Chapter 38
He walked at an extremely fast pace to wherever his feet just wanted him to go. The good thing was that he was walking on an open road. The bad thing was that he had no idea where he was. He stomped his foot on the ground to a halt, lifting his head before he leaned against a random pole and drew a long, long breath.
He messed up. But then again, in every mistake, there was always a spot to take advantage in. So what if Reborn knew about Isago's reincarnation? It didn't reveal that he had seen an anime called Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Not to mention, knowing Reborn, that hitman would never take anything that came out of his mouth as a joke.
It wasn't a bad thing.
From this move, he could now talk to Reborn as a fully grown adult. Reborn would not be able to say anything else about Isago not understanding his situation. It was actually better that Isago had burst out with the truth, although unwillingly, it worked in his favour. Not to mention the twins also knew about his reincarnation so it really didn't matter if another person knew too. It was a bit different since Reborn was a fully grown adult while the twins were truly just kids.
He slapped his hand over his face, staring through his fingers before flaring up his flames, eyes red as they whizzed to his behind.
"Why are you following me, Reborn?"
The small hitman smiled ruefully, lowering his hat on his head before walking towards Isago. His stable steps made Isago realize one thing.
"You did it on purpose," Isago said out without any emotion, only lowering the hand that was covering his face to look Reborn dead in the eye. It all made sense, Reborn had great control over his own actions. He knew that he would become drunk after a few sips so he deliberately faked his drunk state. Isago was paying attention to Tsuna in the room so it left Reborn a chance to slip in a moment of weakness.
Not to mention Nana would never drink alcohol in front of the kids. She would never even take it out of the cupboard and the most important clue was that the alcohol was the same colour as apple juice, as if someone had deliberately switched it out. Reborn had left the house alone today.
"Ragazzo," Reborn stepped closer to the boy and Isago refused to move. There was a sparkle in the hitman's eyes before Reborn stopped in his tracks, staring up at Isago. "How old are you?"
"Does that matter?" Isago raised his eyebrow before cocking his head to the side to mentally count his age. He was around 25 years old when he killed himself. Though, he was a very sheltered girl in his past life. Heck, he didn't even get the chance to seek out his first job after university. Naive, innocent, and childish. Just like how Isago hated himself to be. Even an 18-year-old would have been more alert about their world if they were brought up in a different way
"Adding my current age, I'm 40- holy, I'm old," Isago exclaimed and pushed himself off the pole, slightly stunned at how fast time had passed. But then again, he was in an anime for the past 15 years of his life and well, he was mentally older but he never experienced life after 25. Which meant his mentality was still at 25 years old. Thinking about it, he was still childish.
"Let's just not mention ages, I prefer to be my current age rather than the past," Isago shuddered, just thinking about his past gave him nightmares. He still remembered that moment when he walked out of the school toilets with toilet paper sticking out of his pants. And that was when he was in elementary, not preschool. How about that time when he pooped in his pants when he was in the middle of the Skytrain? He was 14 years old by then.
Gosh, his current life really was perfect.
"I can't relate," Reborn blinked sarcastically. The irony there was so apparent that it made Isago smile.
"I'm sorry," Isago lowered his head with a long sigh and his eyes filled with genuine dryness. "You've had it worse than me psychologically. When you have the taste of your success, the regret impacts tenfold more than a person who lived in regret for the entire time. I was being too conceited."
Reborn let out a soft chuckle.
"It's different for everyone, Ragazzo."
"That I agree, but still-" Isago tilted his head to the side with a wry grin. "Let's just call it even for all your deliberate insults."
Reborn hummed before Isago lifted his head and looked around, spotting a nearby cafe. The good thing was that he always carried his wallet in his jacket no matter where he went. The zipper on the side was tight, jingling for it to be released. Reborn's eyes followed Isago's playing with his sideburns approvingly.
(～￣▽￣)～
"I'm beginning to see why your tastes lean towards the sweet side," Reborn watched as Isago scooped a spoonful of his gelato and placed it in his mouth. He looked up as if a bit surprised then after taking his second bite, he grinned.
"Reborn, you should know that some guys like sweets too," Isago's eyes drifted to the cake which was on his left side and the cappuccino on his right. Hey, it was his money, he could do whatever he wanted with it. "Well, I do admit that I may have a bit too much enthusiasm towards them."
"Were you a baker in your last life, Ragazzo?" Reborn sipped on his espresso, watching him with a newfound glint in his eyes. Isago shook his head, taking a sip of his own drink to suppress the over-sweetness.
"I was a civilian, a boring one too," Isago glanced towards the clock on the other side of the room which indicated that they were way past midnight already. Truly, the only reason why Isago would eat sweets after midnight was because a guy's metabolism was so high.
"Tell me more about it," Reborn quirked his lips up without sounding like an interviewer.
"I was a graduate student in the English Major," Isago said, trying to remember his past life. It was actually hard without the twins since it was a life behind his current one. He could recall what he saw in his memory walkthrough with the twins, but he seemed like an otaku and an introvert at most. "As I already said earlier, my parents were a bit…"
Isago paused and lowered his eyes. "They were perfectionists."
"I don't want to get too much into them since it's already in the past, but as you know now, I'm Isago Sawada, the twin of my brother who Timoteo loves so much."
Reborn's eyes glinted.
"You've accepted your past?"
"Si," Isago replied curtly and held Reborn's stare. "I started off overwhelmed, but now I'm quite attached to this life. You can't find a perfect family such as Tsuna's just randomly."
"You are still very mature for your age, Ragazzo," Reborn rested his elbows on the table and smirked. "Even with the entire mafioso scheme."
"The one thing I had over Tsuna was the thirst for knowledge," Isago nodded. "I'm well prepared for anything I get into. Like the succession battle, I had my guardians memorize all Varia and Tsuna's attack patterns. Similar to the mafia, I prepared myself to accept blood."
Isago was really trying to appeal his family to Reborn.
"This is starting to sound more like an interview by the moment," Isago grinned before cutting his cheesecake's tip and placing it into his mouth with a sweet smile. Reborn chuckled before leaning back a bit in his baby step-up chair. Surprisingly the cafe owner had one. Isago couldn't imagine the shame that Reborn had to go through just to get used to using a toddler's chair.
There was a strand of silence that rang between them before Reborn opened his mouth bluntly.
"Ragazzo, I am quite fond of you."
"As a student? Or-"
"Romantically."
Isago's eyebrows shot all the way up to his forehead and he froze right in the middle of his seat, a piece of cake falling from his fork and onto the plate. Reborn stared at him without an ounce of emotion except for the intense look in his eyes. Did Reborn just- at the same time, Isago wanted to question why so many people had crushes on him. Usagi was understandable because Isago was a perfect male in her eyes, but Tsuna and Reborn?
Tsuna aside, Isago could understand that he was nearing the borders of being obsessed with him, but Reborn?
Questioning that made his face flush a bit.
"Wait, wait-" Isago held his hand in front of his face and covered his quivering mouth with it. He took a few deep breaths, trying to process all the information. Did his favourite character just-
What was with all this luck?! He was never confessed by a guy before in his previous life! Now in this life, it seemed as if he was dancing in between the sakura blossoms with rainbows and unicorns sprouting up from everywhere. Reborn? Really?
His heart slammed into his ribcage for the first time in his life. Gosh, Reborn? Really? That man who was known as the world's strongest, probably indulged himself in sex and scandals every day and lived on his strength? Really? That Reborn? At the same time, Isago really wanted to question how the hell Reborn had four girlfriends with his current appearance. Didn't that make them pedophiles?
Isago coughed, failing to laugh off his embarrassment.
"I have considered the possibility before," Reborn's smile almost turned mischievous at Isago's sputtering face that he was trying to hide. "But throughout your entire 25 years of life, were you solely focused on your career?"
Isago held in his breath before releasing it out after a few seconds to calm his erratic heart. He lifted his eyes from the table and back onto Reborn's face, slightly red again because he felt an overwhelming sense of emotion lingering between squealing and shrieking from all his problems. He pushed it down though, lifting his coffee cup to his lips as it vibrated in his hand.
After taking a sip of the bitterness, Isago's face finally returned to its normal colour before leaning forward against the table. "Well, I didn't care much about anything except my career."
"I was told by my parents that they were going to arrange a marriage for me once I turned 26 so I gave up on the idea of finding love-" Isago blinked before continuing. "And now I sound like a teenager trying to not stumble over the word 'love'."
Reborn's lips trembled upward, trying to look like he was only smirking with his poker face, but the laughing shimmer in his eyes gave it all away. Isago fought the urge to roll his eyes before picking up the piece of his cake that fell onto the plate just moments ago.
"You can laugh, I don't mind. But just remember that we're in a cafe with a third person at the counter," Isago placed his cake into his mouth without an ounce of care. Reborn chuckled, infectiously which made a small smile crawl up Isago's face. A moment later, Reborn returned to his completely emotionless poker face with a half-dead look in his eyes.
"How far have you gone with a man before?"
"When I was a girl? Does holding hands in gym class count?"
"With a woman, Ragazzo?"
"Kissing, holding hands, and hugging."
Reborn smirked a bit. "You don't have feelings for your girlfriend, do you?"
Isago eyed Reborn with amusement and tapped his index finger on the table like he was disappointed by Reborn's actions.
"And you remember I have a girlfriend," Isago chuckled teasingly. "Are you trying to persuade me to break up with her?"
Reborn's eyes glinted. "I am a very selfish man, Ragazzo."
"You're right, I did date her because I felt something from her with my hyper intuition, which I realized was her flames afterwards," Isago shrugged. "She's also the perfect candidate for genes."
"I assume that mindset is inherited from your past parents?"
"Oui," Isago chirped, picking up his cup before finishing the whole thing. "Another thing I would really want to ask- do your past girlfriends know about the whole entire stuck-in-a-baby story?"
"No," Reborn announced slowly, tilting his head to the side innocently. Isago smirked, shaking his head at the information.
"I don't want to assume, but they must have been attracted to your mature mindset," Isago reminded himself to not see them as pedophiles, but as women who saw something underneath Reborn's infant body. Reborn didn't frown but lifted the corner of his mouth.
"I'm just that alluring, Ragazzo."
"Not enough for me, Reborn," Isago laughed, waving his hand in front of him before continuing. He squeezed his eyes shut in amusement then opened them, twinkling. "Don't get me wrong, I find your personality pleasant enough to not care about appearances, but when you're 40 centimetres tall, it's really hard for me to see you as a potential love interest, you know?"
The smirk on Reborn's face slipped instantly, a bitter and impatient aura slipped out of his body before Isago felt Leon on his shoulder twitch, about to transform into something. Something more lethal. Isago laughed harder.
"I'm not rejecting you, Reborn," Isago slowed down his grin that was flashing extremely wide across his face. He leaned towards Reborn and spoke in Italian. "I am confident that I can solve your curse."
Reborn's poker face was stone hard.
In actuality, Isago had no idea how to solve the curse. He only watched the anime, not the manga which had solutions to solve the curse by itself. But of course, he knew that Tsuna had solved it. If Tsuna could, then that would mean the curse was possible to solve and that it had a large possibility to be solved during Tsuna's generation. If Isago promised to do something, then he would even if he had to flip the world.
"I'm curious to know where your confidence comes from, Ragazzo."
They were now speaking in pure Italian, and Reborn's accent made Isago swoon just a bit. Isago smiled slyly despite Reborn's narrowed eyes and started explaining his own knowledge.
"Did you know that the pacifiers belong to the Trinisette set?" Isago started before Reborn's eyes flashed recognition of the word. Yes, that was the way to tell Reborn that Isago was on the right track. Isago continued, keeping an eye on Reborn's face. "The Trinisette set has three parts, the Mare rings, the Vongola, and the Pacifiers. The reason why the pacifiers places a curse on the holder's body is because it is too strong."
"Originally they came from a single stone. When the creators divided it, the stone was not equally split into three parts- they made the pacifiers first, then with the remaining half, they split it into the Vongola and Mare rings."
Reborn was silent, but his glare seemed like it could kill. Isago didn't move though, he waited for Reborn's response.
"How do you know all of this, Ragazzo?"
'Because I am god.'
Isago really had the urge to say it like that, but he knew that Reborn would whack him in the middle of the cafe if he did. In this case, he could only lie in order to convince the hitman.
"I planned to tell you when you entered my family," Isago paused before going on. "But I stole Lambo Bovino's ten-year-bazooka."
Reborn's expression snapped alert. There was a long moment before his lips curved into a dark smile. "No wonder you traded the ring for Bovino's safety. You didn't want Baka Tsuna to find out about the missing heirloom."
"That is only a quarter of the reason," Isago bobbed his head. "It's also true that I care about Lambo but more because I wanted to find out what would happen if I didn't leave for Italy and followed Tsuna."
"So what did you find out, Ragazzo?" Reborn's fingers lifted up to play with his sideburns. He was calm for once, amused and waiting for Isago to continue. Isago didn't know, but this was the first time that Reborn felt alive while talking about the curse.
"I found out that I was an invisible figure in the Vongola," Isago saw the twinkle inside Reborn's eyes. There was something- something that he recognized as hope in the hitman's gaze. "I was no one, only a surveilled person under the headquarters. But despite that, I dedicated myself to searching for a method for the Arcobaleno."
Isago closed his eyes and reopened them.
"My future self wrote me a note stating all the important facts about the curse and the pacifiers. He left his hopes on me to create a legend for myself. I have to say though, even if the curse's solution is still a mystery, I am closer to the truth than anyone else in this world is."
Reborn mused a bit.
"What do you plan on doing, Ragazzo?"
"You have to know that this is my classified information, Reborn," Isago eyed him but softened his gaze later after seeing Reborn's unwavering face. Trust. That was one thing that Isago was hesitant about expanding his views, but Reborn was correct. He needed to learn how to trust people and it needed to start right now when he noticed the problem. "I know you don't like to be kept in the dark-"
Isago bit his lip before sighing. "Timoteo is going to choose Tsuna as the successor even if I win."
Reborn's face twitched.
"Call it my hyper intuition, but that's why I'm not going to join the Vongola. I'm going to create my own family."
"You need resources and men, Ragazzo."
"I have most of them planned out, Reborn. I'm going for the Trinisette's Mare rings," Isago watched Reborn frown a bit before something clicked in his head. Isago nodded, already knowing what Reborn was thinking. "There is a reason why there is no Mare family compared to the Vongola who prospered so much."
"The Mare ring chooses their owners, unlike Vongola who is followed by bloodline. It is their miracle to grow stronger each generation. I know where the Mare rings are and I know the requirement to become the Sky Mare's owner. Their sky ability is-" Isago took a big scoop of the melting ice cream in front of him and plopped it into his mouth. "The owner of the sky will be able to peer into all the timelines where he owns the ring."
"The remaining Mare rings are something you cannot touch, Ragazzo," Reborn warned and his voice contained an edge. Isago mused, laughing ironically.
"You don't understand the future, Reborn. In this generation, a Mare ring user will appear. In my future timeline, that user used his ring to control the Giglio Nero Famiglia and steal their rings. That person wants to collect the Trinisette set in order to reach world domination," Isago lifted his spoon into the air, and drew a circle casually. His eyes were bored, half-lidded as he repeated his knowledge to Reborn.
Reborn's face was grave and Isago knew the reason. It was because the sky Arcobaleno was the one who belonged to the Giglio Nero Famiglia before. That must have brought bad memories to the hitman.
"The Mare rings will follow its sky. Thus if I am able to snatch the ring before Byakuran, I will become the holder of the Mares and prevent his whole world destruction plan."
"You seem to hold a grudge against this Byakuran, Ragazzo," Reborn lifted his coffee to his lips and sipped it without tearing his gaze from Isago's face. Isago shrugged, finishing up his cake entirely before his ice cream. The strawberry at the top was a bit sour, but he didn't mind it.
"I don't know the details, but in every timeline, Byakuran slaughtered the Vongola family-like lambs. Me being in the Vongola family would have meant that my death was unfortunate," Isago rolled his shoulders back and asked the owner for a second cup of coffee. The owner came with a jolly grin, pouring him a second cup before adding that to the bill.
"Well, once I attain the Mare ring I might retain my memories of my deaths," Isago sipped his hot coffee and watched Reborn order his second cup too. Isago lowered his gaze from the front and focused on his cup, suddenly realizing that he would attain the thousands of deaths that Byakuran might have inflicted on him. That would hurt. A lot. Not to mention it might increase the chance of him losing his mind in the process.
As if Reborn also reached the same conclusion, the hitman frowned.
"It's too risky, Ragazzo."
"And I've told you that I could destroy the world to get what I want, haven't I?" Isago watched himself flexing his hands. "I don't care what I become."
But that was just a single possibility that he would attain his memories of death. The ability of the Sky Mare was never thoroughly explained in the anime. Thinking about it now, KHR really had a vague gloss over all the specifics. That would mean he had small clues to work with.
"You're an idiot."
Isago laughed at Reborn's words before raising his eyes at him.
"Do you want your curse to be solved?"
Reborn's lips thinned into a very tight line.
There was actually a theory that Isago had thought of while going through his information on the Trinisette again. The Trinisette was separated into three pieces in the first place, and in order to maintain earth, Isago couldn't destroy them. Not to mention Isago wanted power in his hands. Destroying the set would be such a big loss that Isago would never do that in the first place.
He wanted to use the power of the pacifiers.
So that only brought one conclusion.
Isago needed to find a way to separate the Pacifiers.
The Pacifiers had half the original stone, and the Vongola and Mare rings shared a quarter of the power from the stone each.
If he remembered correctly, the ones to actually wield the power of the Trinisette were the 'true earthlings.' All he had to do was to find the corpse of one of the true earthlings and he would be able to retain the information. In the anime, it said that Uni was a descendent of a true earthling, which meant her mother or her grandmother was a true earthling. They had the powers to see into the future.
At the same time, Isago questioned why he was so keen on solving the curse. Perhaps it was just because he wanted Reborn to join his team, and if Reborn did, he would have to solve it. Verde too, if he had a way to solve his subordinate's problems and strengthen their loyalties…
Well, Verde was a bit of an exception when it came to loyalties. But Isago knew that Verde was the type to pay back everything he owed. If Reborn didn't join though, he might as well give up on the curse. After all, that was just adding more to his plate. As if Reborn could read his mind, he blinked at Isago and pursed up his lips.
"Manipulative brat."
"Grandpa Reborn."
Reborn froze in his spot before toying with his tie uncomfortably. He seemed as if he wanted to spit at Isago, but he refrained from doing so because it was out of character. Isago grinned at his victory and leaned on his right palm with a teasing tone.
"Should I start to call you that from now on? Because now that I think of it, you're older than my real age."
Reborn scoffed.
Well, Isago was expecting Reborn to hit him, but he guessed that Reborn was going easy on him because Isago refrained from shaming Reborn's pickup on young girls. But soon that grin disappeared and Isago waved the entire atmosphere away carelessly.
"I know that your mentality hasn't changed from where you left off. I'm experiencing the same situation as you. My mental age is at most 25 years old because I never experienced life past that age. But I do dislike that name, so I'll just solve the curse no matter what you choose to do with my invitation."
Reborn's eyes glinted. "Going that far just to get rid of a nickname, Ragazzo?"
"Si," Isago smiled radiantly before finishing up his ice cream.
"Such a child, Ragazzo," Reborn smiled a bit but he twisted it down before calling the owner for the bill.
"Such a child."
(～￣▽￣)～
Usagi was not feeling well this morning.
She leaned against the bathroom sink, dry hurling as her shoulders quivered. In the corner of her mouth, there was a thin sliver of saliva along with the tears that had rolled off of her cheeks from the pain. Her lower abdomen hurt like hell. She hiccuped, sobbing into her mouth as she coughed again, lurching forward but nothing came out. Her fingers were cold- so cold that it bothered her.
"Usagi? Are you feeling alright?" Thadeka called from outside. Her voice was filled with concern but Usagi squeaked and said that it was probably just her period pains. She winced, coughing again but this time, her saliva contained blood.
(～￣▽￣)～
"Ragazzo, you place too little trust in your guardians."
Ragazzo turned his head back with a smooth turn, one eyebrow raised up high as he lowered his hand that was holding Reborn's backup gun. His back was completely soaked as he breathed, silver hair a bit damp on the back of his head. His eyes blinked with a glimmer of confusion that made Reborn's lips curl up instinctively.
He was taller than Reborn right now, but Reborn's original form was still a head taller than he was. The boy grew fast though, just in the few days that he was back at the Sawada household, he had grown a few centimetres. It could be because Ragazzo didn't seem to have enough sleep over the past few months without his pills. His white shirt that he wore was now short around the bottom. The boy flicked his head back to the front, shoulders heaving up and down before he wiped his sweat with the back of his right hand and trudged towards Reborn.
Reborn was sitting upon a huge boulder, watching over Ragazzo's training practice with amusement at his growth. Even if Ragazzo was a reincarnation, his maturity and growth were far ahead of the average human. It solved many questions Reborn had though, and his rewards were high despite the risk he took with Ragazzo yesterday. He had thought that angering Ragazzo might break their bond but he trusted that Ragazzo held him high in his mind.
"You mean the part where I gave them a reason for me to trust them?" Isago reached Reborn's side and plopped down, fiddling with the gun in his hands. His fingers grazed over the muzzle as a sly smile slid onto his face, holding the trigger with his other hand and pointing it to his left palm. His finger twitched, wanting to pull the trigger except it loosened after a few minutes and let the gun slide back into his hand. Reborn watched with fascinated interest directed at Ragazzo's actions, never able to take his eyes off of him.
Sometimes, Reborn questioned if Ragazzo was a masochist.
"You are right at that point," Isago pointed out, grinning at Reborn like a child before placing the gun on his lap. "After you pointed that out yesterday I realized that I was deliberately making them obsessed with me."
Reborn remained quiet and let the silence answer Ragazzo's questions.
Aurelio was from the streets, Bei Li had nowhere to go, Thadeka lost her family, the twins had no one that understood them with their personalities, and Ragazzo's girlfriend…
Reborn mused.
Usagi, the storm guardian who threw away her last name and massacred her family for revenge. She suited her role in the mafia, so much that Reborn could see her break down if it wasn't for Ragazzo inserting himself into the position that held her together. She was strong, a person who chased for the thrill of killing her opponents. However, those were all reasons that Ragazzo had made for himself to trust them.
"Tsuna, I've stopped my possessive grasp on him because he needs to grow without fully chasing after me. In order for me to actually use him, I would need to have him develop Vongola in his own way," Isago flashed Reborn a lopsided grin. "My guardians…"
"I should trust them more," Isago said, lifting his head and studying the clouds. "But then again, old habits are hard to die."
"You trust the twins the most in your group," Reborn tilted his head with a smirk. "Why is that?"
"Ah, that's because-" Isago stopped halfway, his mouth forming a thin line before shaking his head with a light laugh. "I'll tell you if you join my family."
"I never knew you were so desperate, Ragazzo," Reborn smirked slyly.
"My guardians get hurt easily," Isago pointed out. "They also don't listen to anyone except me, which is why I need a second in command."
Reborn chuckled.
It did sound like Ragazzo had made his role perfectly in his family.
"Not to mention, it may be because you've known me better than my other guardians, but you're the only one that can help me sleep without the use of pills," Isago's eyes dropped down onto his hands with a clear of his throat. Reborn had to smirk at that. The boy was blunt with him, although a bit bashful, he was honest.
He could see Ragazzo struggling with his words and that made Reborn feel a bit giddy. Isago cleared his throat, looking at the trees now with an extremely interested expression. It was all good until Ragazzo sighed, murmuring to himself about Usagi.
"Usagi's face was pale from yesterday," Isago leaned his weight onto his two hands that shot out to support him. "That's not the face of period pain, not to mention she wasn't clutching her stomach- it was her arm. It seemed as if she was trying to keep herself awake."
There were a few possibilities that instinctively ran throughout Reborn's head. But the most likely one was that she was poisoned.
"What do you think, Ragazzo?"
"Poisoned."
Reborn nodded to Ragazzo's confirmation.
Isago slid out his cellphone from his pocket and dialled Adriano's phone number instantly, talking fast Italian over the phone before closing the flap down with silent regard. The boy concluded that it was either that day Usagi had her storm battle or it was when Isago didn't notice. Indeed, Reborn had also thought of the same thing. It was amusing to see how fast Ragazzo applied his findings to his conversation and mindset.
Just yesterday, Reborn pointed out that Ragazzo didn't trust his members enough. Then at the cafe, Reborn could see Ragazzo trying to trust himself with Reborn. Although Reborn didn't know if it was idiotic or calculated that Ragazzo was trusting someone else who was not in his family yet. Was Ragazzo so confident that he could harmonize with Reborn?
Reborn's lips curled up just a little bit.
It was possible.
Highly possible that Ragazzo was the only sky that could bond with him. In the past, Reborn had thought the only sky was the sky acrobaleno, but she already had a set of guardians herself. The family dynamic was also completed. He would not be needed in that family- but in this case, Ragazzo needed a mentor. He needed a second in command and he needed his flames. Ragazzo's famiglia seemed like they needed him too. The twins were interesting in character too.
Reborn studied the boy beside him. His bare ankles showing from his short pants hang casually out in the open. His skin was pale and there was a sparkle in the boy's eyes which seemed like stars to Reborn. His white shirt's collar hung loosely around his neck, the sweat soaking up through his back but Reborn didn't mind it. The sun reflected on Ragazzo's face like it was drawn to this boy's beauty and potential.
Reborn smiled.
He would take the chances.
(～￣▽￣)～
Timoteo rolled his head back and let out a pain-wrenching gasp. He was tossed around like he was in a washing machine, feeling nauseous and numb at the same time. He wrinkled his nose and clenched his gray fingers that were starting to turn blue at the tips. His hands were cold and old, the veins extending all the way to his arms as if they were also draining away his energy. The machine was draining all his powers- Timoteo hung his head as he squeezed his eyes shut weakly, almost unable to move at all. He knew who placed him there. He knew why his son had done this to him. He should have never softened his heart and gone to that meeting place.
But he thought that Xanxus would have cooled his rage after years and years of sleeping. He felt terrible because Timoteo was guilty of everything. If he had only refused the woman who claimed that she gave birth to his son, Xanxus would have never experienced any of this. He knew how terrible he was to his son. He had betrayed the young boy that looked at him with so much respect and fondness. Those eyes were no longer filled with love- they were filled with hatred.
Which was why Timoteo's heart twisted itself, ripping itself even though it couldn't move. The corner of the old man's eyes remained slanted down and tired, trying to control his breaths slowly before he closed his eyes, feeling too tired. This was not the only disappointment he would have to give- and he was truly sorry for it. Xanxus could not become the next head. That boy too- Timoteo tried to open his eyes but they were so heavy. His face was growing paler by the second, and the colour was almost matching the gray strands that were matted all over his face.
He had a feeling that fate was telling Timoteo to choose him.
He knew that the other one would face prejudice from the future members of the Vongola but he knew that they were close brothers. Brothers that would never harm each other.
Irony.
That was what Timoteo felt at that exact moment. For someone who had everything- the only thing he didn't have was the love that he tried so hard to maintain with his family.
"I'm sorry-" he breathed out with an inaudible heave. "-my grandson."
(～￣▽￣)～
Tsuna was a bit conflicted. No, scratch that, he was very frazzled with his current state. His sweaty hands gripped hard on his sweatpants as he panted, hanging his head downward in an attempt to cool himself. There was a stiff vibration expanding through his chest as he shot his body up again, bolting upward into the sky before releasing small bursts of attacks out in the air to help with his flying. His flame attacks were shaky and barely stable compared to Isago's fluid lasers that Tsuna watched him flick around just for fun.
Reborn had advised Tsuna to use his flames as a propeller to harm the enemy. What's more, he could spray it out into the air as a barrier made out of pure sky flames to dissipate all of Isago's laser bullets. After all, when two strong sky flames clashed together they would cancel each other out. However, Tsuna was panicking despite all of Reborn's words about him being able to survive between Isago and Xanxus.
His brother was too strong.
Again, the crease in between Tsuna's forehead deepened.
He was amazed, awed by Isago's transformation and strength but at the same time, all the pressure was getting on Tsuna's nerves. Today was the day of the mist battle and while Tsuna was very worried about Mukuro hurting Lucille, he was even more concerned about the baby wearing a hood. There was this feeling that Tsuna had in his chest- that the baby would turn out to be a monster.
Tsuna couldn't lag behind his guardians either. He needed to grow stronger.
The sky battle was coming after two more days. Two more days before Tsuna had to clash against Isago and prove to him that he could stand next to his brother. Tsuna's quivering breath hitched in mid air before his pills released himself from his state and his whole gravity tilted downwards, pushing him and burning him into the ground.
(～￣▽￣)～
Isago was too busy stabilizing Lucille's chances of winning.
"Yes, release it like that," Isago instructed as Lucille used his illusions to cover up the sleeping gas. Lucille tilted his head before placing a barrier between his body and the outside world, completely eating up the gas while focusing on making the gas disappear.
It wasn't really much as disappearing, but rather, memorizing the structure of the building he was in and placing another level on top of the gas to make it seem like there was no change to the real world. The sleeping gas was originally gray when it levitated from the ground, picking up dust but Isago had asked Adriano if it was possible to create an invisible type of gas. Maybe it was because this world was an anime, but all gases had colours.
The creation was on its way, but it was already too late for Lucille who had his battle today. Well, all they had to do was make do then. Other than that, Adriano had taken Usagi to the hospital, but aside from the painful symptoms, the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her. They referred to it as a mild liver malfunction. Which was utter nonsense. Usagi said it was alright though, but Isago commanded Adriano to find a good doctor at the Vongola base to diagnose Usagi's pain.
That would take two days for the doctor to fly from Italy to here. Reborn also wasn't much help, but Isago didn't need his help either. Shamal was one thing, but Isago knew that unless things were in a dire state, Reborn would never call Shamal to help him.
"Lucille, we're going to be heading over to the battleground early so you can observe the structure," Isago called out and checked his watch. Lucille nodded, chirping a 'yes' before saluting to Isago behind the training rooms. Lucas was in Vongola's other training room, seemingly doing his own thing until the time ran out and he had to head over with Isago and the crew.
Thadeka was diligently watching over Usagi while Bei Li had gone out to the convenience stores to binge on all the different types of breads in Japan. Surprisingly, China did not have 300 different flavours of kit kats. Bei Li was having a very fun time in Japan and to Isago's amusement, each time he went to a shopping center, Bei Li would bring back a bunch of souvenirs, stating how generous he was when he was using Isago's credit card.
Like the other day how Bei Li splurged a whole night at the bar drinking alcohol and picking up cute girls. He didn't sleep with them though, only entertained them with his stories and 'oh so great' self-esteem. Isago had to give it to Bei Li though, even if he was narcissistic, he was fairly popular with the girls. Too bad that man thought he was too beautiful to be taken by only one girl. Even the clothes that Isago was wearing right now-
A green shirt that had its sleeves reach all the way past his elbow but just centimetres before his wrist. It was a casual top that made Isago seem slimmer than he actually was since it did not hug his body. More huggable, Isago would call it. His usual wristwatch stood proudly on his arm along with his piercings. He wore a white trouser that indicated the carelessness that he held towards this battle, but in actuality, Isago was probably the most worried out of any of the soon-to-be bosses in the battles.
He had prepared for Lucille, specially made bulletproof clothes with the highest protection on everything he could wear. After all, unlike the rest of his guardians, the twins were still children no matter how deadly they were. If just by chance, they charged in…
"I told you that Lucille and I have a clear mind," Lucas rolled his eyes as he stepped out of his training room right next to Lucille's hair damp with sweat rolling off the tips of his strands. His black hair moved when he tousled it to make it drier but Isago chuckled, taking an extra towel from the prepared basket on top of the counter at the side. He extended the towel out and wrapped it around Lucas' head, gently ruffling his hair with the towel.
Lucas groaned, hands flying up to his head before he semi yelled that he could do it himself. Isago grinned at the boy's childlike pout, throwing the towel around Lucas' neck before turning back to Lucille who was just exiting out of his room. There was the sound of an automatic door before Isago and the twins turned around to see Adriano carrying a bunch of files in his hands and was grinning at Isago.
"Isago, your guardians are really exceptional! After winning the last four battles, there have been many groups that started betting on your wins!" Adriano gestured to the papers that he was carrying and soon handed one to Isago's curious hands. With a quick scan, Isago laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement before flapping the file in the air.
"I became profit for the Vongola?"
The twins exchanged glances.
Idiots, Lucas commented and Lucille agreed.
They don't know what will happen once Isago leaves the Vongola, Lucille beamed in. Tsuna doesn't even have a single clue how much Isago is taking over the Vongola right now.
Influence is key, Isago reminded them without tearing his gaze from Adriano and telling him to organize all the information and send them out to the HQ. I can already tell that the Nero and Beccio Famiglia will be following Notte Eterna the moment Tsuna takes the reign of the Vongola. A pity that Bovino will not follow. I was fond of their family due to Lambo.
Lucas shrugged.
Isago, why do you like Lambo? Lucille asked, tilting his head to the side. Isago couldn't see it because he had his back turned against him, but he heard it in Lucille's voice. Lucille's voice was just on the borders of jealousy.
No, I'm not jealous!
Isago momentarily narrowed his eyes at Adriano, but it was meant to be directed at Lucas. He was not expecting Lucas to transfer everything that he thought of to Lucille. But Isago had to admit that Lucille was cute being jealous.
I told you, I'm not jealous, Isago!
Adriano at the front widened his eyes and looked lost- not knowing what he did wrong. Lucas, on the other hand, snickered. Adriano was about to ask Isago but Isago quirked on a mischievous smile and played it like Reborn.
Lambo is cute, haven't you heard his voice when he sings in the bathtub? Isago's smile grew wider as the song started playing in his head.
'Ore chino atama nani haite ru
Ame tama CANDY CHOCOLATE
Otto sore dakeja naimonne
Dekkai yume mo haite ru'
No- Isago, stop, Lucas hollered out in Isago's head. I've had enough of that song from Lambo's brain!
'BOSS ni shuunin Reborn boko boko
Bovino Family sekaiichi
I-pin sokodoke
Gokudera deko bin
Shishi babaa kini shinai'
Nooooo! Lucas clutched his head physically, making Adriano bend his body in confusion at the kid. Adriano silently gestured to Lucas but Isago grinned, shaking his head to tell him that everything was fine.
I think it's cute too, Lucas! Lucille giggled, rocking on his feet like a good child and Isago patted his head with amusement. After a while, Isago glanced at his watch again, signalling to his subordinates to leave the base and head towards the battlefield.
(～￣▽￣)～
Tsuna lay in his bed while the covers surrounded him like a blanket full of moss. He wanted to merge in with it, sleep and never wake up because life was just too tiring for him. Tsuna sighed, glancing outside of the window before seeing a black car pull up into his driveway. For a moment there, Tsuna wanted to scream because he thought it was an assassin, but soon after Isago stepped out of the car, Tsuna sighed.
Again, Tsuna was self-conscious of his own feelings towards his brother. Ever since Isago appeared for the Vongola battles, Tsuna realized that he had an inferiority complex. He knew, yet he couldn't stop it. He wanted to chase after Isago, but at the same time, he had the urge to surpass Isago. His brother's silver hair lingered underneath the roof before the window of the car rolled down to reveal his brother's guardian.
Mr. Adriano…?
Tsuna couldn't really recall that person's name. Isago was always surrounded by people. He worked for it, but at the same time that made Tsuna resent his brother for being so perfect. He loved his brother, but also hated being placed second when he was the older one. He was really selfish. Tsuna sighed, drowning back into his blankets before feeling the warmth in his bedroom.
Just like that time that Tsuna had found out his brother sacrificed his own room for him and mom. Isago had done so much for him, but Tsuna was here, complaining about how Isago was getting further and further away from him.
Reborn too.
Tsuna's eyes narrowed a bit, accusing something- anything to take the blame until there was a gentle knock on Tsuna's door. Tsuna didn't answer for the sake of not answering. His feelings were all messed up. Chaotic, and weird. He wanted to surpass his brother, he understood that. But Tsuna also wanted to keep his brother near him.
"Tsuna?"
Tsuna held in his breath as his younger brother pushed himself into the room, eyes wandering for a couple of moments before landing on the bed. Tsuna prayed multiple times that his brother couldn't find him. Unfortunately, the sound of his brother sitting on his bed shuffled through the entire room and Tsuna groaned, frustrated.
"Tsuna, this scene reminds me of the day Reborn came to our house," Isago's voice rang out from other the covers and Tsuna felt his brother's weight lean on him. It was comforting, and Tsuna closed his eyes from the dryness. It was true, ever since Reborn came into his house, everything had changed.
Sometimes, Tsuna even wondered if it was better if Reborn never came into his house in the first place. Tsuna knew himself that he was thankful for Reborn's teachings and his help for getting his friends. Although that baby's methods were brutal, he still couldn't deny the results that it produced. Tsuna suddenly remembered how Isago taught him about being thankful no matter what circumstance people hammered into his life.
But Tsuna wasn't Isago.
He couldn't thank everything that happened.
"Remember that time when you whined about Kyoko?" Isago lifted his head and gave a weary sigh, glancing at the warm bundle that shifted a bit under Isago's weight. Kyoko was angry at Tsuna.
It was going so well until Tsuna left her alone in the middle of the street. He apologized countlessly but there was already a strain between Kyoko and him. Again, Tsuna didn't know who to blame. He wanted to blame himself, but another part of him wanted to blame Isago for appearing at that place and time. He wanted to blame himself for choosing Isago over his lifelong crush, but he also wanted to blame Isago for leaving him.
Then Tsuna could go on and on and on about all his complaints, but that was all just whining. Tsuna had promised to himself to not whine and solve things like a proper person, just like his brother did. Tsuna puffed up his cheeks.
"You and Reborn are getting close recently."
That came out way too bitter for Tsuna. His face flushed, making him sound like a jealous older brother who was lacking attention from his younger sibling. What was he, a bro con? Tsuna's face grew redder at the thought. No way. Definitely not. He was just a bit attached to Isago. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.
They were brothers.
"Is my older brother getting jealous?" Isago raised his eyebrow, a small grin forming onto his face as Tsuna popped his head out of his blankets. Tsuna's eyes lingered on Isago's face just for a moment, his brother's pale skin glowing in his room even though the lights were not turned on.
"No! I'm not- I just-"
"Tsuna, I think it's time we talk."
Tsuna winced.
Even though Tsuna knew that it was nothing serious like his mom nagging him about his failed grades or Reborn pulling a prank on him, Isago's words were mentally pressuring. Isago chuckled and lifted his hand to brush Tsuna's face.
"Listen Tsuna, we both need to grow in different ways. All of us have different paths and the same goes for Reborn," Isago smiled reassuringly and it made Tsuna's shoulders slouch in his blankets. "Are you worried that I'll leave or that I'll steal Reborn away from you?"
Tsuna's eyes widened.
"Isago, I never thought that Reborn was mine or anything! He's a person, I can't-" Tsuna stopped. Unconsciously, he had already thought of the question. What if Reborn left Tsuna for Isago? Could he blame Isago? Was he going to blame Isago? What was Reborn to him anyway? Tsuna knew that Reborn was sent to become his tutor, but Isago was also part of the entire tutoring plan.
Even though Reborn did focus solely on teaching Tsuna at first.
Even though Reborn was meant to only teach Tsuna.
"You can't what?" Isago's voice was as smooth as velvet before Tsuna locked eyes with his brother. There was a cold and calculating glare inside of his brother's golden eyes and it made Tsuna's chest tremble with discomfort. Just like a hawk. Isago reminded Tsuna of a hawk that was laying his eyes on his prey.
"I-Isago…" Tsuna whimpered under those eyes and his brother's gaze instantly softened. There was a long pause before Tsuna spoke up, breaking the silence for the first time in his life. There was a surge of confidence, he felt his resolution flicker in his eyes as he stared directly at his younger brother. "Isago, I want the successor's seat."
His own words surprised himself but Tsuna gulped, pushing himself up from the bed as the blankets around his shoulders fell down in a heap. Isago watched the blankets land on the bed before twisting his frown into a smile.
"I know, Tsuna. I know."
"I don't want you to leave me."
"Mhm."
"Reborn is my tutor."
"Okay."
Tsuna was stunned at how casually Isago replied to all his demands. It struck a refreshed cord in Tsuna and his heart skipped a beat at the realization that Isago could agree to potentially anything Tsuna requested out of him. It shook him by surprise that it almost made him breathless. If he could request Isago to-
No, what was he thinking? They were brothers. He couldn't do such a thing to Isago.
Isago's eyes glimmered knowingly before he leaned closer to Tsuna, falling on top of him as Isago closed his eyes.
"Tsuna."
"Yeah…?"
"I'm human."
"...?"
"Reborn is human."
Tsuna's mouth thinned into a line before he fell back onto his knees. He knew what Isago was trying to tell him. Isago had warned Tsuna several times before this entire talk.
"I'm sure you don't need me to spell it out for you."
Tsuna lowered his eyes and his feelings were clashing against each other like a wave. His mouth was dry and when he swallowed, it was like a bunch of needles cuddled up together. He...he was being possessive over Isago and Reborn. That- Tsuna didn't expect himself to feel like that. That was right, Isago and Reborn had their own goals. He couldn't-
They didn't belong to anyone.
But it was like, the harder he tried to let go, the more desperate he was for them to not leave him. Reborn had gone from accompanying him to staying on Isago's shoulder most of the time now. And while Tsuna felt jealous, he was more conflicted about the fact that Reborn had chosen Isago over him.
Reborn's time in teaching him had also decreased, not to mention Reborn had moved out of his room and into Isago's. Being chosen over made Tsuna feel like everyone was going to leave him. Tsuna's eyes fluttered to the front and landed on Isago's sharp features. Unlike Tsuna's soft and baby face, Isago seemed as if he had grown out of the child phase. There were evident lines of black eyebags underneath his brother's eyes.
Exactly how hard did Isago work for everything?
Tsuna couldn't hate Isago no matter what his younger brother did.
"Tsuna," Isago turned over to him, not really smiling. He rolled his shoulders and let his head rest upon Tsuna's shoulder so that he could take a break for himself. His brother sighed, closing his eyes. "I treasure you a lot. Remember that."
Again, Tsuna realized how much his brother was suffering in the pile of workload. But he didn't understand what Isago was busy with. Isago had no school, even if it was going abroad to study like how mom told him, it was supposed to be Isago's vacation.
"I know- Isago, why are you so tired?" Tsuna questioned.
"Classified information," Isago waved dismissively and Tsuna instantly shut up. It was like magic, Tsuna found him automatically obeying Isago's command. Even now, Tsuna felt that Isago was more suitable to become a boss instead of him. But that thought only made Tsuna feel like he wanted to catch up to his brother. "But all I can tell you is that I'm taking over your workload in the mafia for you right now."
Tsuna squeaked. "There will be work in the mafia?!"
Isago's eyebrows furrowed up with amusement while he snapped open his eyes that glimmered with both disbelief and intrigue. "Are you being serious right now? Because I never knew my older brother could crack a joke like that."
"No, I'm serious, Isago! I thought the mafia was just killing and protecting your own property!"
"Oh gosh," Isago murmured after himself, gazing absentmindedly at the wall. "Did Reborn not specify your duties as the leader of Vongola?"
"Not really?" Tsuna's expression was pale and grave, looking like a trapped dog in a box. Isago physically slapped his forehead and Tsuna could tell that his brother was in between laughing at him and being concerned for Tsuna's own future.
"Taxes," Isago started, glancing at Tsuna. "Protection racketeering, disputes between criminals and fellow subordinates, illegal agreements and transactions, human trafficking, drug dealing, blackmail, bribery with politicians, laundering, codes, betrayal- and the list goes on and on and on."
Tsuna's mouth dropped down while his lips trembled at the list.
"Isago, I don't understand half the things you mentioned…" Tsuna whispered, staring off into space and smiling like he just lost half his life. Isago grinned.
"You said you wanted the seat, take responsibility for your words."
"Isago, can I retract my words?"
"No."
Tsuna slammed his face into his mattress.
"Kill me. Just kill me now," he groaned and bashed his fists into his bed. "Where did my 'winning at life while sleeping go?!'"
Isago snickered and his grin grew wider on his face. "Tsuna, it never existed in the first place."
Tsuna whined, although his words were muffling inside his bed, Isago could hear perfectly well on the outside. What was Tsuna going to do? He didn't even understand half the words that Isago had brought up. What the heck was racketeering? Tennis rackets? Laundering? Wandering around?!
He wheezed.
He thought that all he had to do was protect his friends and family, maybe throw in a couple more men under his protection and that was it. How did so many problems come out from just doing that? Tsuna heard from Reborn that Vongola was big and powerful, but he never mentioned that the resources came with a heap of work. There was also human trafficking? Why? What even?
Why was there a need for drug dealing anyways? The world should get rid of drugs for the safety of people in general! Tsuna sighed, flopping over his mattress as his two hands dangled out from the sides.
"You'll help me right, Isago?" Tsuna slowly turned towards Isago, a bit hesitant but still desperate. Tsuna's eyes were filled with crusty emotions that were whirling around his chest. Isago dropped down onto the bed and extended his two arms across the mattress into a starfish position before glancing back at Tsuna.
He didn't say anything though.
"Please, Isago, I can't do this without you."
Isago blinked, smiling slyly before slapping Tsuna on the back. Tsuna shrieked and bolted up like his bed was filled with fleas. Tsuna glared lightly at his brother and soon softened his gaze when he saw Isago chuckle. Isago's laugh sounded like wind chimes.
"We'll see how well you can handle the workload first. If not, then I'll have your men come over to my place and lessen your load."
Phew!
Tsuna sighed in relief. As long as his brother was there beside him, he could do this. He could do whatever was thrown at him- well, maybe not everything, but definitely most of the things on that list. Isago sat up, looking at the clock that was hanging on the wall in Tsuna's room.
"Tsuna, you have to know that you're joining the mafia. In there, everyone is either an enemy or an ally. Choose who you trust wisely, and once you do, never betray them," Isago tilted his head with a soft smile. "Can you trust me?"
"Isago, I don't care how the succession comes out, but I will always trust you."
There was something that Tsuna couldn't read on Isago's face, but he concluded it as delight. It was just like that these few days. Tsuna couldn't read Isago as well as before. Isago ruffled Tsuna's head with a laugh before he stood up and exited out of the room. But before he did, Isago halted his footsteps and peeked back at his older brother.
"Remember your words, Tsuna. Because I also treasure you so."