A/N:

@Kunn: Wait. Let's have Reborn give him that reality check. The real good flex of how good of a parent and a sun he is, and a good slap on Iemitsu's face. Take care as well!

@Plew A.E: Gomen. I was itching, but Tsuna is just too kindhearted. I mean I wanted to obliterate them with Tsuna's x-burner, but the poor innocent trees will get included. But no worries. The boss and the messenger will get their pain at some time.

@Ferizier: Let's see. First, option is a no because CEDEF will try to kill Reborn as well. Iemitsu, unfortunately, is still CEDEF's boss at any form. Not unless some miracle makes him step down. Second option is prophetic. Remember, Tsuna talked with the Vendice back when he visited Namimori. Mwahahaha.

@Tenma Kirin: Here is the update!

@andyimanmasacayan: Thanks! Thank you for reading too!

@qiaraz97: Oh Gosh. Don't cry! And no worries, Reborn will give Iemitsu a bitchslap. Well, hopefully.

Thank you for the reviews! This is the weekday update! I hope you like it? Hahaha!

Anyway, go on. Shoo~.

Chapter Forty-Five

Tsuna stopped playing with Usa-chan when he felt a sudden spike on his heart. Reaching out to clench a hand on his chest, he checked his intuition for guidance. The alien in his mind nudged him to go out in a soft manner. He complied, gathering the bunny in his arms and taking the tray of empty bowls and plate with a hand, before going out.

He knew he has been in the dumps for the past days, and worrying others. He didn't go to his classes nor attended meals with them either. Soma and Fumio will leave trays of food by the side of the door, opting him to eat. He does. He can't waste the effort, can he? That morning though, he woke up on someone knocking on his door. When he opened the door, he was graced with Usa-chan looking up to him, and an orange blur running for the corridor on his left. He accepted the bunny's company to assure them that he's alright. Yuki can be chatty when she wants to.

When he entered the dining hall, he was greeted with his dorm mates crying. Even Erina, who he saw a glimpse that morning, has her head bowed down. He cleared his throat to fix his unused voice, it caused him to gain their attention.

"A-Ano..." He voiced awkwardly.

"Tsuna-kun!" The girls bellowed and ran up to him.

Usa-chan jumped out his arms as he quickly stashed the tray away. Even the others crowded around him, crying and complaining about the Polar Star dorm getting demolished under Azami Nakiri's and Eizan's orders. That Shokugeki can't fix anything because the judges were bribed. He tried to calm them down, giving off his sky flames that things will be alright, and that they don't have to pack.

Yuki was really vocal about her complains, reminiscing those fun times they had in the dorm. Even Megumi and Ryouko were crying their hearts out. Shun was completely silent as the boys cried, but he saw how those fists balled. He can't help feeling like he was the one at fault. Of why they're demolishing the dorm, even under Azami's plan and for the sake of Erina. He is living in the same roof and being pressured by someone associated with the new director.

Is he really being selfish? To sacrifice the others' happiness just for his own happiness... Just what should he do?

"Alright." He clapped and smiled reassuringly, causing the others to be attentive. "Calm down. It will not do us good if we cry all night. You said there are still ten days before they do it, right? Then we'll think of something, and stretch those days for our gain."

"But Tsuna-kun, we can't go against the Central. We'll get expelled." Yuki sniffed.

Tsuna wiped away the girl's tears. "One way or another, some miracles will happen." He looked at the others. "So calm your hearts and keep your mind clear. We don't want nightmares tonight, do we? Who wants to hear us boys screaming like banshees?"

The girls giggled while the boys smiled, not a bit offended.

"Good. Now, off to bed, children. You cry babies. There are no monsters under our beds." He dismissed, ushering them out.

"Except Eizan-sempai." Yuki responded, wrinkling her nose.

"That," He chuckled as he put Usa-chan in the girl's arms. "is a good one, Yuki-chan."

As the others go, he helped Fumio in cleaning the tables and washing the dishes. They didn't talk much. They just bonded over how delicious the meal was, and how would the boys sound if they do scream like banshees. Tsuna couldn't stop himself from laughing because he knew how much of a whiny screamer he was two years ago.

When he was about to go, he hugged the dorm mother and murmured assurance that their home won't go. He was rewarded with a weak slap on the head, that he chuckled at. He knew the dorm mother won't let anything happen to Polar Star. It is the home of many chefs she nurtured to reach the best.

"Tsuna-kun." He faced Erina who must have been waiting for him. "Can we talk?"

He smiled. "Sure."

"I-I'm sorry if I'm taking your time." The blondie apologized as they walked for the lobby of the mansion. "I'm just really worried and I don't know who to talk to."

"I understand."

"I heard that your father is associated with mine." Erina cautiously worded. "I'm sorry I didn't know. I could've told you things if they were."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "There's no need to apologize. It was no ones fault that they suddenly came. Although I knew this will happen since the second week of stagiaire, Erina-chan." They stopped walking by the stairs. "One of my friends alerted me that my father was talking with someone named Azami Nakiri. It must have slipped my mind since I was planning to ask you who he was in your family. Good thing I didn't ask and it slipped out of my mind, given your reaction on him when he came three days ago, it will be a bad thing to talk about." He looked down to his hands as he continued to talk. "My father, Iemitsu Sawada, wants me to go back to my hometown."

"Why?"

"Because I run away." He quirked a small smile when the lady gasped. "When I entered the room to be one of the examinees for the entrance exam, I was already on the run by then. If Senzaemon Nakiri-san didn't recommend me the academy, and you didn't let me pass, I won't be here. I won't be able to meet you people and live in this dorm." He can't help holding his hands together in a tight grip. "Maybe at some time, my father was able to figure out my location and approached your father to do some planning and came up with this. Right now, he's trying his best to pull me back to my hometown. Who knows, maybe demolishing the dorm is one of his plans."

"Tsuna-kun." He looked up when soft hands took his wrung ones. Purple eyes stared at him with disbelief and shock. "You're not thinking-"

"I can't let their dreams go fade. This home to be gone." He said in a soft whisper. "If it can make them stop, who am I not to do it? I'm just one person, Erina-chan. I've done a lot of sacrifices in my life. I was able to enjoy the past ten months here in Tootsuki because of you. So it's alright."

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "But Tsuna-kun, I'm also at fault. I am here, defying my father's wishes. I can be the reason why they're doing this."

"Who knows. Maybe it's the both of us?" He kidded as he brushed the tears away. "Don't cry, Erina-chan. My tutor will punish me if he gets the knowledge that I made a lady cry. Soma might even tease me about it."

Erina scoffed as she wiped away her tears. "Yukihira-kun won't tease you."

"He will." He assured. "Just... Don't mind me, okay? I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about."

"We have messed up fathers." Erina sighed.

Tsuna chuckled bitterly. "Tell me about it."

They bid good night. Tsuna waited for Erina to ascend the stairs before he went for his room. He blinked in surprise when he came in. Soma is sitting on his study chair, looking out to the window. The redhead looks really serious, and as if he's thinking something deep. His intuition nudged him towards 'planning'. He can't help smiling at that. His storm is about to move again.

He closed the door, earning a soft 'click', and went for his bed. He sat there, contemplating of what to do. Asking guidance from his intuition, that has been quiet since then. He kept himself from sighing.

"I heard you and Nakiri talking." Tawny eyes peered at the redhead who's eyes were glaring at him. "What are you planning to do, Tsuna?"

Tsuna gulped and looked away. "It's nothing."

"Didn't we establish that you're a bad liar, Tsuna?" He peered and watched Soma face him, sitting crossed legs on the chair. "I've given you two days to calm yourself about what happened five nights ago. And I already gave you almost a month to gather your courage and tell me the dream that made you text me in the middle of the night. You won't do your stunt five nights ago, giving me your phone and act like everything is alright when you look like a zombie after you came back."

Tsuna found his throat going dry as those yellow eyes flashed red.

"So tell me everything. What happened to your dream, that night and what were you talking about with Nakiri." Soma urged, staring at him.

He gulped as his intuition whispered him to confess everything. "Soma."

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'm selfish?"

Yellow eyes darkened. "Who told you that?"

"N-No. Just think about it for a minute." He mollified, afraid that the ranga's flames might manifest due to his emotions. They won't want that to happen and see half of the dorm disintegrate, right?

Tsuna watched as Soma lowered his head, a hand on his chin. He watched his best friend think through while he gathered his own courage to spill everything. Gather to recall that stupid dream that haunted him for a week, causing him to stay up all night long just to secure himself that he's in the dorms. That he's still with Soma. That he's safe in the walls of the academy. His mind went back to Oregano, then the demolition of the Polar Star dorm. His and Erina's situations.

Damn. They do have shitty fathers.

"I honestly think that you're not selfish, Tsuna." He blinked his eyes to remove himself from his reverie. His eyed Soma who his sporting his usual thinking pose. "I won't enumerate you the reasons and the examples, but I know- We both know that you're not selfish and conceited. You've been in a lot of situation that could benefit you, but you never really took the opportunity of exploiting them for your own gain. You even drop it away if it can't give anything to others. So no. You're not selfish."

"E-Even if I runaway for myself?"

"Does that define you as selfish?" Soma questioned, tilting his head a little to the right. "You said so yourself, they tried to keep you in there while being stripped off of your guardians and getting attacked by hitmen and assassins-"

"Where did you-"

"Senzaemon Nakiri told me. Anyway, you have the right to runaway, Tsuna. You've done your job, so why stick around and waste your time idling there, when you can search for the meaning of your life and meet me here in Tootsuki? Remember, you won't meet us if you didn't runaway. They can say all they want, but none of us will agree that you don't deserve to be here. None of us will say that you're selfish." Then he was given a levelled stare. "Now tell me every single thing."

"Where do you want me to start?"

"From the beginning."

Tsuna spilled everything. From his suspicion about Iemitsu's plan, to Kawahira's message to him. Then his nightmare and then what happened the other night. He couldn't stop. He just found himself saying everything to Soma.

"How did you know?" Soma queried, amazed. "I mean it will take a lot for you to rope up everyone and believe you."

"It's my passed down ability, Soma." He answered, trying to remember how Reborn explained intuition to him. "It's like Erina-chan's God's tongue. While she has that, I have a powerful intuition. It's like instincts but more powerful. Like instead of just feeling that I need to cook a lot, it tells me to cook a lot because something will happen. And it's always been like that."

Yukihira's face was lit up. "Woah. So whenever you say you knew I was in trouble, it's because of your intuition?"

"Yes. But I feel like a cheat, you know. Knowing things, predicting things, reading people like books, having super sensitive senses. It's one of the reasons I don't want to compete. I feel like a cheat because I know what to do, I know what you'll do, I know what will happen."

"But because of that, you also know what to say in a situation. You know what to do when things go downhill." The ranga went out of his chair and kneeled near him. "I bet it was also hidden when they sealed your flame away."

He nodded. "It was."

"Then it's a part of you. You don't need to feel a chea- No. It's not even the right term. You're a trump card!" Soma exclaimed with an excited grin. "And I may envy you, but I don't want an alien in my head. Dude, that's troublesome. Just as troublesome as Nakiri's God's tongue. You can't do stupid things because it will nag at you."

Tsuna can't help his laugh. "You're messed up."

"Good. You're laughing." His best friend smiled before turning serious again. "Now what were you planning?"

He hesitated.

"Tsuna. What were you talking about with Nakiri?"

"I-I was t-thinking o-of giving up m-myself." He mumbled. He looked down to his hands that was between his knees and chest when yellow eyes stared at him. "I'm one of the reasons why the dorm is being demolished. If I never got here, Azami Nakiri won't dare take the director's position. Maybe in other world, he still will. But they won't go to this extent. I know Iemitsu is using all the power he can to make me come back. He knew my weakness. He knew I don't like putting other people in dire situations because of me. He is a mafioso, after all."

"And you think going back there will save the dorm?" A simple question.

He could only muster a weak smile. "I did. Even Erina-chan thought that she had to go home. I know it's not about us. But we're still a reason."

"Do you really want to go?"

Does he want to go? Tsuna pursed his lips as he shook his head. "No. But if it will make them leave the dorm alone, I will go."

"What if they won't? What if they will still continue? You said so yourself, Tsuna. They're mafia. They will do anything what they will."

His breath hitched at the questions. "I-I don't know. I never thought of that. I didn't think- Fuck." He can't help himself from gripping his hair as he closed his eyes in frustration and anger. "I'm so confused. I don't know what to do anymore, Soma. I just want everything to stop. I want my life here to go back to what it was. I don't want to part with everyone. I did my best to be here. I did my best to fight for my life. But-But-"

"Shh..." He heard Soma hushed as he felt arms around his shoulder and got pulled into a hug. "It's going to be okay, Tsuna. We'll be fine."

"I don't want to go." He cried, tears streaming down his face as he gripped the redhead's shirt so tight. "I don't want to leave. T-This is my home. Please..."

Soma combed the brunet's hair with his hand, feeling the rise and fall of the back his other hand is patting slowly. It was good he was able to coax the other to lay down, so now he's leaning on the headboard while Tsuna is sleeping. He can still see the tear tracks on Tsuna's face. He watched the other's peaceful expression as he remembered everything he heard. How Tsuna cried for an hour or so, because he doesn't want to go back to Namimori and be caged like in his dream.

He, too, wants the dorm to still stand. It was the castle of fun. The fort where cooks like him and Tsuna nurture their dreams and skills. It's where his Dad lived for years, honing his own skills to cook delicious food. His Dad, who was his pillar when his Mom died, taught him things that he knew he won't gain in the real world, challenged him to be more, and accepted his best friend despite Tsuna's past and present.

This is their home, and he will fight for it.

He jolted in surprise when he heard a ringing sound. He looked back to the side table where he put his and Tsuna's phones. He reached out for Tsuna's phone and read the caller's name. It's Reborn. He clicked 'receive' and put the phone by his ear.

"Chaos, Dame-Tsuna." A baritone voice greeted from the other side.

"Dame means useless, right?" He blinked.

"Soma. And yes. It's Tsuna's nickname when he was still here."

"Why?"

"Tsuna is someone who can't do anything right when he was a kid. He did tell you he's clumsy, yes?"

"He did." He looked down to the brunet who crooned softly in his sleep. "Tsuna told me a lot of things. He also said he was teased about his clumsiness and small stature."

"You mean bullied." He heard a huff. "That kid. Still saving others' graces when they kept on hurting him. Where is he?"

"He's sleeping after crying a lot."

Silence.

"What happened?"

Soma pursed his lips knowing the tutor wants the full story. "Well, Azami Nakiri came and took the director's position. Then he said something about Oregano being happy to see Tsuna after a long search. After that, Tsuna went with this lady in semi-suit, I suspected her as Oregano since he said so. Then he went back to me before midnight, a little..." He frowned as he recalled what Tsuna looked that night. "Not himself. Ah, yeah. The previous director, Senzaemon Nakiri, told me that Iemitsu is conspiring with Azami and is trying to get Tsuna back to Namimori. I got it all, right?"

"Yes. That's true."

"Then just this morning, we were told to evacuate our dorm, because they're going to demolish it. So Tsuna is blaming himself and thought of going back, if it will make Iemitsu convince the Central to leave the dorm alone. Oh. And since I'm already ranting, I want to tell you that the Oregano lady called Tsuna selfish for running away and not wanting to go back. He spent two days not attending his classes and holing in his room for three nights, not joining us in our meals and worrying others because of that. I even think this is his first good night sleep since he has been bothering by his intuition thingy about this everything and that him being selfish. He even asked me about it."

"He didn't tell you anything?"

"No." He automatically answered, since Reborn was pertaining to the intuition bothering Tsuna. "He said he didn't want to sound like he was overreacting on something unimportant. He said the same thing about his dream. He told you that, didn't he?"

"Of course. He will get a lot of punishment if he kept it from me. Although, do not take it wrong in your part."

"I won't." He ran his hand to those soft brown locks as his mind went back to how shaken Tsuna was about the dream. "I understand why he doesn't want to talk about it. It was scary for him."

"I see. You milked him dry."

He snickered. "He got scared, especially since I know he's a bad liar."

"Pretty bad, right? I'm still formulating how I'm going to teach him the art of lying."

"Na, Reborn."

"Yes?"

"What was Tsuna when you met him? I met him as he is now. I'm just wandering what you saw when you first met."

"Hm. That's not really a hard question. When I first got my assignment, I watched Tsuna for a day first before I officially introduced myself. He was clumsy who trips on air. He gets teased a lot and friendless. He is Dame-Tsuna for a reason. He's a wimp who can't confess to his crush too. Well, given the conservative nature of Asians, it is given. Literal coward too, since he doesn't know how to fight, and lets his schoolmates push him around. Pretty different from your Tsuna now, huh?"

"Yeah." He agreed, replaying how the brunet answered Kuga on the leaf-viewing. "He's tougher now. When he thinks others got offended, he'll defend them. He's low-key vengeful too."

"That's the potential I saw in him. When it comes to his friends, he'll defend. Yet, he never changes. When it comes to himself, he won't retaliate. Still a dame, but more confident, sociable and slowly getting independent. However, still too early to graduate from me."

Soma snickered. "He won't let us go, you know. I think until we say so, he won't remove his grip on us."

"I know. He doesn't look like it, but he's possessive. Protective and possessive."

"That's good. I don't want to let him go either."

"Then can you keep Tsuna from leaving, Soma? We're doing everything we can to completely free him, finding evidences we can file against Iemitsu in the process. We know he has been worried sick of our situation here. He said so himself. I want to assure him that we're fine here, but I have my hands full at the moment."

Soma looked down to Tsuna who curled more, mumbling incoherent things under his breath. "I can. I'm planning to challenge Eizan-sempai to a Shokugeki tomorrow for the dorms. I've been planning it since awhile ago. And given Tsuna's train of thoughts about this, I have more reasons to do it. I don't want him to go back there when he doesn't want to go."

"Are you confident that you'll win? I do not take a fellow element as a failure, Soma Yukihira."

He can't help grinning at the threat and challenge. "I'll even personally break you the news."

"Deal. Tell Tsuna I called and I want him to get his act together. Can you keep him from doing stupid things? That dame can be very impulsive when he thinks it can save the others."

"I will. I'll even warn the others."

"Good. Now, excuse me. I have a bastard to threaten. No one harms our sky under my watch."

"Can you land a punch or two for me, Reborn?" He innocently asked as he caressed the tear tracks on the brunet's face. "He made Tsuna cry."

A chuckle. "That's a promise."

He grinned widely when the call ended. Putting the phone back to the table, he slid down, took their blankets and draped it on them. He snuggled close to his best friend, already wishing he was there when Reborn punches Iemitsu. Too bad he's here to keep Tsuna sane.

The door banged open, startling the people inside the room. Iemitsu stood up in alert, as well as the blond's subordinates as he stepped in. Onyx black eyes looked around, counting all the people inside and noting where Iemitsu and Oregano were. Then without hesitation, he fired his gun to keep the others busy, and raced to get Iemitsu.

The blond was able to deflict his first assault with his dying will. Reborn growled in displeasure, enforcing sun flames in his body as he continued to attack. What can a young lion do when a raven attacks him? Specifically on the eye? And he did. One suprise punch on the right eye after a feign attack on the solar plexus. He can't help smirking when the man hunched in pain, and without hesitation, he round housed the man, causing the latter to fly and crush to the wall.

All CEDEF agents stood down when they saw him, afraid that he will put his 'boredom' on them. Of course, Reborn went for a surprise attack. It's not his style, but given the circumstances, he's not plausibly in the right mind. He's furious and can't do a civil talk. If he does do a civil talk, he knew it won't be a decent one since all that will get out of his mouth will be threats and gory content that only he, who had tortured a lot of people for fun, will do. He's a hitman. Although his profession requires one hit, he will stoop down to some level if required.

Taking a chair from beside him, he threw it on Iemitsu's way. Agents cried for their boss when the sun flame coated chair dug deep on the cement, encaging the bastard's upper half body. Reborn laughed at how stupid the blond looked, and it almost pierced his chest. Too bad it was a calculated mistake. Although, he should review Leon's footage later. The other Arcobaleno, especially Varia will be happy to watch what happened. Maybe save some for Soma too. It will be epic.

"What the hell, Reborn?!" Iemitsu cursed, a hand on his injured eye after removing himself from the chair.

"That's for Tsuna." He responded, glaring at the blond who looked surprise. "I haven't said anything about this situation, Iemitsu. Because you're his father. But now, you crossed the line."

"Wha-"

"You made my student cry." He emphasized.

"Your student is Ieyasu!"

"My contract stated Tsunayoshi Sawada." He rebutted. "Didn't my student say so? This is the consequence you created. I'll let you continue this farce, though. Tsuna is the one resisting you after all. Regardless, once he gets free, I'll hunt you down for all the things you did to him."

"Don't delude yourself, Reborn. You're just his tutor." Iemitsu spat, standing up from his hole. "I'm his father. I can demand and do things I want to him."

He smirked. "Biologically, you're his father. True. But, figuratively, I'm his father. I taught him those things you can't teach him personally. I helped him grow as he is today. I built his confidence that you threw away when you sealed him. I'm the one who patched up his relationship with Nana when you tore them apart. You're the husband, but have you seen your wife now? She's not even looking at you in the eye anymore."

He marvelled Iemitsu's reaction. The glare, the hands turning to fists and the trembling. Bull's eye.

"You're disowned by Tsuna as his father. He's only using the Sawada family name because he doesn't want to hurt his mother more than he already did, after he told her that he doesn't recognize you as his paternal parent anymore. Do you know what he became? A man who knows his virtue. A better man than you. Do you know what that mean? It means you have no rights to dictate his every more. But as I said, I will let you continue your game. It won't be long before it ends."

He swirled around to see Oregano who stood her ground. He outwardly gave the woman an over-all before quirking a brow as the woman addressed him. "Yes, Reborn."

"You told my student that he's selfish." He stated.

"I did. Did he tell you?"

"No. His friend had ranted to me what aftermath you left." He replied as he took a step forward, remembering what Soma told him in the most innocent manner. "Knowing Tsuna, he will fight his own battle. He won't throw my name on the plate. He won't ask help from anyone until I demand him to do so. He's a coward who never pull people in his own troubles. And you say he's selfish for running away from this hell-" He pointed a finger to Iemitsu. "-hole of a man? Check yourself first before I make you do it. He won't stop me if I kill you here since you're not an innocent nor have a family to feed and come back to." He stashed his gun away and went for the door.

He did smirk though, when Oregano screamed in surprise and cried in pain when chaos shots zoomed past her. He doesn't have to know if she was shot. She called his student selfish anyway. Besides, who said he didn't pull his trigger on the way there?

"That's it?! You came barreling here, attacking me and my subordinates, and just walk out like you didn't do anything?! Just for Tsuna?!" Iemitsu questioned.

Reborn looked back as he reached the door. "Frankly, I'm itching to kill all of you. Especially you. But Tsuna won't like that. And I won't do it unless he said so. Who knows, one of these days, you'll find yourself at my gunpoint."

And he closed the door, leaving them in the room. Mukuro manifested, tittering. The mist bowed a little in mock respect before disappearing again. Reborn didn't bother returning the gesture. He just wants to go back to Tsuna's room and bask himself to the lingering sky flames in there. Tsuna is the only one who can calm him right now.