The seemingly abandoned warehouse was full of people, all of whom were enjoying a well earned and much needed time to relax and unwind.
Though the second Seto brought out the massive pot of curry and the almost overwhelming amount of curry buns, Mukuro, Chrome and Reborn made a beeline straight for it and almost took out half in the first round alone. No one could explain this particularly odd behavior...until everyone else gave it a try at their obvious endorsement and almost wiped out the rest of it clean soon after.
"Where did you order this curry from?" said Jounouchi, almost having to fight for a third share. He barely managed to snag five of the curry buns before he got his hand bitten off.
"Bossu didn't order any of it... He and some of the more culinary-inclined girls helped to make it, though he was responsible for the curry and curry buns," said Chrome smugly.
Hana, Kyoko, and Haru were cheerfully chatting with Anzu over various topics. Kyoko and Haru more than Hana, as they shared a love of eating cake once a week with Anzu. Jounouchi's sister was listening in politely, but she still had to recover before she could properly become part of her brother's life.
"Wait...Kaiba can cook?" said Jounouchi baffled.
"Nii-san can cook, but he's usually too busy so we save it for special occasions," said Mokuba.
"So he made the curry?" said Jounouchi.
"Bossu's special curry. He only makes it for the really special occasions or when he wants to show his appreciation of his inner circle...or his closest allies," said Chrome, letting out a happy burp.
"The Disciplinary Committee and the minions we brought in are all getting a free meal courtesy of TakeSushi...among others. He's footing the tab, including the alcohol for the adults among them," said Mukuro.
"Wait, is that why dad looked so happy when he talked about a major party tonight?" asked Takeshi.
"I informed him beforehand, so he was able to get enough help and supplies," said Chrome. "Bossu was planning on that part since everything was finalized and the tournament finally kicked off. He believes in rewarding us for behaving and doing everything properly."
And for not completely making a wreck of the place during the operation, she neglected to add.
"So Kaiba, I see you added another one. And a rather famous player to boot," said Enma conversationally.
And by that Enma meant he could tell Kaiba had harmonized with Reborn of all people.
"It was only a matter of time," said Seto cryptically. He was rather pleased that Ryohei and Jounouchi were getting along so well that it was nudging his former(?) Sun guardian towards Yugi's group.
The entire party was rather fun, especially for Kaiba as it meant he could finally relax...even if his Guardian positions were hardly complete.
Unlike last time, he wanted people he knew were compatible with him and not shoved because they looked like their long dead ancestors.
It was a good thing his intuition warned him about extras...because Fon showed up about halfway into the odd party, with I-Pin.
Much to the amusement of everyone else, it didn't take long for I-Pin to warm up to him...so much so that when she got permission, she curled up onto his lap like a little kitten. Fon, on the other hand, was staring between Reborn and Seto in disbelief.
The two had a quiet conversation, and it didn't take long for Fon to look at Kyouya before going back to Seto again...and the way he was calmly handling a sleepy I-Pin like it was natural.
Reborn, on the other hand, was observing the baby Sky Kaiba had discovered and had taken in. Yugi was watching the interaction between Seto and I-Pin with an odd expression on her face. It was obvious to him that Yugi had a budding crush on his student, and to be honest, she was a better match for him than Kyoko had ever been.
Kyoko might have learned to live as a mafioso's wife, but she had never truly accepted it. It didn't help that she bore a striking resemblance to Nana, and that Reborn always suspected that the root of Tsuna's crush on the girl was because he craved some form of motherly attention that Nana never really gave him.
Reborn knew better than to nudge the two together. Whether or not anything came of the crush would be entirely up to his student and the girl. Even if she did have a weird older brother in the form of a long-dead king that possessed the gaudy pendant around her neck.
Fon seemed to come to a decision, though he'd wait until later to speak to Kaiba privately.
A few days later...
"You want my clan to take I-Pin in so that she can get a childhood," said Seto, before Fon could say anything.
Fon kept his poker face on, but his surprise was evident.
"I am grateful that you helped Kyouya rid the town of those fools, and agreed to act as their support should any others come to claim it," he said evenly. "Though I never expected that I would be sending Reborn to find his Sky in the process."
Seto kept his own poker face.
"We'll take I-Pin in, and make sure she gets the proper training. I have no need for an underage assassin and I refuse to send anyone under ten on a kill mission," said Seto calmly. "However, I do have a use for someone capable of acting as part of the defensive line for the civilians under my protection."
Fon hid his relief. He had fought the Triads so that I-Pin wouldn't become an assassin so young. No child should be forced to kill before they hit puberty. Having her as part of the group defending civilians was another story, as it meant she wasn't a frontline fighter.
However, Fon also knew that there was likely to be a price. That was the part he wasn't looking forward to, though at least this young man seemed far more honorable than most Skies and leaders he had to deal with. It was a refreshing change of pace.
"I have a proposal for you. I have no Storm in my set, and I know that those who bear your particular curse have been burned by Skies before. I would like to offer you a one-time attempt to see if there is any compatibility between us," said Seto calmly.
Fon blinked, though really he should have expected it. At least the boy wasn't trying to force a bond that would eventually fail.
"And if there is none?"
"Then I won't bring it up again, and we can continue as allies regardless. If only for I-Pin and Hibari's sake," said Seto evenly.
Fon found that a rather agreeable set of terms. He allowed his Storm flames to manifest, and tentatively reach out for the boy's Sky. Seto did not attempt to force harmonization, like many had before. Instead he allowed Fon to make the first move.
The reaction was instantaneous, just as it had been for Reborn. The expression of shock and disbelief on Fon's face was almost comical, in a way.
It almost felt like two dragons were sizing each other up, and Fon's decided it was acceptable to rest under the same territory held by Seto's own inner dragon. Sure, the bond was still weak, but the fact it existed at all was astounding.
It was far stronger than any bond he had with Luce, which was enough for him.
Reborn looked unbearably smug for days when he noticed the bond. Once he got over his shock, Fon discovered his new Sky had a rather simple approach to 'spats' as he liked to call them. Namely that as long as he didn't have to bail them out, cover for them or pay for the damages, they could cause as much damage as they wanted.
Seto honestly expected this, which was why it didn't bother him overly much to meet Xanxus on something close to neutral territory.
Gozaburo, before his untimely death, had purchased an island for his...less than legal...acquisitions and sales. Things most governments would rightfully keep a stricter eye on, but couldn't actually track if it was on a private island well outside their agreed jurisdiction.
Seto had used it as a dumping ground for the weapons he couldn't re-purpose for his own use or he deemed too shoddy to even keep.
Considering his step-father's standards, that meant most of his remaining stock left over at the end of his reign. About the only thing he kept were the bullets, and most of those were properly disposed of because that cheapskate cut corners everywhere he could.
Xanxus took one look at the remaining stock and gave Seto a disparaging look. Seto returned an even one back at him.
"Don't say it. I already know most of this is complete garbage and not remotely quality. But I'm not stupid enough to leave this where some third-rate thug can get their hands on it and potentially use it against me," said Seto tiredly.
"Why did you pick here for our meeting place then?"
"Because if we're going to have a proper sparring match, then I want someplace where there's no chance the honored law keepers will come after our ass for flame use among a civilian population and where I don't have to give a crap about any potential damages and lawsuits," deadpanned Seto. "If we wreck the place, then no one is going to give a damn."
A dark grin filled Xanxus' face.
"Is that so?" he said, smirking.
It was only because of his long experience with how pissy Xanxus could be in a mood and because he was itching for a fight himself that allowed him to dodge the first blast from the Varia Boss' guns.
A dark smirk filled his own features, and soon their Elements were watching (from a relatively safe distance) as the two clashed like they were trying to kill each other.
"Voi...is that brat actually holding his own against the Boss?" said Squalo in disbelief. He had taken Kaiba to be the desk-sitting type.
"This recording would make a real mint," noted Mammon.
"Shishishi...the boss looks like he's having fun."
"Of course he's having fun. He's able to properly vent his frustration of the bullshit the jackass has been spreading and size up whether his potential future boss is worth his time beyond funding you," deadpanned Mukuro.
"Speaking of the jackass...he's been in a real snit over the ring being lost," said Squalo. He could get behind that new name for Iemitsu in a heartbeat.
Chrome's smile was so fake it made the Varia snort.
"Well then he shouldn't have left it alone when he went to use the bathroom. It's his own fault, and the Bossu made it clear he was not responsible if the idiot accidentally knocked what was obviously a priceless heirloom down the drains. They've searched every inch of the plumbing and it still hasn't been found," said Chrome.
"Which reminds me, the Boss wanted to know if Squalo would be interested in playing with a puppy he picked up. The pup is still learning how to use his fangs properly and there's no better teacher than someone willing to cave your head in with a similar weapon," said Mukuro.
"Voi, is this 'pup' the smiling brat I saw earlier?" asked Squalo. Mukuro nodded. "I'll test him out later."
"They seem to be winding down," said Lussuria.
Sure enough, the flame blasts were winding down. After a few moments, the group headed inland to see the damage.
The place was a complete wreck, and there were several areas where the leftover stock had turned into complete slag. However in the center of the mess was an exhausted, but highly satisfied Xanxus and a winded Seto Kaiba.
"Heh...at least you're not complete trash like that brat they are trying to make me serve," he said.
Seto snorted.
"Anyone raised by the jackass should be automatically considered a total write-off," he countered, causing Xanxus to snort in agreement. "Hell, look how useless his actual sons were, and how his own incompetence caused him to be down three heirs and forced to throw an underage brat into the position to save face."
"I take it you two had fun?" said Mukuro.
Xanxus looked rather pleased with Kaiba's performance. He'd rather follow this Quality-level Sky over that spoiled trash any day, and it had the added benefit of letting him tell Iemitsu to piss off and not get yelled at.
"Miser brat, did you bring the paperwork?"
Mammon was only mildly surprised at the fact Xanxus was making his own allegiance clear so quickly. Then again, the Vongola had been circling the drain for months and it was only going to get worse once Ieyasu took over.
Seto calmly took the forms, looked them over with a critical eye. He took out a pen and started circling a few items that he planned to alter. Most of which involved the Varia's relation to his group.
"Is there any way to alter these parts to give the Varia a bit more independence regarding the contract?"
"It depends on the degree of independence you're offering," said Mammon promptly. "These are the general forms made during the reign of the don before Daniela."
"I want the Varia to have an out in the event my successor turns out to be complete trash, thus allowing them to remove themselves from any control they might have over their funding," said Seto. "The Ninth put far too many restrictions on you as it is because of his own issues... I want to make it clear I won't do something so stupid."
"Voi... you're giving us open reign to seek outside contracts in the event you disagree with one of our members?" said Squalo in disbelief.
"I want you to have the ability to call me out on my bullshit and still have the ability to keep the assassins under your payroll busy to a certain extent. I'd rather have someone like Xanxus warn me if I ever become as idiotic as the jackass or the Ninth without having to worry about similar repercussions," said Seto.
Xanxus knew he liked this brat.
"You do realize we'll have to confirm you're of the right blood before we can finalize anything."
"I have that covered. As far as the underworld needs to know, Iemitsu's infidelity has come back to bite him in the ass," said Seto. "It's not like anyone is going to be able to confirm I'm his legitimate son since my mother was cremated and it's highly unlikely that he bothered to save a sample of her DNA."
"Voi, you do realize they're going to call you a bastard Vongola," said Squalo. And considering the majority of the Cosa Nostra was Catholic, that could give him trouble down the line.
"And? I primarily work in the East, I'm not Catholic and everyone knows I was adopted," said Seto. "Besides, if you're rich enough then even the idiots who actually care about that sort of thing will hold their tongue...and if they don't, well that's why I have the former Varia on my payroll to thin the ranks of people too stupid to keep their mouths shut about matters that don't concern them."
Xanxus had an evil, evil grin on his face.
"And the fact that those same idiots are also the ones who spoke ill about my Ma behind my back...?"
"Bonus. I'm not going to concern myself about a bit of spring cleaning among the stupid," said Seto flatly.
"How are you planning to prove your rights as King?" asked Belphegor with interest.
Seto's smirk was downright wicked.
He pulled out a very familiar ring...and to the disbelief of the Varia members present, pulled out the ghost of the Vongola's Primo.
"I daresay the fact I can use the ring and summon most of the dons present inside it would be a rather thorough way of validating my claim on the item, wouldn't you? I even confirmed with the Vindice that they honestly don't care about flame rings or who possesses them so long as Omerta is kept. As far as they're concerned, this is an internal matter between Vongola Skies and they couldn't care less if the one claiming the half-rings wasn't actually part of any branch of the Vongola."
Xanxus stared for several seconds before wicked laughter erupted from him.
The Vongola was going to be pissed when this got out and they had their own incompetence and lax security to blame.
The fireworks from this alone were going to be worth watching.
"Just so we're clear, we can't get involved if the Ninth tries to reclaim them," said Xanxus.
"Actually I was planning to supply you and the two Arcobaleno in my set snacks and drinks so you could watch the inevitable chaos unfold along with the recordings. If I can't handle their idiocy, then I don't deserve to be part of the underworld to begin with," deadpanned Seto. "Especially when it comes to outwitting the jackass I unfortunately share half my genetics with."