Tsuna starts using that Intuition of his :3

DISCLAIMER: I don't own KHR's characters or plot, only the idea of this story and the actual writing (took me months, ya know!).

BoyishBlue: It's coming :) Well, they deserved a bit of time together xD And they were in Italy! Better enjoy it! Here it is :) Thank you!

Lunary: Thank you! Uhm, nope, it's a total of 33 chapters :3

Thank you, everyone!

DICTIONARY (because I use romanized Japanese vocabulary a lot):

Yakuza: Japanese Syndicate;

Oyabun: bosses of smaller parts of Yakuza;

Gumi: turfs in which Japan is split, each led by an Oyabun;

Kumicho: Boss of Yakuza;

Saiko-komon: senior advisor of the Kumicho;

So-honbucho: headquarters' chief;

Ryuukaze: Dragon, Wind;

Ryuuken: Dragon, Sword;

Ryuunoiki: Breath of Dragon;

Kyodai: big brothers of the Yakuza, higher-placed than the Shatei;

Shatei: little brothers of the Yakuza, basically the new recruits;

Sageo: hanging cord of the sword;

Tsuka: handle of the sword.

Sudarynya: archaic Russian honorific for Madam.

WARNINGS (read if you want some spoilers):

- pranks;

- Intuition;

- discoveries;

- plans;

- meeting;

- memory;

- dinner;

- wound;

- reassurance.

Words: 4358.

Enjoy!

30 – Politics

Tsuna wasn't surprised when the detective did start dropping by, even if shortly. He was amused, however, at how fast Byakuran decided to prank him. This new habit had started slow, the child didn't know how far he could push with his fantasy, but when the brunet didn't bat an eye at the messes, the young Sky could be often seen skipping around the mansion with a blinding smile on his face and several angered Yakuza members hot on his tail. He knew they weren't truly angry, they were liking the change of atmosphere around the house as much as Tsuna himself. Byakuran was most probably doing it on purpose, catching on the brunet's saddened mood at Reborn's absence.

The child liked to dye things in obnoxious colours, though no one had any idea where or how he actually managed to put his hands on the necessary materials. He also loved to frame others for his deeds just to enjoy the brawls that followed, only to then stop them by dropping an innocent sentence that rightly put the blame on the kid. It was an endearing show that, apparently, amused even tantei-san. He caught the blond hiding a smirk when Nara found his favourite pillow had been turned yellow with violet pois. However, Tsuna had saved the child, because an angered Nara is not funny and he still wanted Byakuran safe. The saying that went for dogs that bark fitted his brother to a T.

As days passed, he received reports from Fon, Skull and Colonello and told them to come back. He would send them to take care of the south, but only after their rooms were rightly planned. Fon had tried to say something, but a look from Tsuna had silenced the smiling man. He was surprised, just minutes later, when the Storm called him Tsunayoshi. The others were just plainly shocked, but the brunet smiled back at him and told him there was no need to thank him for so little. Apparently, they didn't consider giving them a home as nothing worth mentioning. Go figure.

However, he had to allow Colonnello to go without his room ready, because he preferred the first floor. Fon settled on the ground floor, taking a portion of the garden for his training, asking for it to be styled as Japanese. He liked the peacefulness the style gave off and the addition of bamboo with a small hammock for Lichi was going to compliment the environment greatly. Skull, instead, wanted an outside pool and an inside aquarium for Oodako, just like Viper had later asked for a case to host Fantasma in. Tsuna had sent Atsushi to Tokyo to have a professional help about good animal environments, the same person that had advised him about his Garden.

Ryuunoiki brushed one hand on Ryuuken's handle, eyeing the report he had written down on the computer about Russia's current situation. Even if it was a summary, it was too long for his liking. There needed to be cuts here and there, but, in order to simplify things, he had to discover more.

He leaned forward in his armchair and reread the report again. He was trying to garner more thanks to his Intuition guiding him through options and hypothesis' that set it off and, so far, he had noted down more than Viper had been able to find out.

Sukhoruk had had many children before dying because of cancer, too many cigarettes – and that hit home, Tsuna needed to thank Nara sooner than later. Four daughters and three sons, all killed ten years prior but Sobolevskaya thanks to pure luck. She'd left the room that had been filled with deadly gas only because of a cat passing by the garden. Afterwards, the funerals had signed the beginning of Sukhoruk's slow descent into depression. His wife had also been killed and he never truly overcame his pain. He'd died while his daughter was the Boss all but in name, much like Ryuunoiki.

This was, in brief, the story behind Sobolevskaya's rise to power. But Tsuna, as strange as it could seem, couldn't stop thinking that the files Viper had given him were linked to her. Not simply by a contract, no, something more was behind it. He opened a drawer to pick them up. Meanwhile, he checked his Intuition still agreed with what he'd thought about till then.

The Russian heirs' assassin had been caught. Whoever they were, they were not alive anymore. However, they were not the man that had been shown as the culprit to the world. Better yet, he'd only been a tool, used both by the true mandator and by Sukhoruk… to hide the truth. Whatever would he have wanted to hide, though? Why hide the perpetrator? There was a story and, from his mild experience with Oyabuns trying to hide their affairs, it had to do with lovers and children born out of wed-lock.

He put the two papers on the desk, at the keyboard's sides, and settled to keep writing while studying them and the report at the same time. Zhukova Natalya and Lyapin Petr, both blond, both with grey eyes. What were the chances these two were related? High. What relationship… Siblings? Yes. What if they did not appear out of nowhere? They had not. Had they a purpose in being part of Russian Mafia? Yes, his Intuition hissed, pain blooming slowly in the back of his head.

He stopped writing and leaned back in his chair, considering. Siblings that showed the same grey eyes of Sobolevskaya? Tsuna took the three photos he had requested of Viper and mentally thanked how high their quality was. Exactly the same eyes.

Were they related to Sobolevskaya?

Yes, it seethed.

Shit. He was right. Children born out of wed-lock, but then… Wait.

A somewhat distant memory resurfaced, of his grandfather sitting in front of him and commenting sarcastically how Russian Bosses historically weren't able to be faithful in their marriages… and how the concubines usually taught them, time and time again, that women are not to trifle with. His Intuition purred in contentment and satisfaction.

Sukhoruk'd had a lover. He also had two more children born from that relationship… maybe more? No. At some point – Tsuna moved back to the keyboard – his lover must have been overwhelmed by jealousy or something similar and planned the assassination. How old had the siblings been? Where had they disappeared to when their mother had been discovered guilty? They had come back, they had started to get near Sobolevskaya, probably to demand revenge, meaning they had been forcefully estranged…

He'd heard stories about how Russians dealt with unwanted people they had no interest in killing. They had copied from the Germans, setting up concentration camps lost in the northernmost part of Siberia. They liked to hold powerful against enemies, make them feel useless and pitiful. Main reason why Sobolevskaya didn't like Tsuna, he just wouldn't bow down to her prowess. Truth be told, he knew perfectly well Russia wasn't as strong as Japan, underground world speaking.

He fished the reports that had come from Fon, Colonnello and Skull, hooking his left index in front of his mouth in a thoughtful manner. According to his brothers, the three spies were good, meaning they knew what they were doing and would have been able to be overlooked if Yakuza had not been so tight-knitted with his members. With how Tsuna had built his family – taking up strays from the road and letting the old ones enjoy their deserved retirement –, there was no brother of his that didn't know at least five more of their organization. There were no lone wolves, Nara aside, but even he liked to talk with Atsushi and play chess with Kudo.

Skull, more sensible to the topic, had also noticed many scars on his target and had asked the others to check themselves, just in case. Case had wanted all three had had many scattered on their skins. It was peculiar and fed a certain theory in Tsuna's mind. What if these spies had been promised to be released from the camps if they went undercover in Japan? His Intuition thrummed, but gave a pang of pain. He was a bit off the truth. Something more was hidden. But what? He had no idea.

The brunet tapped the information on the three spies on his computer and put the papers aside, looking back at the files about the two siblings. Were they from a concentration camp? Yes, it hissed. Had they been freed? No. Had they escaped? Yes. Together? No. Well, that was even more interesting. Who escaped first? Zhukova? Yes.

Tsuna hummed. He wondered if someone still knew of the siblings' existence and their relation to Sukhoruk. If that was the case, one of them escaping would get the other punished. He wanted to know more but he couldn't without asking them directly. He put the topic off for the moment, just noting down the doubt in his report, that had reached four pages worth of writing. Too long.

He let go of the keyboard and leaned back in his chair, whipping it around towards the open window to absently look at Zaleria playing with Aniryuu. He interlaced his hands' fingers on his lap, elbows on the armrests. To be honest, he was worried about some things. He wasn't sure how to go about them, but he'd been going in circles the entire day and he knew he needed a second point of view.

He was sure, however, that he didn't need another kingdom to rule over. The balance was already thin as things were. Yakuza was, in his humble opinion, the most powerful on the plate with Vongola following suit. He'd heard from Nara that there were many good and promising rumours thanks to Ienari's hand sinking into the inky world of Mafia. Europe overall was a sleeping dog that loved barking and stayed put if told to, nothing to worry about if one knew how to tame it. Tsuna did. Americans were satisfied as long as their interests were left untouched and the brunet had none whatsoever over there. Australians were laying low and didn't prove to be a threat anymore, though he would keep being careful. India was so small it was almost overlooked by others.

Tsuna turned towards the desk again and printed the report after a quick, final check. He stood to gather the papers and clip them together just as a knock came. Nara entered without waiting for permission and accepted the offered papers, eyes skating over the words. The brunet only then noticed the two beasts had left somewhen during his musings. He sat down on the couch, legs crossed, hands on his thighs. His brother followed suit in front of him.

"This is different from Viper's report, your Intuition?"

"Most of what is written there comes from deductions and Intuition acting crazy, yes."

Nara read the last page and dropped them on the low table. "What do you want from this war, Ryuunoiki?"

"As contradictory as it may sound, peace. Maybe a deal or two."

"So, you don't want Russia." Tsuna shook his head. "But it can't be left unattended to and, surely, Sobolevskaya won't be useful anymore, afterwards." At that, he nodded, while Nara flipped the pages to the third and pointed at Zhukova's name. "Then, what about appointing one that we can control or ally with?"

Risky. Very. "To do that, we would need leverage."

"A big one," his finger moved to Lyapin's name, "just like this one."

"We don't know for sure they work together."

"Your Intuition?"

"… they do. What about the timing?"

Nara shrugged, leaning back in the couch. "I'd say we stick with the plan, keep an eye on the spies, see if they can be corrupted, too. Then, we can kidnap him thanks to Viper with no one the wiser."

Tsuna tapped his right index on his thigh. "I don't think having a vassal state would benefit us in the long run. An alliance, on the other hand, might prove very useful in the chessboard. In order to achieve that, though, we need loyalty and trust. Even if we kidnap Lyapin… No, we must stage a rescue." He reached for the papers and turned a page back. "The Russians are suspicious about his frequent escapades. We can further make them so by having him in the wrong places at the wrong times, make them think he is on our side. They've sent us spies, they think we're doing the same and you know they're not smart enough to think about using them against us. As soon as they try to kill him, we save him."

"When?" Nara asked, picking a pen from an inner pocket of his jacket and noting down their plan.

"As you suggested, after having our eyes on all the spies."

"Then, what about staging occasions for them to climb up the ranks?" Tsuna signed for him to go on. "If they come from the concentration camps as you think they do, they must be very angered at Russians. We can procure them opportunities to shine in our eyes, staging Russians' attempts at our goods maybe and including our true brothers in this, too. This way, they won't be suspicious, if they're smart enough to think something stinks."

He nodded. "Can you take care of that?"

"Leave it to me." Nara kept writing, turning the pages to the back at some point. "The detective is on his way, Kudo also told me the Minister is setting to leave his house to reach for the hotel."

"Good. As soon as tantei-san arrives, we leave. Who wants to come with us?"

"Viper said he wants to test some illusions. Your comment about using them during meetings set him off. Kagami wanted to know if Byakuran has to tag along."

"Where is he?"

"Sleeping, afternoon nap," he answered, longing and envy in his voice.

"Let him be, this once. I just hope we'll find the house still standing when we return."

"Fat chances…."

Tsuna chuckled. His brother was still feeling vengeful for the episode with his pillow.

"So, dinner?"

Nara sighed, face-palming. "Ryuunoiki…"

"Yes?"

"He's shocked, can we just…?"

Tsuna nodded with a small smile. "Lead him to the car, calm him down. Viper will come with me."

His brother nodded and did as told, softly grabbing the detective's arms and pushing him out of the hotel. It had gone slightly off plan with the illusions taking care of the whole meeting, but he wasn't going to complain. He'd wanted to scare the Minister – that had proved to be much worse in person than expected, he'd tried to strike a deal with Tsuna – like he usually did, maybe use his rumour about his demon eyes, but, thanks to the Mist Flames, it had been so much easier.

"What exactly did you show them?" He looked at Viper as they reached for their car. "I couldn't see it."

The man scratched his cheek, "I tried to hide it from the detective, but his Flames are barely enough for him to understand it's not real thanks to my effort."

"It doesn't matter, I'm thankful it didn't last too long. I might have decided not to spare his life…"

Viper cleared his throat. "Anyway, I just… started from the golden-eyed demon and your… and from your tattoo. I merged them and made a blue and black dragon with golden eyes lurk in the shadows of the room and back you up at the right times… For dramatics."

"Do you like arts?"

Viper almost stopped in his trail, surprised, "I… maybe? Why the question?"

"Because I can guess that conjuring a dragon out of nothing must require a certain knack for fantasy and arts. I'm not good at that." Tsuna let the man open the door of the car for them both and it soon departed. "I've never been able to observe true art, it goes over my head, but I guess I like nature and the dragon painted on my back." A thought hit him, "speaking of which, how do you know about its colours? I don't remember showing you."

The Mist nodded at his side. "Partly from memories of the future, when Decimo made the Flame lion riot the first time he tried using his Box Weapon… and partly from well-paid information I found around." He took the mini-computer he always had on his persona and flipped it open. "There were people that thought of you as very beautiful at your Inheritance Ceremony." He turned it to Tsuna, that blinked at the photo of his pledge. "This happened."

It had been taken from afar in the room but it was so high-quality that he could recognize the twirls and curls of his dragon's body. It was the moment in which Ryuukaze was cutting his palms with Ryuuken. His back was bar of the half-jacket of his ceremonial kimono, that he hadn't seen in years. The photo also held some more people of the audience and Tsuna had to gather the computer in his arms to better look at them, immediately locating Reborn and… and his awe-struck face.

Oh dear.

Had he just seen the moment his lover decided to pursue him?

"Yes, uh… I admit I was surprised by that, too." Viper embarrassedly brushed his hands together. "It was my first hint that… Well." He shrugged.

The brunet nodded, observing the picture some more. "Can this be printed? Smaller, maybe." He had an idea or two where to keep it.

"Yes, I'll do it as soon as we're back."

"Thank you," Tsuna gave him the computer, that was immediately shut off. "Returning to our previous topic, if you like arts, have you ever considered painting or sculpting?"

Viper swallowed, turning away. "I used to… long time ago… Painting, I mean. But I… I just… dropped it."

Ryuunoiki decided to not push and just hummed. "Fon and Skull have a wide portion of the garden, but there's still a small zone free, with a porch. I think it would be a good spot for an easel. There's good view of the forest, the beasts might pass by, the breeze is nice." The car stopped and he opened his door, looking at the Mist with a smile. "That is, if you want it."

Tsuna got off, eyeing the other car that was parking just after theirs. Nara and the detective climbed out and he walked up to the gate, directing his steps to a dining room. He'd not touched a bite of the restaurant's food and was quite famished. A brother nodded at his order about dinner being brought to the room for four people and he patted Zaleria's head when she peaked through the window he was opening to let fresh air inside.

He sat down as the jaguar settled her head on his lap to be petted. Viper, that had followed him there, excused himself just when Nara came and made the detective sit down. The blond seemed to be feeling better, he was not pale anymore, though it was strange to see the man let himself be manhandled. Tsuna nodded to his brother, that sat down with them and sighed, looking utterly exhausted.

"I'm going to edit Kacchan's sentence: never a dull moment with your plans, Ryuunoiki." There was a whip of Mist Flames and Tsuna chuckled.

"I had no idea it would end so fast. Neither that he would beg to be left alive by turning himself in. That was all thanks to Viper." He ignored his brother's scoff and turned his attention on the detective. "How are you, tantei-san?"

"… spooked."

The brunet tilted his head, considering. "I apologize, illusions are hard to direct towards a lone target, how was the dragon?"

He pursed his lips, "terrifying."

Tsuna held back a chuckle. "I guess dragons are," he nodded at the maid bringing them dinner. "Did it truly resemble mine, brother?"

"It did, I almost fell for it. Viper is very talented."

"Is he teaching you?"

Nara scoffed. "He's Nazi."

"That's for sure, but he's doing it for free so you better not complain." Verde came and sat down with them, "good evening."

"I have money if that stops him from interrupting my naps."

"But he is the one managing them, right?"

Nara scowled, gulping down a chug of sake. "That's cheating."

"Does that mean you won't spend money on pillows and couches anymore?"

Tsuna chuckled, raising his cup to the blond. "Unless strictly necessary. Viper doesn't like wasting money."

"It's not wasted if I am well rested afterwards."

"You could sleep on the asphalt and still be well-rested."

Verde scoffed. "I second that."

"Where's the camaraderie gone?"

The scientist gave him an unimpressed stare, "I found you waking up on the incomplete roof of the new building yesterday and you said, I quote, you'd never slept better."

Tantei-san couldn't hold it back anymore and burst out laughing, making Nara blush minutely and smile at the same time. Verde managed to smirk down at their brother, finishing his meal just as the brunet bit his last bite. He used the napkin and cleared his throat, atmosphere tuning sober, to catch the blond's attention.

"I hope the outcome of today has pleased you, tantei-san. Let me know when and how the Minister turns himself in, it's important he accepts all the accusations." Tsuna stood, Zaleria following him to the window to get to the garden and Verde doing the same. "And remember," the brunet turned to smile at the tension of the detective, that probably expected their small deal to be talked about, "you're welcome here, be your visit job-related or not."

He enjoyed the shock on the scarred face for a moment before leaving with a quick goodnight thrown at them. He took a small detour, deciding to go the other way around the house, something was bugging the back of his head. Thinking about it, the house was still standing but he'd seen nothing of a certain child and his wolf pup.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, turning right instead of left. He felt Verde's confusion in his crackling Flames but just walked forward, catching a muffled sound and a more definite, but distant, wail. He quickened his pace, stopping short of a bush he knew from experience hid a nice spot he'd liked to use to escape from training, when he was younger and still undisciplined. He kneeled and parted the branches, looking down at the huddled from of Byakuran clutching Aniryuu to his chest, sobbing into his fur. Smell of iron, blood, hit his nose.

The brunet coaxed the child in his arms and quickly brought him to his office. Verde probably caught on what was going on and disappeared a moment before returning with a first aid kit. Tsuna put Byakuran on the couch and pried his arms open to better look at the pup. There was a wound on his left front paw and a thorn stuck in it. Aniryuu looked at him in pain and the brunet brushed one hand over the pup's head and snout while Zaleria put her head near his, comforting.

"Byakuran?"

The kid flinched, eyes red-rimmed, tears still flowing down his cheeks. Tsuna caressed them away, making the child look up at him. He smiled.

"It's just a small cut, there's no need to cry. Anyryuu will be fine. Are you wounded, somewhere?"

The young Sky weakly shook his head once. "I'm sorry…"

"These things happen, there's no need to apologize."

"I promised to take care of him…"

Verde took a pair of pliers and kneeled near Tsuna, softly taking the wounded paw in his hand. "And you did, Byakuran, but you can't always protect him. He needs to learn, too." The thorn was taken out, Aniryuu wailed, trying to lick the wound. "You'll see, next time he will be more careful." Byakuran blinked up at him, hopeful, sniffing. "But now," Verde quickly disinfected and dressed it, "you have to make sure he behaves and lets his wound heal, right?" The child nodded, holding on the pup tightly. "Why haven't you searched for help?"

"… I was scared…"

Tsuna caressed his cheek, humid but with no more tears. "But was it more important than taking care of Aniryuu's wound?"

Byakuran blushed. "I'm sorry."

He ruffled his hair. "You're forgiven, as long as you remember it next time." The child nodded fervently. "Now then, shouldn't you go stop Kagami from searching all over Japan for you? You've left him in the dust, haven't you?"

His blush darkened, found guilty. "I will. Thank you, Ryuu-nii."

Byakuran jumped on Tsuna's lap to quickly hug him and then disappeared through the door. The brunet watched after him, sighing to himself, and stood, patting the kneels of his pants. He turned to Verde, that was putting away the first-aid kit.

"Thank you."

The scientist shrugged, "no problem. Are you going to sleep?"

"I feel quite tired. How is the building?"

"They've finished with the first floor's bones. The free rooms on the ground floor are…?"

"Directly connected to my Garden, that will be where I and Reborn will be sleeping." He said, succeeding in not blushing. "Though, I'm trying to not customize it until he comes home."

Verde nodded, "he'll be happy, I guess." He frowned. "Next time Colonnello is here, will he be under house arrest?"

"Until his room is settled, yes. Have more requests come, in the meantime?"

"Fon asked if it was alright to have a common area, where we could hold meetings or just… relax together." He scowled, "not that I like the idea much, but it could be… useful."

"I think there's plenty space on the ground floor for that. Also, I've made sure there could be a sauna in the basement, you all are too tense."

Verde thought about it, staring at Tsuna. "That is pot calling the kettle back… If I may."

The brunet just chuckled, shrugging. "You may. After all, you're right."

NEW NAMES:

Sukhoruk: previous Boss of Russian syndicate;

Sobolevskaya Snezana Sukhorukov: actual Russian Boss, daughter of Sukhoruk;

Zhukova Natalya, Lyapin Petr: siblings, Russian thugs, former Russian prisoners.

Let me know what you think! See ya!