A/N:

I'll be back in Wednesday, I think. HAHA.

Anyway, go on.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The arcobaleno stared at them. Colonnello and Skull have their jaws dropped while the others are just wide eyed. Reborn on the other hand is having a hard time relaxing an angry Tsuna.

Tsuna gave a side kick towards Reborn's head. The hitman dodged it, but unfortunately, he couldn't dodge the sky ball that hit him square on the stomach. He flew a feet away, clutching his stomach in one hand. Tsuna flew upwards with the use of his gloves and glared dangerously at Reborn.

Guardian or not; parent or not, no one is allowed to wake him up when he's sleeping, nor stop him from doing it when he's tired.

Reborn smirked as he stared at his student. And to think he could see a little glimpse of the feared Tsuna back in the days. He knew it was a bad idea stopping the brunet from sleeping when he got home. Even his instincts told him. But he just love messing up people.

Old habits just die really hard.

Diving, Tsuna went towards Reborn, readied his hands faced it towards the hitman and blasted a powerful flame then kicked the man's crossed arms causing him to fly backwards again, hitting the wall. Tsuna went out of his hyper dying will mode, glaring at Reborn's spot. The hitman emerged from the rubble, clearly unscathed with all the attacks. He even had the means to brush away dirt from his suit. Tsuna growled angrily before taking a stance. Reborn smirked at that.

"What? Too tired for hyper mode?" Reborn mocked.

"No. I figured I don't need to use it on you." Tsuna replied, tone clipped. "Let's get this over with. I am not staying up until dinner."

"No. You are going to eat."

"You stopped me from taking a nap, you bare the consequences."

Reborn tutted. "I don't know how come you learned so quickly in blackmailing. I haven't told you the guidelines, yet here you are."

"Can we go to less talking, and more brawling so we can get this over with?"

Reborn smirked. "Growing some backbone, I see."

Tsuna sighed as he stood up properly, but still slouching from fatigue. "I already have a backbone, Reborn. I won't be standing straight if I don't have one."

"Burn." Colonnello said, pissing off the hitman.

Reborn took his gun and pointed it on the ground then pulled the trigger. "Chaos shot."

Colonnello dodged the bullet that came from the ground. "Kora! You idiot!"

"Don't go putting your idiocy on me, Stupid!"

Tsuna sighed. Eyes already blurry. He went for the arcobaleno's spot and was about to step in the house when he felt himself falling. He closed his eyes and exhaled as he hit the ground. He curled up in a fetus position and breathed in. Finally, he was able to sleep.

Verde shook his head before kneeling in front of the brunet. He took him in his arms and left the group where Reborn and Colonnello are fighting.

He looked at the kid in his arms. He's curled up against the scientist. He smiled at the sight. He once held him like this. It was after he argued to his fellow scientist and tried to take out the child from the hellhole. He did it when he was transporting him to his room after the interviews. He really thought the whole thing was an experiment to improve children's mentality. When he gave up and thought Tsuna was in good hands, the news came crushing on him that Estrano Famiglia was doing inhumane experimentation. When he tried to search for a certain brunet, it was already too late.

He was famed as the greatest scientist, yet he failed to see what Estrano was really doing.

Verde opened the bedroom door. He walked towards the bed and placed Tsuna there. He crouch down to see the teen's peaceful face. He concluded that Tsuna became like this because of lack of sleep in his experimented days. He knew it after Reborn told him everything Tsuna told the hitman. He believes the man for he never lie, except if it's for a good cause.

When Mammon contacted him and told him that Tsuna is alive and if he's not busy, he can come and visit the brunet whenever he wants to. He didn't need to think twice. He finished up his last things before leaving his lab to meet the brunet. Of course, he sought help from his fellow arcobaleno to approach his long time acquaintance. Knowing the famous hitman is his tutor, and his 'parental guardian' according to Fon, he knew Reborn will throw a fit.

Boy was he right. He almost died. Good thing Tsuna went in the moment he heard the gunshot. And damn, he was so happy that the child is well.

"I'm sorry, Tsunayoshi."

"I won't want Tsuna to hear that if I were you." Verde snapped his head towards the hitman leaning on the doorjamb. "He doesn't like it when the people he likes apologizes for things they didn't do."

Verde pushed his spectacles up. "Likes?"

"Tsuna said he really likes you and that Ninomiya. Though the latter was really despicable and if Tsuna will allow me to torture the man when I meet him, I'll surely do it. But well, he likes you because you didn't participate in the experimentation."

"He still remembers me despite all those sufferings."

"Tsuna is not a dame, you know." Reborn replied. "You can teach him science stuffs, and he'll give you some ridiculous ideas."

"Right. Like what you did awhile ago."

Reborn smirked. "It's quite refreshing whenever I tease Tsuna. He usually shrug it off or go with it."

"Won't be surprised if that's his attitude."

"Huh. Enlighten me."

"Well, Tsunayoshi is pretty obedient. If my theory is right, he did every instructions those doctors told him to avoid further pain. So whenever you do things, he just go with it. Though there is a lot of option, he just thinks he needs to follow everything."

Reborn stared at Tsuna. "I need to change that."

"He tells you everything, don't he?" Reborn nodded. "That's good. He needs to be honest to himself to avoid anything that may give him negative thoughts."

"He gets nightmares though."

"Just comfort him when he does." Verde said before looking at Tsuna again. "You're lucky with this kid, Reborn."

Reborn smirked. "It's the other way around, Verde."

Fon narrowed his eyes at the boys in front of him. He held Tsuna's shoulders, already realizing that this scene is like a de javu. The only difference is Reborn is rubbing the brunet's hair so he won't feel uncomfortable.

He knew Reborn wants to beat them up. Hell, maybe kill them too. The moment they heard the familiar footsteps of the brunet, running towards them and bumping into them, they knew something was up. With the panic and fear visible in the child's expression, yup. They are super pissed.

"You're hurt." Reborn said coldly.

Tsuna shook his head. "I'm not."

Reborn raised a brow. "You're lying to me?"

The brunet sighed before looking away.

"I thought I told you to stop bullying my brother?" Fon asked as he lets go of Tsuna. "Haven't I told you that you'll face some consequences?"

"F-Fon-nii-"

"Won't want to try and stop a storm, Tsuna." Reborn advised. "He's just gonna scare them."

Fon punched the wall beside him. It cracked and left a crater on it. "One more, and you'll be like this wall beside me."

Without a single word, all of Tsuna's bullies ran away. Tsuna sighed as his shoulder slumped and his knees gave up. Good thing Reborn caught him before he could kneel. Fon worriedly looked at the weakened child. Sensing the worry towards him, Tsuna looked back to Fon and smiled.

"I'm okay, Fon. Just tired from running." Tsuna assured. Reborn scoffed. "Hey. It's the truth."

"What? I didn't say anything."

"You implied it."

Fon chuckled. "Who do you want to carry you, Tsuna?"

"Eh? I can still walk."

"Shut up." Reborn chided as he turned around and forced the kid to a piggyback. "You don't have to do things on your own, Tsuna. You know that." Then he hoist him up, adjusting.

"I know." Tsuna whispered as he hugged Reborn. "I just don't want anyone to worry."

"Right." Reborn sarcastically responded. "And pigs fly."

"Really?"

Fon laughed when Reborn looked at Tsuna with exasperation. The brunet feigned an innocent look before laughing and hugging Reborn by the neck. Clearly, Fon can mistake the two as father and son. If only it was true.

The three went home. Tsuna was already asleep. Grumbling about weights and sleepyhead, Reborn went for the teen's room. The storm arcobaleno just smiled at the children who were looking at him with curiosity.

"What happened to Tsuna-nii?" Fuuta asked.

"He was being bullied." Fon answered.

Then things started to float around Fuuta, making the other occupants surprised. "Tsuna-nii ranked one out of one thousand people who get bullied here in Namimori." Then he went back to normal. "Need to write that down."

"Tsuna-nii is okay right, Master?" Ipin asked.

"He's okay, Ipin. No need to worry."

"Will Reborn throw Lambo-sama out if he went to see nii-san?" Lambo asked rhetorically before smiling as he pulled himself up and darting towards the stairs. "Who cares. What Lambo-sama wants, Lambo-sama gets!"

"Lambo!" Ipin called out.

Fuuta took Ipin and patted her head. "No need to worry, Ipin. Lambo is much more sensitive towards Tsuna-nii."

Fon looked at him. "How you say so?"

"Well when we forgotten Tsuna-nii, Lambo kept on mumbling 'Nii-san' and 'Tuna' on our first week. Every night, he always dreamed of Tsuna-nii. Then a week before he found nii-san, he cried. We couldn't understand him, until one day he went missing and then in the evening, Tsuna-nii called the Vongola mansion and told them that he has Lambo."

"I see. So the lightning guardian is attached to Tsunayoshi." Verde murmured.

"Tsuna saved Lambo from being experimented by his own family." Reborn said as he descended the stairs. "He's also the reason why Lambo is here now. And Tsuna plans to make Lambo inherit the Bovino Famiglia once he become the Decimo, by force or not."

"You're corrupting, Tsuna." Skull said before hiding behind Fon.

Reborn smirked as he leaned on the railings. "No. Tsuna told me those things before I can even teach him anything."

"Tsunayoshi is intelligent, Reborn. You don't need to teach him. He just need to see how you do it and he'll learn." Lal said with a shrug.

"And to think he blackmailed and bribed the world's greatest hitman! Kora!" Colonnello said before laughing.

"Shut up. It a proof that I have a good student." Reborn replied.

"Reborn." Fon called. "What are you going to do to the Estrano?"

The room became silent.

"I told Nono about it." Reborn responded.

"You did what?!" Lal asked. "Don't you know how will that news affect him?!"

"Tsuna doesn't keep it a secret, Lal. He's practically an open book. You just need to ask him what he has in his mind, and he'll tell you. Regarding the Ninth, he told me it's alright to tell him because he needs to know. He's a family, according to Tsuna. Besides, it is Tsuna's decision. I'm just a tutor."

"And a father figure." Mammon added as she materialized on the second floor. "Ninth asked Boss too. Boss told him what he knew. Right now, Ninth is trying to finish every paper work he has so he can see his grandson."

Reborn disregarded the 'father figure' comment. "But the decision is still up to Tsuna. He wants to destroy their bases first before hunting every single doctor who experimented them and killed his fellows."

"Why do I have this feeling that Tsuna is far scarier than Reborn, Kora?" Colonnello muttered, earning a smirk from the hitman.

"If I'm a spawn, then Tsuna is the devil himself."

Feeling the breeze, Tsuna closed his eyes and smiled at the sky. He hasn't been out for awhile. Always in a routine. Never been hardheaded in terms of Reborn's wishes. No. He doesn't feel obligated. He just wanted to do them for he knew they're for his safety.

He opened his eyes and looked down. His legs are dangling by the ledge of the school rooftop. A daring stunt, but quite relaxing too. He hadn't done this for a long time. He used to do this before he came to Japan.

When he stayed in Italy, he wasn't one of those who were fortunate to live peacefully after he destroyed the Estrano base. He did take care of Lambo in the Bovino mansion, but it was possible because he killed a lot of their men after getting the information that they were experimenting the kid. Due to fear, they made him stay in one of the rooms and let him eat in the dining area with Lambo. It was one of those times that Tsuna didn't care how people looked at him.

After bidding farewell to Lambo, he tried to find a way to kill himself. Remembering those times, he can only cringe in his antics. Sometimes, he will just hang around, and watch people from the roof of the buildings. And then he let the Vindice take him to their prison. Yes. He was imprisoned, but the cell didn't stop him from committing various suicide attempts. It's the very reason why Bermuda kept him in the water prison. He was being suicidal that it became an alert for the Vindice.

When he got out, disoriented and unstable due to the movie-like theme nightmare he had for seven months, he came upon the Varia and attacked them. He just wanted to die at that time. He really thought they were going to kill him, but he was wrong. They were kind enough to give him shelter and food. He and Xanxus even had a fight in that one time the latter tried to scold him. When he learned that the boss of the squad is his uncle, he vowed to keep him safe as long as he's there.

Fortunately, he did keep his vow. The moment a famiglia attacked the Varia mansion, he defended his uncle. There was no one there except for him and Xanxus. All Varia members went for some mission they were tasked to do. He can't let Xanxus die. No more family members to die. After defeating them all out of rage, he felt a sense of completion. A sense of undeniable satisfaction. Relief.

Then he realized, he's not that innocent anymore.

Tsuna gave a small exhale. Remembering those times, he doesn't know if he has to laugh or cringe at those memories. He can't even judge if what he did back then was acts of stupidity or just something out of his mind... He sighed again.

"Tsuna?" The said teen looked back to his caller. "What are you doing there?" Takeshi asked curiously.

"Hanging." Tsuna simply answered. "Literally."

Both of them laughed.

"Come here, Takeshi." The brunet invited.

"I'll pass." The baseball star said with a small smile.

Tsuna smiled. "Come on. I'm not gonna abandon you or something. I'm here, Takeshi. If you fall, we'll both fall."

Reluctantly, Takeshi went over to him. He went across the railings to the ledge and sat beside Tsuna who smiled at him. The latter bumped his shoulder to the former and took hold of his shirt. The baseball star felt relief wash over his body with the assurance that someone is holding him.

"You're so tense, Takeshi." Tsuna commented as he looked down. "Look down. Face your fears."

"But-"

"I'm here, Takeshi. No need to be scared." The sky said with a soft, light voice.

"I can't." Takeshi refused.

"Hmm..." Tsuna hummed as he thinks. "Okay. Close your eyes first." Takeshi did what he said. "Imagine your up in the sky. And you see people on the land, crying. What will you do?"

"Sympathize with them." Takeshi's automatic answer with sincerity. "I want to assure them that everything will be alright."

Tsuna smiled. "Like a rain, don't be afraid of falling. Cause eventually, as you wash away the pain and struggles of others, we will be there to catch you too."

Takeshi opened his eyes and looked down as he exhaled a breath. "Hey. I see Hayato."

Tsuna looked at what his friend is saying. "True."

"Hayato!" Takeshi shouted. "Hayato! Yo!"

The silveret looked at them. The sky and rain waved at the storm. Hayato's eyes widened as he grasped what he was seeing. He knew Takeshi gained acrophobia, a fear of heights, after that near experience they had in the rooftop. And to see him sitting on the ledge with no railings that is under renovation, he can't help getting worried.

Yes. He always argue with him, and call him names. Even taunt and mock him. But he is still his brother in terms of elements. He knew something was wrong the moment he saw Takeshi's smile faltered when they were going to the rooftop days after the failed suicidal attempt. The tension of his body and how he avoids looking at the railings at most time. Even when he's near the window, he won't look down or even gaze outside. It was clear that he became scared.

"What the hell are you doing there you baseball freak?!" He shouted despite the difference in distance.

"Tsuna invited me!" Takeshi answered with a laugh accompanying it.

Hayato stared at them until he saw the fist hold of his Juudaime on Takeshi's uniform. For some reason, he felt relief rain on him. He huffed and continued to walk towards their building. But he sported a small smile.

'Juudaime is really amazing.' He thought.

Kyouya stared at the brunet laying on the rooftop's ground. The omnivore is emitting a gloomy aura under the rays of the sun. It's as if he's not... Well.

He clenched his fists. What happened?

Wait. Why is he worried of him? It's not like they have a strong bond nor have any connection to share. He's just an omnivore. A dangerous carnivore who acts like a herbivore. He saved the carnivore, and he already paid it. That's that.

But why is he feeling guilty as he thought like that? When he thinks that he didn't protect him properly and even forgot him for two months, rendering him defenseless against those scientist who wants to take him and kill him.

"Kyouya?" His head snapped towards the brunet's direction. "You're pissed. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kyouya answered, eyes averted from the omnivore.

Tsuna pouted. "Oh come on. I can keep a secret."

"Tsk."

Tsuna smiled. "The sun is quite warm today. But there's still some clouds." Then he looked up the sky. "Thank you for always worrying about me, Kyouya. Always go on out and never let anyone bind nor chain you."

"Hn."

Tsuna closed his eyes and sighed. "Now this is rest."

"Omnivore."

"Hmm?"

"Are you going away?"

Tsuna hummed. "Maybe. I don't really know. I just want to put some things in order before things come down after the calm."

Kyouya's eyes narrowed as the gazed at Tsuna. No. He won't let anyone take him. He won't let anyone take his sky from him.

"What's wrong, Tsuna?" Reborn asked.

Tsuna looked at him before returning his eyes to the bodies resting on him. "Nothing, Reborn."

"It's unusual for you to be this quiet."

Tsuna raised his brows. "Ain't I always silent?"

"You are. But this kind of silence from you is bothering."

Tsuna smiled. It appeared pained in the hitman's eyes. "I just have this feeling that I'm going somewhere far away from here."

"Since when?"

"Since the day Bianchi remembered. She was the last one to remember me."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't really know why. My mouth just keep on shutting up whenever I attempt to tell you." Tsuna sighed in content as he brushed Ryohei's hair with his hand. "I know things are bound to happen anytime soon. So no need to feel bad."

"Then what do you want us to do, Tsuna?"

"Wait for me to return in two months. If I fail to do so, search for me."

"Where?" Reborn whispered. Almost inaudible.

Tsuna stared at the man before smiling. "To the most unexpected places you can think of. Don't worry. Many mind is better than one, right?"

"But that doesn't mean they can come up with a good suggestion."

Tsuna chuckled. "It doesn't matter if the suggestion are good or bad. As long as it's unusual and very not possible, you go for it."

"You're unbelievable."

"It's mafia. Expect the unexpected."

Reborn grinned. "True."

The next morning, Reborn did expect the unexpected. Tsuna was nowhere to be find.