gokudera's eyes. "Prepare to die!"

Then it started raining dynamites.

"Where in the world is he keeping all those dynamites?" Tsuna yelled at Reborn while dodging all the explosions. Smoke fogged his visions and the burnt scent clung to the inside of his nose.

He really hoped they wouldn't attract the attention of Hibari-senpai. Destroying school properties? The older teen would bite them into the hospital deathbed and back.

"It's a trades secret. They don't call him the Smokin'Bomb for nothing." Reborn's voice managed to ring through the countless explosions loud and clear. "Dodging and running won't solve your problems, Dame-Tsuna. You should fight him with a dying will."

"I don't think my dying wish will ever be to fight a walking fireworks factory!" If anything, he doesn't plan on dying right now. Megumi and Tsumiki were still too young.

Also, there was a big difference between when to bet your life on the line and when to cast it away like an abandoned chess piece.

"This is it!" Gokudera yelled as he cornered Tsuna. "Double bombs."

"Hieeee!" Tsuna ducked and grabbed the hose on the ground then turned on the water. The water put out all of the dynamites that had come his way and formed a beautiful rainbow as it reflected the sun's light.

"What?" There was shock in Gokudera's voice but he quickly recovered."Triple bombs then!"

More than a dozen bombs appeared in his hands, but maybe the teen miscalculated or maybe his perfect move wasn't completed yet, but one of the dynamites fell on the floor.

"Shit!" he cursed as the cigarette fell out of his mouth and shut his eyes, expecting the impact of explosives going off and his death.

Only, Tsuna aimed the still running hose right at him and splashed him with water.

"Whew, that was dangerous." He released the hose when he was sure all of the explosives were too wet to go off. Gokudera still stood in the middle of the useless dynamites and he was completely drenched from head to toe. Water dripped down his chin and Tsuna wasn't sure if he was going to be angry at him for making a fool out of him.

"You saved my life," the teen muttered in disbelief and his expression was dark.

Out of nowhere, Tsuna started to feel a chill running down his spine.

"Even though we are enemies, you still put aside that difference and saved my life." Gokudera went on his knees as he bowed his head to Tsuna. "I was wrong! You are fit to be boss!"

Tsuna felt like he should start running even though Gokudera didn't have any murderous intentions any more. "All I did was hose you down. If anything, you should be thanking the water."

"The loser serves the winner, that is how the mafia work." The silver haired teen got up and his expression changed completely. Now, he had a sheepish smile on. "I don't actually want to be the tenth. You are much more than I expected. Since you have saved me, I will put my life in your hands."

"I don't want any lives on my hands though! Please don't do—"

But he never got to finish his sentence.

"Nonsense! Tenth! I will follow you till the end of the earth!" Gokudera pledged.

Tsuna looked up to the sky, silently cursing at whatever supernatural powers up there that decided it would be entertaining to mess with his life. He lowered his head and he saw stars in Gokudera's eyes, then he found it hard to keep a straight face of refusal.

Reborn appeared beside them. "Good job, Tsuna. You got your first subordinate and family member."

Tsuna slapped a hand on his forehead.

Gods, the universe must really hate him for some reason.

#

Reborn didn't feel much joy even if his plan for Tsuna to obtain his storm guardian worked out in the end. Gokudera would be a great tempest. Originally Reborn thought the silver haired teen would be enough to at least kindle some kind of spark within Tsuna. But he was still running even when there was an explosive threat to his life.

There wasn't a fear for his life like any normal citizen would when they are confronted with dangerous weapons. Just like how he reacted to seeing a gun in Reborn's hand the first time, Tsuna was unimpressed. While he did question where Gokudera got his hands on them, he wasn't even one bit concerned over it.

That wasn't good news for Reborn.

If there was nothing to motivate Tsuna, not even a will for survival, he couldn't shoot the kid with a dying will bullet. The bullet's special effects only worked if the person had some kind or resolution or regret that they would be desperate to obtain. If not, the bullet would actually take Tsuna's life.

It wasn't a bet that Reborn was confident enough to make.

The teen was more detached than usual. There was a certain level of distrust in his eyes whenever Reborn was around. The hitman didn't know what had sparked that bizarre tension. While Tsuna wasn't exactly welcoming when they first met, the boy hadn't been so on guard.

Now, it was as if Reborn had stepped on his tail and Tsuna was acting all hissy and threatening.

It wasn't that Reborn didn't like this sharper side of Tsuna. A good mafia boss would be able to put his foot down and examine his opponents. A boss couldn't just be the good guy or the listener with a gentle smile.

But it was making his job at the moment a dozen folds harder.

Reborn went into the kitchen to find Nana chopping vegetables and a pot was cooking on the stove.

"Mama, do you know if there is anyone that goes by the name of Megumi?"

"Megumi?" Nana repeated in a questioning tone. The confusion on her face was real. "I don't think there's anyone with that name around this neighbourhood. Oh, but there is a Megu! She's Mrs. Hashida's emotional support dog."

"Really?" Reborn didn't think that was it. Unconscious or not, Tsuna didn't look like the type that would be mumbling the name of a dog in his sleep. Also, since it was a support dog for an old lady, it was probably docile enough that it never chased the poor teen down the streets. Which meant, there was no reason for Tsuna to be terrified of it enough that it haunted his dreams.

He then noticed that Nana was making a lot more food than usual.

"Why the feast today? Did something good happen?"

The woman smiled and it was a bright and gentle smile that belonged to a mother that cherished her son very much.

"Tsu-kun brought a friend back today! It's the first time he has done so in so many years! I was worried," she explained. "Although he was obsessed with Toji-san when he was little, Tsu-kun never had many friends. Too bad Gokudera-kun couldn't stay for dinner. "

"Who?" Reborn stopped everything he was doing and stared up at the unsuspecting housewife.

"An imaginary friend. Tsu-kun called him 'Toji-san'." Nana lifted her chin slightly and her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling as if she was trying to remember. "He liked him very much. I couldn't get him to stop talking about how fast and strong Toji-san was. Like a ninja or superman."

"Is that so? Did Tsuna ever describe what this Toji-san looked like?"

"I think he said Toji-san had black hair and wore plain colored kimonos. Oh that's right!" Her expression brightened. "He had a scar on his mouth."

The woman returned her attention to the boiling pot while Reborn tilted the rim of his hat lower. He didn't recognize the description and generally, it was too vague for him to go on. Nana said this Toji-san was an imaginary friend and it wasn't difficult to imagine that a friendless young Tsuna would try to come up with one on his own. A ninja or superman? Now that was an interestingly childish description.

Based on the reports, Tsuna had never left Namimori. There wasn't a pronounced martial artist or ancient clan living in the vicinity either so there was a high chance that it was just the child's foolish and wild imagination at work.

He will have to look into it later.

Right now, Reborn has something else planned. Tsuna was too much of a dead pond of water. There were no ripples or turbulence swaying his heart and that was causing a problem.

Tsuna was sheltered inside a world of his own and it is Reborn's job to run down that shell and drage the boy out, even if he will kick and scream all the way.

They will need to add a few more flavors and excitement to Tsuna's life. Something was sure to spark a flame inside the boy and Reborn has more than enough time to try every trick in the book if he must. Since Tsuna didn't have much of a social network, he might help him expand that. It would be good for him to bond with his future family members too. He needed connections. To real people with flesh and blood.

Reborn smirked.

He already had a candidate for the lightning guardian, it was probably time to bring him in.