Another Path Part 33 : That avoided the brother
Sorry for the late update (but here it's still March, so that's something, I guess). Real life was a bitch, basically, but your kind reviews kept me going.
As an apology (and because I reached my usual length, hadn't arrived to natural stop and realized that Takeshi hadn't even appeared yet), this chapter is nearly twice as long as usual. Hope you like it!
The return to the Hibari mansion was mercifully less tense than the entire dinner at Takesushi, given that Tsuna opted for total silence from beginning to end. It kept Kurokawa (she had lost her 'san' privilege today after bitching so much) from finding material to complain about, which was always a win in the Sky's book.
Hopefully some of them managed to unwind and gain some sense of peace from the whole experience. Tsuna's usually calm temper was in turmoil after enduring Kurokawa's verbal abuse, and he would have hated for it to have been for nothing.
He didn't even remember wishing anyone a good night before he retreated to his room and went to sleep.
()()()()()()
The next day, Tsuna apologized profusely to everyone but Kurokawa about yesterday's rudeness
He had been pissed by the way the girl had demeaned him all night, but that had been no reason to submit his friends to the same treatment. Thankfully, his 'understanding' (or rather just-as-incensed-by-Kurokawa's-attitude-as-he-was) friends either accepted his apologies easily or brushed them off as unnecessary.
The next day went by in silent tension, like a fuse that had been laid bare, but hadn't been lit yet. Hayato and Tsuna tried their best to instill the basis of Flame control to an over-enthusiastic Ryohei-nii – with little to no success – Kurokawa, Haru and Kyoko-chan perused the piles of documents pilfered from previous raids against the Momokyokai and the rest of them patrolled Namimori in search of more criminal hideouts.
So far, while they had captured scores of Momokyokai henchmen, they had yet to net anyone higher up in the ranks or anyone from the Carcassa Family that had so abused Skull. Except for a brief encounter with Hayato early on, where he had intervened to save Haru, they had not spotted a single Italian mafioso, which prompted Mukuro to suggest that they had gone to ground.
"They're visibly not a very influential family; if they thought the lapdog," he ignored Hayato's scream of outrage, "was someone from a prominent family, they might have decided to wait it out in hiding until he was gone. Seeing the Momokyokai get wiped out afterwards probably only compounded that belief."
Tsuna frowned. Mukuro made a lot of sense, but something still felt wrong. "But why would they think Hayato was from an important family? He might have won against a few of them, but there's no reason to jump to that conclusion."
"The bastard herbivore." Said Kyoya out of nowhere and without an explanation.
"Oh." The Cloud was probably onto something, realized Tsuna, who had literal years of experience in translating Kyoya's short sentences. Then he caught the lack of understanding in his friends' faces and elaborated. "That's the name Kyoya gives to Ienobu, my brother. I think he means that, if the Carcassa knows of the Sawada family here, they might assume that this is Vongola territory and that any strong and mafioso-looking guy here must be part of Vongola."
The Cloud grunted to express his agreement.
"That's nice and all, but it doesn't help us drive them out of Namimori." Cut in Kurokawa, whom Tsuna would have wanted to keep out of the reunion, but she always managed to weasel or intimidate her way in.
"It doesn't." Admitted Mukuro with a vaguely murderous air. "But it's all we have for now; unless you have information that you kept from us?"
The girl shot him a dark look, but didn't reply.
"If you've finished complaining about everything Tsuna-san says, we still have to work out our next patrols." Continued Hayato, glaring at Kurokawa. "It's becoming clear that neither the Momokyokai or the Carcassa have their headquarters in the city proper, so we have to start looking outside too, and there are way too many fucking deserted warehouses and complexes around here."
Hayato had a point. Sometimes in the last fifty years or so, the leaders of Namimori had hoped to turn the town into a commercial hub, making plans to build apartment bocks and offices outside the city's borders. Unfortunately, almost nobody had been interested by the idea of moving to so far in the sticks, and the city's plans had been abandoned half-way through.
But from that expansion effort remained plenty of unfinished buildings around Namimori, some crumbling into rubble over time, some staying obstinately standing; almost none of them documented on any map, because the mayor and his advisors had tried to hide the ridiculous amount of money that had been wasted in their construction and had destroyed all the papers.
They had hoped that the Carcassa and the Momokyokai hadn't known about those unrecorded places, but it seemed they weren't that lucky, and now had to scour the area around Namimori for hidden headquarters, having no idea of how great a search radius they should settle on.
The operation could easily take them half a year, and they'd already left Italy for over two months by now; Tsuna was suddenly hit by a wave of homesickness at that realization (which was strange in his hometown, but he had long accepted that his home was with Caeruleus, far from Namimori).
()()()()()()
Lady Luck must not have totally spurned them, because they found the Momokyokai headquarters a little over a week after they expanded their search.
Kyoya, Hayato, Mukuro and Chrome (who had been growing increasingly adept with her illusions) made short work of it and left all the unconscious – or traumatized and raving – yakuza to the Discipline Committee to deal with, except for the boss.
Tsuna had no idea what his name even was, only that he was dragged back to the Hibari mansion, locked in a room with no windows, and then left alone with the two illusionists until they had what they wanted.
"Chrome insisted she wanted to help the pineapple." Assured Hayato when Tsuna expressed his worry for the girl. Mukuro was used to gruesome work, but Chrome looked much more delicate. She didn't want her to be shocked by whatever the older Mist would do. Hell, Tsuna himself didn't want to know how Mukuro would interrogate the yakuza boss.
Two hours later, the illusionists walked out of the makeshift interrogation room (that, now that Tsuna thought about it, actually looked too well-made to have been improvised. Did his friends plan ahead and prepare it in advance, or had the Hibari mansion always had a concrete room with a metal chair screwed to the floor and handcuffs lying around?). Chrome sported a wide, angelic smile while Mukuro smirked like a stereotypical villain, but neither of them looked anything but satisfied after a job well done.
Tsuna resolved to never ask what had taken place in there. At least he could hear the man sob like a baby, which meant he was still alive. That was good, right?
"We have a way of finding the Carcassa, Boss!" Said Chrome. She sounded disturbingly happy, considering they could all hear a grown man begging for his mom in the background. And what did he mean by 'please, stop the butterflies'?
No, no, no. Tsuna had decided he didn't want to know.
"We couldn't find out where their base was," continued Mukuro, also ignoring the desperate and increasingly weird pleas behind him, "because this guy didn't know – the Carcassa apparently always contacted them first and held meetings far from their own base – but he knew what they came to Namimori for, and we know for a fact that they have yet to achieve it."
"Don't keep us waiting, what the fuck do they want?" Hayato was getting impatient.
The Mist's smirk widened – he looked positively evil. "They came to Namimori to fetch themselves a prospective Vongola heir."
Tsuna's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "They want to kidnap Ienobu?!"
Mukuro hummed in agreement. "The Momokyokai never knew who exactly that referred to, since the Carcassa apparently never trusted them with anything of importance, but we do. And now that we have pretty much smoked out their Japanese allies, the Carcassa will likely act soon before retreating with their tails between their legs. Leaving now, with no results, would be a monumental waste of time and money, but they're not the type to risk staying in an area they don't control for too long." He sneered.
"At least that makes our next move obvious." Butted in Kurokawa, who had definitely not been invited to wait with them for the illusionists' results. "We stalk this Ienobu guy, wait until he gets kidnapped and follow him to their base."
"We're not letting them go so far as to kidnap Ienobu." Countered Tsuna immediately.
"I don't know, Tsuna-san, it sounds as if the little bastard could do with a fright." Argued Hayato with a vindictive frown. "If he's still anything like what he was before you left, it could only do him some fucking good."
Kyoya grunted his assent and Mukuro managed to appear even more evil than before at the idea with his ominous 'kufufu' laugh. Kurokawa looked unbearably smug that they were agreeing to her plan, and Tsuna had to hold back his own sneer – she was really getting on his nerves.
"If we let him get kidnapped, it means we're probably going to have to interact with him when we reach the headquarters. I'd rather avoid that if it's all the same to you."
His point must have reached his friends, because they all immediately dropped the idea,leaving only Kurokawa to argue.
"Then what? You're going to let this chance go because you don't want to talk to some guy?" She accused him. "And why are you even making decisions here? Who died and made you king?"
Tsuna's knuckles were white with how hard he clenched his fists, but he forced himself to breathe evenly and to keep calm. Losing his temper would only be playing into her hand. "For the record, I haven't even made a decision yet, only pointed out a flaw in your plan. Moreover, I'm only the leader because everyone appointed me, and I intend to listen to my friends' suggestions before starting anything."
She snorted. "I haven't appointed you anything." She looked him up and down in the most demeaning way. "Not that I could give you much of a role; you probably couldn't even beat me in a fight."
Kyoya let out a bona fide growl, and the lighting of the room dimmed under the action of Mukuro's overflowing Mist Flames. Hayato began hurling insults Kurokawa's way, dynamite sticks already in hand but thankfully unlit, and Chrome materialized her trident.
Even Skull, who was notoriously pacifistic and had been content to doze on Tsuna's head until now (which probably didn't contribute to his imposing aura) raised his head and looked at Kurokawa like one would consider a piece of meat before cutting it.
On the other hand, Tsuna took a deep breath, held it in for a handful of seconds and let it out slowly through the nose. He gestured to his friends to step down and spoke, deliberately choosing every word, refusing to take her bait. "You're forgetting about Flames, Kurokawa. They're also the only reason we took Ryohei-nii in, and you by extension. You should keep that in mind."
Kurokawa waved his warning away loftily. "Even then I could still beat the shit out of you, monkey. Especially since those 'Flames' are apparently your only justification for taking the lead – it's not like you have any other redemptive quality, so you throw them around every time your back is to a wall and your friends follow you like mindless sheep."
Hayato lunged at her in the middle of her speech, explosives forgotten on the floor in his rage. Thankfully, Mukuro – who was more level-headed – caught him by the waist before he made contact and dragged him away, kicking and screaming to defend Tsuna's honor. Chrome followed them out and closed the door behind her, cutting the yelling off.
Kurokawa was a nuisance, but that didn't mean they could simply beat her up, and Mukuro knew it. They still had Ryohei-nii to think of (he was, all things considered, one of Tsuna's elements, which afforded him some consideration from the others), and the Sun wouldn't tolerate his friend being punched – or stabbed, kicked, exploded, traumatized through illusions or clobbered. However, they couldn't in good conscience let the boxer leave before he had some kind of a handle on his Flames, else he would get forcibly drafted in the Mafia.
Ryohei-nii, while admittedly not the sharpest tool in the shed, didn't deserve to see his life upended by criminals.
So for now, they would endure Kurokawa's attitude, for Ryohei-nii and for Kyoko-chan who was a sweet girl (even if she had questionable tastes in friends). But that didn't mean they had to let her walk all over them either, especially when she targeted Tsuna's friends.
"I'm not having this conversation with you." Stated Tsuna as evenly as he could. Later, he would challenge Kyoya to a fight to work out the excess energy built up by his rage, but for now, he needed to appear calm and make his point clear despite the furious tremble of his body. "My friends are not sheep, and the simple fact that you believe that makes you unsuitable for making any decision on their behalf. We're not throwing you out out of courtesy for Ryohei-nii and Kyoko-chan, who are loyal to you and don't deserve to be shown the door because of you.
"But one more insult towards my friends," he allowed his Flames to burn through his eyes and form a blazing crown on his forehead – Kurokawa had never seen that before, never seen him lose his cool, even a little, and she flinched. "One more demeaning word about them and all bets are off. I won't tolerate your attitude towards them.
"Hopefully we'll be out of Namimori soon enough, and you can resume your arrogant belittling of everyone around you. In the meanwhile, you're not taking part in any more meetings about things you know nothing about. Someone who has never been in a fight in her life has no right to order others around in this situation."
With one last piercing look, Tsuna forced his Flames to recede. "If I were you, I would try not to get in our way from now on." He turned towards Kyoya, completely dismissing a shell-shocked Kurokawa, Skull still in his hair and apparently not bothered by the fire that had previously burned there. "How do you feel about a spar? I need to hit something right now." Plans to stalk Ienobu would have to wait.
"Outside the house." Replied Kyoya with a nod before he made his way out.
He had the right idea – with how furious Tsuna still felt, he could very well burn the entire estate down if he wasn't careful. And he had no wish to be careful at the moment.
The Sky followed his Cloud out, not sparing a glance to Kurokawa to assess her reaction as she was left alone – with the yakuza boss still sobbing deliriously in the distance.
()()()()()()
"How do you think the Carcassa heard about Ienobu?" Wondered Tsuna as he, Mukuro Skull and Hayato hid in a dark street, waiting for Ienobu to come out of his home and head to school.
The plan – made after Kyoya and Tsuna created four brand new clearings in Namimori's forest during their 'spar' – was to stalk Ienobu at all times until the Carcassa showed up to kidnap him, then attack the mafiosi before they could get their hands on his brother.
To ensure they would remain hidden, they had decided to always keep only one illusionist on the look-out, while the other rested. Chrome was thankfully skilled enough with her Mist Flames now to keep them invisible, but Mukuro had taken the first round.
It was boring work, but necessary to catch a Carcassa member in the act. It also allowed them a lot of time to talk, and while they avoided a number of sensitive topics (like Tsuna's relationship with his blood-related family or the confrontation with Kurokawa yesterday and its eventual repercussions) they were free to discuss anything that bugged them.
Like the fact that Ienobu's – and Tsuna's – existence should be a secret to the Mafia.
"It couldn't have come form anyone but Iemitsu." Replied Mukuro. "He's supposedly the only one in the know – if you don't count the Varia, but I doubt they're the kind to gossip. Moreover, you've as good as got Xanxus in your pocket." He sounded way too amused.
"I don't have anyone in my pocket!" Argued Tsuna.
The three others shot him flat looks, including Skull who was still new and had yet to see him interact with the Varia. "Don't you have a bond with Xanxus? You know, a bond between two Skies that is scientifically unheard of and even puzzled Verde." Wondered Hayato with such a dubious tone that Tsuna almost regretted the time when the Storm would never have dared to question him. Almost.
(That was a lie; he much preferred the casual friendship they now shared over the worship Hayato had demonstrated at first. He just would have liked to keep one guy in his corner no matter what.)
"The bond is not necessarily my fault, and we're friendly acquaintances, that doesn't mean he'd do anything I'd ask him."
"He'd kill someone if you asked him to." Observed Mukuro, spinning his trident idly.
"That doesn't mean much for anyone in the Varia and you know it." Retorted Tsuna. "And Xanxus wouldn't- I don't know. He wouldn't go shopping with me." He announced triumphantly.
"... Sometimes it's really hard to remember that you're not Mafia." Said Skull from his official perch on Tsuna's head.
"It's more obvious if you see the rest of us, those that stayed in Italy. The one that came here are the most... boisterous members?" The Sky struggled to find a way of saying 'blood-thirsty demons with hellish tempers and questionable sanity' that would stay close to the truth while not offending anyone.
He shouldn't have bothered. "He means that the others are less likely to 'bite you to death' and leave your cooling corpse for the vermin to feast at the drop of a hat." Clarified Mukuro with a too wide smirk, twirling his trident faster.
"That's... good to know. I guess." Skull didn't sound very reassured, and Tsuna felt him tighten his grip painfully on his hair, so he changed the subject before his Mist and Storm could frighten the Arcobaleno further.
"Anyway, we still have no idea how the Carcassa learned about Ienobu, or why they want someone with Vongola blood."
"Vongola's the top dog in the Mafia, far above the rest." Explained Hayato. "If the Carcassa are as stupid as they look, they'll try to have Vongola pay to spare your brother's life – and will be exterminated in the process. You don't play that kind of game with the boss of all bosses if you have even half a working brain cell."
"They could also attempt to take Ienobu in their own family, by force or through persuasion, hoping that he inherited at least some of the famous Vongola traits." Continued Mukuro, more solemn than usual. "You never really stepped foot in the underworld so you don't realize, Tsunayoshi, but those with Vongola blood – especially the bosses, but not only – are basically living myths. Overwhelming Sky Flames attracting strong Guardians, the famous Hyper Intuition and Dying Will Mode... any boss would kill his parents, spouse and children to get someone with even one of those abilities under their thumb.
"Which means that if your name is known too – which is likely, since I suspect Iemitsu slipped when he started looking for you – you are in as much danger as your brother. Being 'civilians' and supposedly unaware of the Mafia makes you both easier targets to abduct and to convince into serving a lesser family."
Like what had happened to Skull, basically.
"It's still an incredibly foolish plan, but they probably hope that – given how infrequently Iemitsu visits – time would erase all their traces and Ienobu would be fully integrated with the Carcassa before it becomes known." Finished Mukuro.
Tsuna didn't have the time to ask any more questions, because his brother chose that moment to rush out of his home in a panic. Looking at the time, he was indeed about to be late.
They followed Ienobu to school, and waited outside for it to end. The Carcassa couldn't abduct someone in broad daylight, at least not without using Mist Flames, and Mukuro was positive he would feel it at this range if it happened, while Tsuna had no wish to get closer to his brother than strictly necessary.
Even without Kyoya, the Discipline Committee patrolled and ran the school with an iron fist, and the students seemed used to – and fearful of – their presence. It was probably the most nostalgic sight Tsuna had witnessed since returning to Namimori, he mused as Skull chattered on about everything and nothing, his previous fright forgotten.
The bell signaling the end of lessons eventually rang and the students with no club activities start trickling out of the building. Tsuna straightened, looking for the distinctive blond head of his brother, but couldn't spot him anywhere. Judging by their frowns, none of his three friends – who were either taller or perched on his head – had found Ienobu either.
Strange, Tsuna would have pegged Ienobu as a diligent member of the 'go home' club. But then again, maybe he had changed in the years they had been apart.
Doubtful, but not impossible.
They waited until the flow of escaping students slowed down before beginning to worry that the Carcassa managed to abduct Ienobu under their noses.
Cooking up a strategy on the spot, they split up to look for Tsuna's brother; Mukuro would stay at the only entrance in case Ienobu simply tarried, but as a result, wouldn't be able to hold the illusion over the others keeping them hidden (since sight and distance mattered so much when conjuring illusions). Tsuna – with Skull – would investigate the outside of the school, where he had less chances of being spotted and recognized, while Hayato would check the inside.
Tsuna was peering inside the gym when a hand clapped over his shoulder, startling him.
"Hey Tsuna! And Skull, wasn't it? What are two you doing here?" Asked Takeshi, the waiter from Takesushi, his plastic smile back on his face.
"Oh, uhm, nothing." Tsuna tried not to look like he had been caught red-handed; they were not students here – as his lack of uniform and Skull's size showed – and shouldn't be on school grounds. He intentionally shifted the subject. "And I already told you you don't have to force yourself to smile. Especially when you're not at work; you look like you're pulling a muscle there."
Takeshi's expression froze (even more), before a more genuine smile took its place. "Just checking." He laughed. "So, why are you here?"
He was still smiling like he meant it, but the piercing quality to his eyes told Tsuna that he wouldn't get away with another cop-out. He felt Skull tense on his head and the Sky sighed in defeat. "I'm looking for someone. We've got reasons to believe he might get kidnapped at any time, and we saw him come in, but not out of here, so we split up to find him – assuming he hasn't been abducted already."
The other boy hummed. "And he's not in any club?"
"We're not really sure, but from what we know of him, it's unlikely."
"What's his name? Maybe I can help you."
Was it really worth the risk? Takeshi had nothing to do with this whole mess, and he didn't deserve to be dragged in it only because Tsuna couldn't even keep an eye on his own twin brother.
On the other hand, sharing Ienobu's name wouldn't really put Takeshi in any danger. Chances were that he already knew him or of him; they looked to be of similar age, and Tsuna's brother stood out with his European features (and terrible personality).
If Takeshi knew of Ienobu's whereabouts, it would make Tsuna's mission easier, but it wouldn't endanger the other boy either if he didn't.
"His name is Sawada Ienobu. He's 14 and has blond hair and blue eyes. He's kind of hard to miss. He can't know that I'm here, though, so please don't tell him you saw me." He hurried to add. His brother learning of his presence in Namimori was the last thing he needed.
Takeshi considered the name for a long time. "Hmm... Nope, doesn't ring any bells, but I'm terrible at remembering people, so it doesn't mean much."
Tsuna wanted to facepalm, and he would have done it, if it wouldn't have dislodged a suspiciously silent Skull. This had been a monumental waste of time, and Ienobu might be in the middle of getting kidnapped right now! "Why did you even ask if you knew you wouldn't remember him?!" He asked as he moved on like a man on a mission.
That had been a rhetorical question, but Takeshi was just a step behind, following him easily with his taller legs. "I was curious." He chuckled – and it sounded so honest that Tsuna felt his anger recede a little. "And maybe he was one of the eight people I can identify in this school."
That got Tsuna to slow down so he could shoot Takeshi an incredulous look, but it was Skull that spoke first (for the first time in a while). "You only know the names of eight people here?! How?!"
Tsuna might not have a long or stellar experience with school, but even he knew that it was odd. And Takeshi looked like the popular type of boy, the one that played sports and was liked by both genders.
The other boy shrugged, completely unbothered. "You don't actually have to recognize people to get them to like you; just smile and say something nice, and nobody notices anything. I only had to force myself to learn the names of the main members of the baseball club because I needed it to play."
"Most people are kind of... flat, you know? Like cardboard figures. They don't have any depth, so it's hard to tell each of them apart."
That... was probably one of the saddest outlooks on life Tsuna had ever heard. It sounded terribly lonely. No wonder Takeshi used such an artificial smile if the people around him couldn't even realize he was faking it all along.
But something was wrong. "Wait a minute, you definitely recognized us just now. You even called us by our names."
"Yep!" Takeshi positively beamed. "You're not like the others, you feel like actual human beings, in three dimensions. Especially you, Tsuna! So when I recognized you, I had to come talk to you!"
Tsuna couldn't decide if he felt more flattered or bothered by that assessment. Best not to dwell on it too much and just put some distance between them. "By the way, shouldn't you be in your club? I thought you said the other day that you played baseball."
There was that edge again, that sharpness and playfulness to Takeshi's grin that was nowhere to be seen in his fake smile. "I quit, or at least I'm on a break for a while. My teammates weren't happy, but there's something else I want to focus on for now, and I couldn't keep doing both."
"Oh." What could Tsuna reply? When they had talked at Takesushi, it had felt like baseball was Takeshi's true passion. Whatever could have convinced him to stop playing must be truly important to the other boy. "Why are you still carrying your baseball bat around then?"
Takeshi raised his eyebrows, followed Tsuna's eyes to look at the closed tube he carried on his shoulder and then shrugged with a chuckle. "No reason. Maybe it's just a habit."
"... Another weirdo." Muttered Skull, low enough for only Tsuna to hear. And though it was terribly hypocritical, the Arcobaleno in a flashy purple biker's suit had a point.
How did he keep encountering them everywhere he went? Did he attract them? Because there was no way there existed so many eccentrics that it was normal to find one in every corner; if that was the case, the world would be a much more hectic place.
Tsuna knew what he was talking about: he lived with a collection of such weirdos, and his life was Chaos. Capital C intended.
He was still lost in his mental lamentations when Takeshi gently elbowed him and pointed to a secluded corner hidden between three buildings. "Hey, isn't that the guy you were looking for?"
The Sky looked and Takeshi was right. Here was Ienobu with three of his minions, surrounding a smaller boy and clearly in the process of bullying him out of his money.
Why had Tsuna been worried for his brother again? If Ienobu wasn't at home or at school, of course he had been harassing someone.
He should have remembered that.
His first instinct was to barge in to protect the poor kid, until he was stopped by Skull pulling his hair like a horse's reins (which was both rude and painful), by a firm hand on his shoulder and by Takeshi saying "Go hide behind those trees, I got this." In a voice more serious than anything he had heard so far.
But Takeshi was right; Tsuna couldn't be seen by his brother, and the older boy seemed to know what he was doing as he strode towards the bullies with steady steps.
The Sky was too far to hear what was said, but before long, Ienobu and his cronies left in a hurry (looking more like they ran away than like they simply got bored) and the boy on the floor stood up and disappeared in a building after thanking Takeshi, who walked back lazily towards Tsuna with a sharp smile and intense gaze. "Didn't you want to follow him?"
Skull was so completely still on his head that Tsuna would have worried if his grip on his hair wasn't so strong. He spared one last look to the expression on Takeshi's face, before he nodded. "Right. Thanks, you helped a lot." And he ran off to stalk his brother...
… with Takeshi still by his side.
"You can't keep following me, this is going to get dangerous." He warned. At the same time, he caught Hayato exiting the clubs' building in the distance and waved him to join him.
"I know." Replied Takeshi, careless as ever.
"I'm serious, Takeshi. This might get violent very quickly, and there's no guaranty that any of us will walk out alive."
"I know." He repeated, with more force behind his words, but the same nonchalance. "I promise I won't get in your way, but you can't get rid of me."
Tsuna began shooting him an annoyed look, but when he made eye-contact, all he could see was how serious and focused Takeshi's eyes were. As impossible as it sounded given his brazen attitude, it truly felt like Takeshi understood the risks he was taking.
After dealing with Kurokawa's interfering for so long, with her more severe behavior, but her total lack of understanding of the stakes, he couldn't turn down Takeshi. It wouldn't be fair.
"Fine." He relented. "But be careful and stay close. And don't ask questions if you see anything… strange."
Takeshi smiled, as sharp as the edge of a sword, and nodded. They reached Mukuro as the same time as Hayato caught up to them.
"What's he doing here?" Asked the Storm looking at their unexpected tag-along.
"This is Takeshi – we already met him at Takesushi. He's coming with us." With any luck, this would not be the time the Carcassa tried to kidnap Ienobu and Takeshi would just return home unharmed and not get involved any further. Tsuna turned to Mukuro, who was sizing the newcomer up with a knowing gaze. "Can you also hide him, just for today?"
The illusionist looked at him with a long-suffering sigh that Tsuna didn't understand. "Just for today, is it? Of course I can."
Did he have to sound so sarcastic? Tsuna was no expert in Mist Flames, but he was fairly sure that concealing one more person didn't cost Mukuro much.
"Your brother is just around the corner, buying ice cream." Informed Mukuro pointing at a store after cloaking them all in his Mist Flames (Takeshi had looked extremely interested, but must have taken Tsuna's advice to heart and didn't ask anything).
"Your brother?" Repeated Takeshi. Maybe he didn't listen to Tsuna's advice after all.
The Sky shot Mukuro a dark look; he looked supremely unconcerned for someone who had just revealed sensitive information. Seeing as he wouldn't get anything out of Mukuro, Tsuna turned to Takeshi. "Uhm, yes, he's my twin brother, technically. We haven't spoken in years and even before that, we never got along. Nobu liked bullying me too much for that. But that doesn't mean I can just let him get captured either, so we're following him until someone tries to kidnap him. Hopefully we beat up the kidnappers without him noticing and then figure out where the kidnappers' base is located so that we can wipe them out once and for all."
It sounded childishly simplistic when put down like that, but this really was their entire plan. Tsuna expected Takeshi to argue, or ask for more details, but the boy only nodded with an easy grin and said 'OK'.
Soon after, Ienobu left the store with his friends and, if Tsuna's memory served him right, headed in the direction of his home.
They followed, far enough not to be spotted (even with Mukuro's Mist Flames, they could never be too careful), but close enough to be able to intervene if things went South. Takeshi and Hayato bickered all the way, with Mukuro spurring them on, and Skull still hiding in Tsuna's hair. Something about Takeshi had spooked him, and Tsuna took the time to pull him in his arms and ask him what while the others were distracted.
"I'm not really sure." Admitted the Arcobaleno. "It's- something about him reminds me a little of Reborn."
Reborn, the Sun Arcobaleno, and apparently Skull's main tormentor. Tsuna had never met him, but everything he heard about the 'Greatest Hitman' made him hate the guy a little more.
"I don't know Reborn, so I can't say much," replied the Sky, hugging his tiny Cloud closer, "but I don't think Takeshi is the kind to bully others." Maybe he would let others be bullied (Ienobu and his cronies had seemed shocked to see him interrupt them earlier, and Takeshi had already admitted that he didn't care much for people in general), but Tsuna couldn't imagine him instigating harassment. "Whatever reminds you of Reborn, I truly don't think it means Takeshi will try to hurt you too. From what I've seen so far, he isn't a bad guy; just a bit... odd, socially-speaking."
"Maybe." Muttered Skull after a moment of thought.
"You don't have to like him." Assured Tsuna. "After this, we probably won't ever meet him again anyway, but you could still give him a chance. Just for today."
Skull looked up at him, and gave him a strange look. A mix of curiosity and- disbelief? It felt more wry than that. No matter what it was, the Arcobaleno eventually nodded, and promised to not judge Takeshi to hastily.
The little team followed Ienobu throughout Namimori, and saw him part from his friends one by one. All of them were headed to their respective home, apparently, which made their tracking job easier.
They had reached the last street before the one that held the Sawada house, and Tsuna felt confident that nothing would happen today (it was much harder to kidnap someone inside a secure house than outside), when Hayato spotted a number of men hiding in a adjoining street, faces covered and wearing gloves.
Tsuna cursed his rotten luck and readied his fighting gloves.