The Sky that Bonds

by fantasy.x.nothingness

By a chance meeting, she was introduced to the mafia world without knowing the secret of her blood. Now older, a baby hitman claims to turn her into Vongola Decimo. But will the Sky accept its fate? Fem27

27. Simple & Clean

Hey everyone, welcome back! Happy New Year! I hope everyone is doing great after the holidays. The pandemic has been dreadful to everyone, to some more than others, I really hope this year is kind to us all. My best wishes to everyone. Please stay safe and take care!

Also, SURPRISE! If you haven't noticed, this fic is officially the part TWO of the series. Lost Summer Days is the prequel telling the events of what happened in Italy. I wanted to wait until we had more stable ground to finally publish it, for it will unravel many mysteries. Go on and read it if you haven't! And subscribe! Chapter updates will be sporadic.

Anyway, here's part two of the case fic. What are your theories? Can you guess who's the murderer before the end?

Have fun reading guys!

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Morning at the Sawada household had become a peaceful routine, even for a hitman with killer counts above 50 under his belt. That was life, and he wouldn't change it, but there was nothing like waking up to the smell of breakfast - cooked rice and freshly brewed coffee -, to the yells of lively kids, a gentle wake-up call and to the screeches of his recent victim being kicked out of bed.

Alas, today was not the case since the brunette was off on a merry summer vacation, but the rest was still peaceful. Not having Leon with him also felt odd, but the spoiled thing sneaked out and decided to tag along the trip for whatever reason. It's not like he needed a vacation, he was not a bad partner who enslaved the lizard and fed him accordingly to his wishes. He also allowed him freedom, which is why he let him go.

He knows without a doubt that Vongola has something planned, Tsuna took her mittens but not the Ring. He doubts it will escalate to having to use the Dying Will Flames, but if she needs a weapon that can be disposed of without evidence, then Leon was the perfect ally.

He was going to charge her for that though, she can't just steal his pet without paying interest.

As it was a slow morning without much action but making plans and schedules for when the brunette returns, he dressed and went to have breakfast, dodging the kids bantering and accepting the fresh cup of coffee that the Sawada matriarch prepared for him. Usually, Bianchi was the one who helped with that, but she was also gone to look after Tsuna and her friends.

He could have easily gone and meddled in too.

But he didn't.

This was a vacation for the two of them, after all. Separation was good. A break from wanting to throttle the brunette and make her spit all the lies and secrets she was still hiding, from being in constant awareness of the growing allure of her Sky flames and the dreadful weight that she was running out of time.

How the hell did that even happen?

It's not like it was impossible. He has met enough seers and fortune tellers, with Luce and Viper being the strongest and more recognized from the batch, but they all had an explanation. Their flames. Their bloodline. Their curse. Their abilities. How did Tsuna got saddled with seeing the future too? Was that a Hyper Intuition mutation? Never in all Vongola history was there a record of some being so attuned with their intuition until he shot Tsuna in the head.

And what was it that she said? To not shoot her again...

So many mysteries and not enough answers.

And maybe not enough time to get them.

Tsuna also deserved some peace and quiet after the emotional month that she had. She pushed through the end and exceeded expectations. It was anticlimactic that she didn't deliver the final hit, but it was good she released all her rage and fears against Xanxus instead of letting that darkness swallow her. He didn't know how to get her out from there, and seeing her go feral and not give up was also a plus.

So yeah, a vacation was due to escape the impending doom that was approaching.

That was his reasoning, anyway.

He didn't even believe it but here he was, drinking coffee and pretending everything was fine.

It was peaceful.

And yet, it was still quiet somehow.

"I know she didn't stay here for a while, but it still feels strange without her, you know?"

And it was a sentiment shared in the household. Nana had made herself busy, carrying on with the breakfast routine despite Tsuna and Bianchi not being there. The kids who didn't go to school, do chores or even do work still woke up very early and rigorously ate their food with the same amount of yells and teasing.

But even so, the empty seats felt big.

"Has she ever been away for long?" He asked subtlety, trying to dig for information and fill the gaps of her story.

"She has gone to school trips and stayed at Kyoko-chan's before, but its always been here, local"

Or so it would seem. She kept her secrets deeply buried, if her own mother who Tsuna loves and worries over didn't know about the escapades and illegal activities, then Reborn took it as a personal challenge to crumble her little house of cards. Threatening answers out of Viper was out of the question and he refuses to pay for them, so kind words and concerned gazes was his go-to method.

"Is there something wrong, Reborn-kun?"

"Not at all, Sawada-Mamma, although I have a question to ask you, and it might not be pretty"

"My, what is bothering you?" She folded her hands in her lap, leaving her green tea cooling on the table to give him her curious attention. The kids had long since run to the backyard to play some ball, so any sensitive information would stay between them. He did feel a little bad to bring a somber topic so early in the morning, Sawada Nana didn't deserve such pain, but it was a necessary evil.

"In Italy, why was Tsuna kidnapped?"

"She told you?"

"Just that"

"Hmm…" Nana hummed quietly to herself as she fell into those memories. "She was very friendly when she was little, trusted so easily and had no trouble making friends. Because we were foreign, going to school without knowing Italian was going to be hard, so she was homeschooled. But we didn't want her to miss the experience though, so we signed her up in an Art Center with other kids her age"

Yes, Tsuna mentioned that. Ironic how her art became her unravelling.

"It took a while, but she made a friend there. Lovely girl, she was her age and shared her interests. They would play at the Villa and even pick shells from the beach. It was sweet. They were inseparable those last few days... But that girl's family, they weren't good people"

Mafia. Reborn instantly knew, and started connecting the dots before Nana continued her tale.

"I don't know all the details, but I know enough. A mother always knows" She paused before giving him a forlorn smile "That girl betrayed my daughter. Deliberately or not, the outcome was the same. Tsuna hasn't fully recovered from that, which is why it fills me with joy to see her making friends and learning how to trust again"

Saying that, she offered a sincere smile he knew he didn't deserve.

"Thank you. She's been opening up to people little by little since you arrived"

"It's my job"

He was her home tutor, it was entitled he would help her grow as a Boss and as a Sky. An unbonded Sky was a loose cannon after all, and to harmonize correctly and form healthy bonds that should boost her Will and flame energy, she needed to open up and let others in willingly.

"Did she say something when she was rescued?"

"No" Nana sighed and shook her head "She just cried the whole flight home, holding onto a tiny box as if that would whisk the nightmares away. I tried to get her to talk, even therapy but… She's good at pretending she doesn't remember. And after a long time, it's like she herself believed the lie. I don't want to force those memories on her again, so I let them fade"

"I understand"

It was a start. He didn't want to be insensitive toward Sawada Nana by asking for names and dates when it clearly affected her talking about it, but at least he has something to add to his investigation.

It wasn't Estraneo, that he was certain. Tsuna didn't react that bad when she found Mukuro's records and Nono wasn't a heartless monster -maybe?- so as to not warn him in his letter to apprehend the elusive mist if that family had something to do with her.

Her abrupt bond with Mukuro was also probably due to sharing a kindred soul. Both kids, kidnapped at the hands of the underworld's scum and done who knows what to their spirits. There was darkness in Tsuna, that was obvious. But how she fared and dealt with it was more tantalizing than just seeing her burn. It was so easy to fall, and yet she was still holding on to the edge with blunt nails.

What could be the final straw for her to fall? He has wondered. And what could bring her back?

He wants to find all the answers before the Inheritance ceremony. Nono will want to speak with Tsuna and throw her under the bus as soon as he gets better, no matter if she was willing or not. And by how things were now, Tsuna was more likely to sabotage the affair just to run away.

So yeah, answers.

What he got from Nana just opened more theories to this mystery. Because if Tsuna supposedly didn't have flames at that time and was not physically abused, then why was she kidnapped in the first place? Because she was a child of Vongola? A child of Varia? A pretty face in the dark world ready to be sold to a collector?

Or was it something else?

Something more sinister?

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Unmoored. She felt cut off from reality. Seeing and hearing but not feeling her heart beating loudly on her chest or the firm grip on one of her wrists, they were just there and she, she was far away. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore created the perfect ambient music for her thoughts, swirling and fading with the go and fort of the tide.

"What do we do? Tsuna?" That was Yamamoto's voice calling, a little frantic and a little panicky, and it prompted her to blink slowly into awareness.

"We need to hide it"

It was her immediate thought. If someone - when someone - finds it, there will be questions and an investigation. Alarms will rise, and she was going to be stuck dealing with this mess either as the suspect or forced to solve the stupid murder for Vongola's sake. What a coincidence that a dead body washed ashore in front of the secluded and private villa her classmates and her were staying at for a summer vacation sponsored by a Mafia Famiglia.

It was just too obvious she wanted to scream, but all she felt was heavy exhaustion.

Still, they needed to act fast.

Springing back inside, she threw a pillow towards the mass of limbs on the ground and jumped around the room to try and find her shoes all the while yelling a hissed whisper.

"Wake up, wake up!"

"What?" Gokudera sprang up, looking a bit groggy but alert in search of a threat "What's going on?"

"Just… Just come and see" Yamamoto said weakly, rubbing his face and grabbing a blanket to take with him to cover the… that. Tsuna was already out of the door, and he really didn't know how to even process the situation. He doubts there's a pamphlet on how to deal with stuff like this, what to do and how to act, he will have to trust his friends to lead him.

And sure, he has been warned many, many things about things like this happening. He has seen blood being spilt in a family-friendly zone and families turning against each other for a piece of jewellery. And that was just the surface. He knew things could get worse, that they eventually will get worse… He just didn't expect for it to happen so sudden.

The walk to the beach was quiet and brisk, the Villa was still dark and asleep so it was under the shadow of the rising sun that they sneaked out until Gokudera saw what had made the other two so jumpy.

"Fuck"

Yamamoto shared his feelings completely.

"That's Theo…" He pointed out grimly, recognizing the cheerful tourist now laying on the sand, motionless, wet and covered in grains. There didn't seem to be any blood painting the waters a pinkish colour, if anything, he looked more as if he had fallen asleep on the shore after a late night of partying. But that was not the case because as they stood there, waiting and holding their breaths, a fourth one was never heard. "Should we call the police?"

"No!" Tsuna exclaimed "No, I- they can't… we, I mean, the class and they'll know, no, no, we can't"

"Tsuna, you need to calm down first"

"I'm not panicking, you are!"

"Okay, both of you need to breathe. Don't puke, baseball idiot, turn around if you can't handle it" Gokudera interjected, calm and composed as he knelt down next to the body "Juudaime, it's early, we have one hour before breakfast"

"Okay" She exhaled loudly and brought a hand to rub her eyes "Okay, I'm calling Reborn"

She didn't have his phone number nor did she bring her phone in her haste, but she had Leon and at her words, the green lizard transformed without prompting into a green cellphone already calling.

"Yellow~?"

"There is a dead body. What do I do?!"

"Wear gloves" Was all he said before disconnecting the call.

"Wait- shit. Okay plan B"

She knows this next number, she just hopes that he picks an unknown caller from the Japan region at who knows what hours of the day.

"VOOI, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!"

"There is a dead body, what do I do?!"

"Did you kill it?"

"No?"

"THEN NOT YOUR PROBLEM!"

The call disconnected.

She was not going to scream.

"Okay, okay, um…."

This is why she hates responsibilities and being the leader. Gokudera was by far the most experienced with dealing with this stuff and poor Yamamoto was green - both in experience and face colour - but in the end, they were going to follow her lead.

And sure, she has her own experiences too and knows what should be done, but…

But...

"Maybe we should move it"

"Are you stupid, that's like, rule #1! You don't move a body! You'll ruin the evidence and leave your prints in it!"

"This is my first time dealing with this, please be nice"

"You-

Tsuna knelt down slowly, letting the waves wet her feet as she crossed her arms on her knees and stared down at the problem with a silent frown.

There was a body lying dead on the sand.

There was no heartbeat.

There was no breathing.

There was no blood.

And yet…

There was a dead body in front of her hotel. A secluded villa for civilians where Vongola employees worked at and knew who she was, where she was and who she was staying with. A body that wasn't there when she woke up and was planted as soon as signs of life from her side were made known.

It could be a coincidence.

Or it could be foul play.

Either way, Tsuna realized then and there what Vongola wanted her to do. It was that simple, really. It just didn't mean she was going to play fair or like it.

It was too early and she already could feel a headache brewing. Can things get any worse?

"Oya, what a peculiar sight"

Was her intuition broken? First, this. Now, him?! If she didn't knew any better, she would be certain that the universe was conspiring against her. Really, it was just too early for this!

"I-It's not what it looks like" Yamamoto turned, opening his arms with the blanket to try and hide the person laying behind them from the girl who snuck up on them. She wasn't their classmate nor was she with them on the ferry, but her blond hair looked as fake as her startled expression, so Tsuna wasn't worried about being caught, what's more, she was too tired to even indulge him.

"Kufufu, it seems you're in an awkward situation"

"Please don't kufufu while you're wearing a bikini" She groaned while keeping her eyes fixed on the dead body "Couldn't you bring Chrome? She deserves the vacation more than you"

"She wanted to stay in Japan" He said with his real voice this time, and he probably changed appearance too because the boys jumped in surprise, Gokudera even got up to stand behind her with a growl and dynamites ready at hand.

"It's you!" Yamamoto exclaimed, still not sure if he should hide the bo- to hide Theo.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE!?"

"Gokudera-kun, shh!"

"YOu bastard! Are you following Juudaime?! After what you did, you think I'll let you anywhere near her?!"

"Oh? Are you jealous I stole her first kiss?"

"You didn't either, it was already stolen" She huffed, unamused by the conversation and instead waved her hands at the problem. "Now! What the fuck do we do with him!?"

"Can't you hide it with your magic tricks?" Yamamoto asked Mukuro, apparently not scared or cross with him after turning him into a puppet and being a jerk.

He was behaving oddly well for someone of his mischievous nature though. Tsuna briefly entertained the idea that perhaps this was his doing, but no. There was not enough blood or torture involved for him to play this trick so early in the morning. But for him to come all this way, he was obviously planning something.

"Depends" And there it was, the fox-like smile that could only mean trouble "What's in there for me?"

"What do you want?" Tsuna turned her head to look at him. Gone was his green uniform in exchange for a simple white t-shirt that somehow looked expensive, blue swim trunks with a light floral pattern and a straw hat to complete the look of innocence and holiday cheer. Seeing as he finally had her attention, he smiled complacently.

"Dinner. And dessert"

As if!

Tsuna didn't know whether to scream or cry, Gokudera was close to combusting and Yamamoto could only blink owlishly as they all stood in tense silence for a minute, but there really was no time to lose! The sun was getting brighter in the sky, and seagulls were starting to scream a cheap version of a roster call. Any minute now and the Villa will wake up to start getting ready for breakfast.

"Ugg! Fine!" She hissed and turned around "But no tricks or kisses! Now, gloves!"

She will have to deal with him later, maybe ask Bianchi to poison him to get back at him while they're at it. But now, it was detective time.

Leon transformed himself into green spandex gloves that fit perfectly on her hands as she felt the illusion settle in. As long as they are quick and quiet, they'll be invisible to anyone watching the morning sea, or at least, she hopes that's the case and Mukuro wasn't trolling with them.

"So… what do we do?" Yamamoto asked, opting to stand behind Gokuerda, who had knelt down opposite from her to help with the assessment. She wasn't even surprised he carried a PPE kit with him in his sleeping gear. Talk about foresight, her intuition was definitely broken if all it did was warn her to get some bandages and extra pairs of socks. Well, the ones she was wearing now were definitely ruined, so there's that.

"You're such an amateur"

"We search the body for any clues as to who he is, how he died and who did it" She told him gently, after all, this was his first crime scene that was only going to be added to his PTSD. She'll need to monitor him, and maybe ask Fon to counsel him too before the shadows start tainting his life.

"Was he using a fake name?" He asked, and Tsuna felt a little bad about how easily he trusted people and got hurt back.

"He was"

"Fuck" Gokudera instantly followed her previous line of thoughts "He approached us at the ferry, sought information and even stayed at the same place. But this wasn't us…?"

He gave Mukuro a stinky eye, thinking the worst of him in a situation such as this.

"You consider me one of you? How kind" Mukuro smiled. Fake, sharp and inconsiderate.

"It wasn't him, although…'' Tsuna paused, bit her lip and then shook her head. "No, never mind. What do you think?"

"He didn't drown. His fingers aren't pruned and his lips are not blue so he still had oxygen when he died. There's no blood, so no stab wounds. He was probably brought and dumped here"

"But I've been watching the sea since an hour ago! There was no boat, and it wasn't here when you came, Tsuna"

He really wasn't. She might have been groggy and sleepy when she came out of the balcony, but she would have been snapped awake if she saw someone suspicious discarding a body on the beach as if it were a plastic bottle.

"When did you notice?" She questioned Yamamoto. The body wasn't there when she came out, so why didn't he notice it appear? At her question, Yamamoto looked a bit sheepish and rubbed his neck.

"Your hair was tangled. I only looked away for a minute"

"They were watching us" Gokudera growled as he kept prodding the body - a little harder after that revelation.

"Or he simply had a heart attack and died here" Tsuna suggested lightly.

"Too much of a coincidence. Don't be a fool" Mukuro sneered without looking at them, too busy facing the sky and getting a free ocean breeze bath.

"I'm just drawing a scene, chill!"

"His fingers are slightly scorched"

"He smoked?"

"Probably" Gokudera shrugged. "The ocean must have washed the scent though, he doesn't have any on him. He also has a green skin discoloration on his finger, probably wearing a cheap imitation of copper or silver if it left such brand"

"A ring"

Tsuna doesn't remember seeing any jewellery on him, but then again she wasn't paying detailed attention to him when he approached them on the ferry. She knew of his lie, but he didn't carry danger on him so she tuned him out. Big mistake. She was sure Reborn and Squalo were going to scold her big time. Lal too if she finds out.

"Okay, that's gross" She looked back to see Yamamoto wrinkling his nose at Gokudera, who had opened Theo's mouth.

"His tongue is green" She pointed out, and as it was clear there were no visible injuries she started searching the pockets.

"So he was poisoned?"

"Could be" Gokudera frowned. "Both his tongue and ring finger are green. It could have been phosphorus poisoning or some other drug. I would need to take his jacket and see if he was injected something… Juudaime, what's that?"

"J.G. Saturday. Harabuya. 1400" she read the paper she found on the jacket pocket "We got our first suspect"

"So…?"

"It's too damn early" She sighed tiredly. Was this the reason Reborn always drinks coffee in the mornings? Should she start too? "Okay, we have three possible scenarios. 1) He was trafficking a drug in his jewellery and got killed on a bad deal. 2) He was a casualty for Vongola to deal with and drag us out in the open or 3) Vongola killed him as a scapegoat and is waiting for us to dispose of the fake killer"

"Yeah, that. I'm leaning on that one" They all murmured in agreement at the last option, the bleakest and believable of the bunch. They have only uncovered surface clues, if they continue investigating she is sure they will find more evidence and form a concrete case.

"We need to wake Bianchi" She said while rubbing the salt from her eyes "It's not proper, but we have to move him to a secluded area. No one must know about this"

"Know what?" A new, stern voice asked and they all flinched in surprise. Tsuna, more than anyone at the unexpected guest that should be able to see them or even sneak up on them.

"Hana!" She cried as she got up, and Yamamoto threw the blanket over Theo's body to cover him but Hana, crossed arms and all had already seen it and was staring at it with wide, bewildered eyes.

"What is that?"

"Um… this, this is a fake body! We, we signed up for a mystery murder activity. Here's our first clue!"

"Want to join?" Yamamoto asked with a weak laugh "You're student president, I heard you're good with puzzles"

Hana ignored their weak attempt at lying and turned her gaze to stare suspiciously at Mukuro, who was supposed to have ONE JOB and be on guard duty! But the guy simply smiled sunnily at them, as if there wasn't a dead body lying at his feet and an unsuspected civilian involved in the mess.

"He's the game supervisor" Tsuna gritted her teeth with a glare at him, but shrank back when Hana turned to glare at her.

"There was no such activity in the schedule"

"It's a family thing!" She quickly explained "They, they like murder mysteries. D-Did I tell you my family owns this place? Apparently, they want me to solve this as a bad welcoming gift. It's tradition."

"Oh yeah, Xanxus was alive in the end, wasn't he?" Yamamoto laughed, making Tsuna's throat itch in pain at the fake sound.

"Yeah! Talk about plot twist"

"This doesn't concern you, so turn around and back off" Gokudera finally interjected, rising to his feet and entering an intense staring match that lasted a minute until Tsuna couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Hana, I promise it's nothing bad" It was, but she can pretend otherwise for the sake of her sanity "I don't like this either, but it's family business so I'm stuck"

"What are you really planning?" Hana was calm, probably because although there was a dead body laying there, it didn't look bloody or terrifying at simple view to cause a horror reaction. And she also seems to believe their little white lie on it being fake, so she was going to take the gamble to speed things up.

"I just want to solve this mystery and not get anyone else involved as soon as possible so that I can have one good day of rest" She confessed, staring at her in the eyes to add to the sincerity of her words.

Hana knew she was hiding something else, but ultimately knew she wouldn't get that truth and went along with her little lie, she wasn't a pusher so Tsuna felt relieved that unless blood or guns were involved, Hana was going to keep her thoughts to herself with only a judging stare. Tsuna had to stop her shoulders from falling when the girl sighed and nodded.

"So, will you join?" Yamamoto asked innocently.

"Of course I'm joining. You'll probably cause an international conflict and get someone killed if left alone"

"Okay" Tsuna said weakly and resigned "Okay, first we need to tell Bianchi in case this game interferes with our school schedule. Can you go wake her? We are just going to carry the dummy out of sight in case someone sees it and freaks out thinking its real"

"You got your clues?" She asked, already in detective mode and Tsuna nodded rapidly in case she tries to inspect the body herself.

"Yeah, I'll tell you over breakfast"

"Are we involving Kyoko?"

"NO!" God no, anything but that "I don't think she likes this game, it can be a little gruesome. You know how she dislikes fights and conflicts"

"Uh-Huh"

"So, um, let's go?"

If Hana was already awake then others would start raising too. Better be quick.

"Right. We don't know if he was carried here or if he collapsed on his own. So we need to guard him in case someone comes looking for him" Tsuna whispered as soon as Hana started walking back to the Villa.

"What do we do with him?" Gokudera asked and they all turned to look at the motionless body. He wasn't carrying any identification, photos or even a phone to identify him. It complicated things a little, but then again, all they needed was to identify the killer, not the body. She will leave that to Vongola's cleaners.

"It's not like a dead body will walk away" She crossed her arms "Let's dig a grave, we have everything we needed from him. Yamamoto, we got this. Gokudera-kun, you two return to your cabins in case your roommates spread word that you aren't there"

"Juudaime" He frowned, not wanting to leave her alone with Mukuro but also wanting to push the baseball idiot away from the scene to stop him from making that kicked-puppy face that was worrying her.

"It's fine, don't worry. I'll see you in a minute. And keep an eye on the staff for anything suspicious"

They nodded at the orders, one more reluctant to part but having to after being shoved by the other. Tsuna felt something squeeze her heart at the sight of them walking away, guilt or nausea, could be hunger too. Whatever it was, it was a feeling that would persist through the whole day.

"And you!" She snarled as she turned back to the illusionist who was absently kicking the body with a bored expression "What the hell was that?! You were supposed to hide us! How did she even see us?!"

"She saw through the illusion. I was curious to see if she could break through"

"Congratulations! A high-schooler saw through your tricks. Now you're less than an average illusionist"

"Wounding my pride will not hurt me" He smiled placidly, but she knew he was a little offended at her jab.

"Your pride is so shallow. You let her see for your own amusement!"

"I was not lying when I said she saw through a small thread, so I was curious to see how far she resisted. What surprised me is that you didn't notice her approaching. Is becoming the Boss blinding you of all capacities of thinking? I'm not your secretary, you know"

"I can leave you stranded on this island. I should, I will"

"Then you'll leave a poor, defenceless stray and I'll return back to Japan with a new skin"

She really wanted to cry and punch something, preferably him.

"I hate you" Is what she ended up saying before asking "Help me dig?"

Between the two of them, using the blanket to drag the body to a more secluded area behind some rocks was easy. She made him dig a hole in the sand big enough to fit the person with a shovel he created while she made knots on the blanket to secure the body. She would have helped, but her morning coordination was bad and she'd end up hitting him instead of the sand so he didn't even offer her one.

"Why did you even come?" She asked with a grumble.

"I heard the birdy was invited, it's been so long, I wanted to ruffle some feathers and maybe drown him"

"Birdy?"

"Your skylark"

It took her a moment for her brain to connect the dots on who he was talking about, and when she finally did, she huffed and baffled a laugh. She was so glad that Kyoya didn't care about bonding experiences or supervising a bunch of teens on a school trip to leave his nest in Namimori, otherwise, if he had learnt this guy tagged along, the sands would have been dyed red already.

"That's enough, I think" She stood up, clasping her hands to shake the sand glued there and nudged the body slightly to the made-up-grave "Can you wrap some chains on him?"

"I thought you said dead bodies don't walk away"

"They don't. But we're going to need his body. Kind of. Don't ask"

He didn't, merely hummed and compiled her wishes, binding chains to an already bound body and lowered it to the hole he dug.

"Now what?"

"I" She emphasizes the word with a glare "Am going to have breakfast. You stay here and deal with this"

"As you wish, my lady" He gave a mocking bow, smiling, as if burying someone was a great honour to do as a chore. Sadist psycho, she thought with a shake of her head and exhaustion settling in her guts.

"I'm so mad at you I shouldn't even say this but be careful" She crossed her arms and lowered her voice so that the waves could swallow her whisper from prying ears "You're not the only illusion around here"

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Breakfast was a tense ordeal.

She and Gokudera could pretend it was another boring morning, but her table ambient felt completely alienated from the others, where students - some still in their sleeping clothes - were enjoying their packed meals of rice porridge, tempura salad, eggs and vegetables cooked by the Villa's chef.

It had taken lots of pleading for Kyoko to sit on another table, with Tsuna pulling the card off not wanting to get bullied on the trip because she was stealing the class angel's attention away from them. Kyoko pouted and only accepted because she got angry at the brunette for even suggesting it.

Tsuna ignored the giggles and loud gossip coming from that table in exchange for filling Hana the information they had and trying not to choke on her meal.

"So he died of poisoning?"

"It's our main theory. There are no wounds or weapons on him. There's no water in his lungs or blood. His tongue was green and there was a ring mark on his finger, so that's our best bet for now"

"And his eyes?"

"They weren't drugged hazed"

Hana took a sip of her morning tea before leaning closer. She sure was invested for a suspicious mystery game that involved solving a murder.

"He was wet. What if he took a morning stroll and stepped on a poisonous fish?"

"Could be. We... didn't remove his shoes" Who even does that anyway? Besides, she was sure he didn't die that way, but there might have been another clue there.

"We can go check before we leave for the hike" Gokudera grumbled, reminding them that they still had to keep up appearances with the school. If things go south, she could always ask Mukuro to create illusions of them but she didn't want to be indebted to that fox anymore than she was now. God, if he kisses her again she'll punch him. With Fire. A flaming punch.

"There was a note in his pocket" Yamamoto gave it to Hana to read. "I don't know if he was the one who wrote it or if it's a planted clue to mislead us though"

"Sharp" Both Tsuna and Gokudera said, feeling a tiny bit proud of his instincts despite the grisly situation at hand.

"We're visiting the snake show at Harahbuya at noon, we'll most likely find a clue there" Hana sighed and folded the note to give it back.

Before they could continue their investigation, breakfast was interrupted by loud screaming and arguments coming from the lobby. A woman was screaming, a man was shouting, and someone else was trying to keep them calm, but they all sounded agitated and panicking, the good recipe for disaster on an already gloomy Saturday morning.

For a moment everyone held their breaths, frozen and thinking that they had discovered the body on the beach, but thankfully that didn't seem to be the case. It also didn't mean that they were off the hook.

"What's going on?"

"It's the opera singer"

"She's been robbed!"

Amelia Lavigne and her partner, Harrison Laroque, woke early to find a piece of their belongings missing. After turning their suit upside down, they went to the lobby to demand answers and set accusations of robbery. And once there was no answer at the reception, they quickly went to where the other guests were gathered.

"No one leaves this room! Search them! Find that ring!"

"Are you suggesting my students stole from you?" Bianchi stood up gracefully and stared down at the couple with a raised eyebrow.

"They're teens! I saw many of them looking at my wife!"

Amelia was a beauty, there was no doubt. Long curly red hair and bright green eyes, she was the image of art, her face carved from marble and body that of a Greek statue. For kids their age, it was impossible not to turn their heads when she walked by, but none of them were stupid enough to sneak inside their room and steal something.

"You dare accuse us!? I'll have you know sir, we're a prestigious school with honourable students with good morals! How dare you!" Nezu might be a terrible teacher but he was good with words and saving face.

"Anyone is a suspect! Where is the police?!"

"My love, calm down. Screaming won't help us find it"

They made a good pair, Tsuna thought with a headache approaching, with the woman being the calm one despite having been robbed. The ring must mean more to her partner than her, either it costs a fortune or it has sentimental value.

And despite Nezu's insistence and still wearing their pajamas, everyone at the restaurant area were thoroughly searched. To no one's surprise, their pockets were empty of jewellery and filled with shells, money and sand.

She swears if that thing mysteriously shows up in her belongings, heads will roll. The hell with pretence and pleasantries.

No one took notice of Theo's absence yet, but because the Villa's were separated mostly by school kids, his lack of presence was soon to be noted.

"Continue with breakfast, we won't be delayed." Bianchi told them "Nothing is hidden in your rooms, so this search won't ruin our schedule. Group A, as soon as you're done, get changed and meet me at the lobby. Group B will be leaving with Nezu-sensei. No one leaves the group or stays behind, I'm clear?"

A chorus of 'Yes, Miss Bianchi' sounded, alongside Nezu's harrumphs and Kusakabe - bless his soul - opting to accompany the staff and the couple in their search inside the other cabins. Total violation of privacy, but seeing as everyone was here, it helped save their alibis if they didn't find it there.

"They're looking for a ring?"

"Juudaime was sleeping when they came for lunch yesterday. They performed a little and paraded around the beach. The lady was wearing an expensive diamond ring"

"How expensive?"

"Bloody expensive" Gokudera shook his head with crossed arms "I can't say what type of stone it was, but I'm sure it's worth millions"

"You think it's connected?" Hana asked, quick to follow the crumbs to make a theory.

"The gem was bright and she doesn't have any marks on her finger so it clearly is genuine. But Theo had a fake ring on him, stayed at this Villa too and now he's dead and the ring missing"

"So theory two. Theo stole the ring and was killed by Harrison Laroque in a fit of anger or jealousy, after he hid the gem on a fake ring and was later on stolen by suspect B. Or he intended to give it to someone else and was killed to silence him and create a scapegoat for the case"

"Who would traffic a diamond ring on the island?" Yamamoto asked.

"One comes to mind" Gokudera growled and Tsuna nodded with a tired sigh before explaining to the others.

"There was a man on the ferry with us. He had a lavish suit and jewellery in his hands, they weren't fake"

"How do you guys notice all of that?"

"When you're paranoid, you tend to look everywhere"

It wasn't supposed to be a positive trait, but it was useful once you got over the paranoia threatening to shake your core. Tsuna finished her breakfast, and waited with the others until her cabin was searched and empty to change into her sport uniform. A quarter before eight, they were waiting outside ready to get in the van.

"None of the students have the ring. It's not here, meaning…"

"We find the ring, we find the killer"

"There's not much we can do now but go along. Sawada, breathe, you're so tense my back is hurting"

"What are you guys hushing about?" Kyoko asked as she walked to their circle. Hana had already given her the glare-of-doom when they changed but Tsuna was adamant on keeping the other girl away from this game.

"Nothing. Nothing. I just can't believe they're making us hike a mountain for a school activity"

"I thought you went for morning runs"

"Against my will"

If it was her choice, she'd have two more hours of her already limited sleep, but Reborn was a spartan. It was a surprise he didn't make her train in her dreams too.

Just as Bianchi started the check-in to board the vehicle, Gokudera came rushing back, having volunteered to check on the body for more clues before they departed and lost them to the sea.

"You checked the shoes?"

"Mukuro didn't give you trouble, right?"

"Yes and No. That bastard was enjoying a piñacolada and making my work difficult by existing. There was no wound but I found this" He raised his hand to show them a small zip lock bag with a squished cigarette butt inside. "The sand and sea water removed all possible traces of smell. So to say if it's his or was given to him it's impossible"

"So…" Yamamoto whispered as they got inside and sat at the very back of the van "Poisoning. If it's not a fish stab, what else could it be?"

"He could have eaten something. Or the poison could have been on the fake ring as well"

"The oysters" Hana suddenly chimed in, taking advantage that Kyoko was pulled by her roommate to sit next to her and the Korean blogger girl, who had kindly asked if they could give her a ride to the mountain, seeing as she was also starting her day with a hike.

"Tsuna, you didn't eat them" Yamamoto had become familiar with the brunette's omnipresent quirk of knowing things. If she said carry an umbrella on a sunny day, you do it or you'll be showered with a summer storm.

"Because they were slimy" Tsuna pulled a face and shook her head "I didn't feel anything wrong with them, or the old ladies that brought them, for that matter. Kyoko isn't sick, nor are you guys, so..."

"What if he was targeted by someone inside the Villa? He hasn't been reported missing, isn't that odd?"

It was, but then again everyone wakes up at different hours for breakfast and they searched the student's cabins first before they could escape so there was still time to note his absence. And thinking about it now, maybe they should have investigated his room before someone tampered with possible evidence, but it was too late for that.

"What else can poison the system without leaving a trace?" Hana asked, and while Gokudera could recite a list in alphabetical order, it was Yamamoto who answered.

"What about edible flowers?"

.

.

.

Song Ro Na was a peppy girl. She was cute, lively and a social butterfly. The kind of girl who could draw crowds with her laugh and get along with anyone listening. She could be Haru's long lost sister with her bright attitude and strong opinion, which is why Tsuna had no idea why she was appointed to try and talk to the girl.

She already sucks at making friends, speaking to strangers was totally out of her comfort zone.

Do it with your dying will - she could hear an annoying bug whispering at the back of her mind, but she swallowed whatever acid courage she was given and kept walking the path.

Kinsakubaru forest was the picture of peacefulness. With branches creaking under their feet and leaves rustling by the soft wind whistling around, there was a symphony with the birds singing and insects humming in the trees. The forest held a natural beauty yet to be destroyed by capitalism and the high-speed increasing society building towers like growing weed.

The exercise was simple, they were simply going to walk the hike at their own peace, reflect and meditate surrounded by nature so that they could think of a good topic to write their essay about sustainability. Because it was Bianchi leading the group, she didn't pressure anyone to walk faster, silence their talks or stop them from taking pictures.

They wouldn't reach the top due to their schedule, they were canoeing after this, so they needed to save some energy for that event.

Of course, Tsuna was wasting all that energy digging her heels on the dirt and tensing her body from the pushes Hana and Yamamoto were giving her. It was a pointless conversation, but she was 'the leader' and had to play her part. She was really debating faking an injury to stay but when she was suddenly betrayed by Leon, who tried to imitate a flying squirrel by bungee jumping towards the poor Korean girl, thus resulting a loud screech and dozens of stares aimed their way.

What the hell happened to subtlety?

"Leon!" She screamed and jumped to grab him while patting the poor girl in reassurance "Oh god. I'm so sorry, it's a chameleon, don't worry, don't worry! He doesn't bite"

"Dame-Tsuna is at it again"

"Shut it, idiots!" Gokudera growled at the mockings and marched forwards to scare them away. Tsuna, for her part, cowered while holding Leon in a tight grip to stop him from pulling another prank.

"I'm sorry" She told the girl who had finished fixing her hair after the fright and holding her phone more securely in her hand.

"It's fine, don't worry. It just surprised me, that's all. Is it yours?"

"I'm looking after him"

"He's really cute!" Now that she made sure Leon wasn't an insect and was in fact an adorable lizard that blinked charmingly at her when she pet it, she smiled and Tsuna sighed internally that this was Leon's plan all along. "I'm Song Ro Na. We haven't been introduced yet, but I've heard of you. You're Tsuna, right?"

"Yeah"

"Your friend talked about you. She said you love cats and have a sweet tooth. And that you got them lobster for dinner last night, that's really sweet! I have never eaten lobster before, what does it taste like?"

"It's… soft. And fishy" Tsuna uttered. It didn't surprise her that Kyoko was the only one who had nice things to say about her while she was sure her classmates had already spread nasty rumors to every stranger they met. "I'm surprise you didn't listen to the other gossip"

"I'm a blogger. People believe what I tell them, so spotting someone telling lies just to tell them is getting easier in my line of work"

And wasn't that a shared sentiment?

The girl was older than her, probably around Bianchi age, so petulant pre-teen gossip flew over her head. It also created a giant rift for communication, Tsuna has zero experience so she asked the first thing she could come up with to try and make a conversation.

"I like your hair"

Song Ro Na had ash blonde hair that curled at the end, it contrasted with her pale, flawless skin and gradient lips. She wasn't into the idol world but Kyoko was, and she has seen enough to mistake this girl for one with the way she looked.

"Thank you. I like your hair too, is it natural?"

"Yeah" There was nothing awesome about her own hair, it was caramel brown, flat and probably lacked shine after being crisped by fire and smoke so many times, but Song Ro Na's smile was honest as she looked at her, hands swaying at her sides as if she wanted to reach out and touch it. She wasn't a danger, that she knew, but she still felt awkward walking besides the other girl.

"So, what's your blog about? Your Japanese it's pretty good by the way"

"Thank you! I've been studying it for 6 years, but the best way to learn it is coming here. And that's it, basically. I just film my trips and talk about life experience"

"That's still cool. You get to travel and try new stuff"

"I want to travel as much as I can before college starts. My family has plans and this… this is not it" She said with a small smile, leaving Tsuna wondering if perhaps this was staged or was just an oddly coincidence? She might not have the best social skills, but she knows how to play her part.

"I get that" She said after a pause after having climbed a large rock in the path and took the chance to look around at the students following the trail. Hana was talking with Kyoko a few meters ahead, elbows linked and turning to look back once in a while. Gokudera was right behind her, staring suspiciously at Song Ro No while Yamamoto was the farthest ahead, but kept turning and waving enthusiastically when they met eyes. "This is my last vacation too. But my friends are here, so I'm trying to make the most of it"

"Your friend was right, you're really kind" Tsuna turned, confused by that but Song Ro Na laughed "I will tell you a secret, this isn't really me. I have freckles and my hair is black, but people treat me better when I'm wearing this face, so…"

"Who's to say I'm not wearing a mask too?"

"Are you?"

Was she? Despite the jealous jeers and gossip, she had never considered using makeup to hide and change her features to blend in, just her heart. Which could be the biggest mask of them all. Suddenly, her shoulders shrank a little when Song Ro Na leaned down, close and- was she, did she just sniffed her?

"You know, you carry the smell of lemon and magnolias with you, but that's not your natural scent"

"Ma-Magnolias?" Tsuna squeaked. Her intuition rang zero alarms of imminent danger but ever since she woke up, it seemed to be malfunctioning somehow, so she had absolutely no clue as to why a pretty girl would want to sniff her hair.

"What kind of body soap do you use? Your skin is so soft and has sparkles"

"Um… The Strawberry shortcake deluxe vanilla edition from the happy, happy milk soap series"

"Huh, but you don't smell of strawberries. Or Vanilla, for the matter"

"Is that… bad?" Tsuna didn't understand where the conversation was headed.

"No?" And maybe neither did the other girl because she backed off with a sheepish laugh "I don't know, I just find it odd. But if your soap is not leaving a fragrance you should change it"

"Any recommendations? I love sweet scents, but I'm not against floral as long as they're soft"

"Well, you can try freesia soap, they often smell like berries"

"Isn't that poisonous?" Was this really staged? She had been racking her brain on how to bring up the topic, and it was freely given. What were the odds?

"Freesias flowers? Not at all, although I've heard they can cause rash in some sensitive skin" Song Ro Na told her with ease and waited for her to climb another large boulder on the path. "It's hydrangeas and oleanders that you should be wary about. They're beautiful, but can be poisonous if ingested raw"

"That's scary" Tsuna fumbled with her hair in a loose shoulder braid as sweat started gathering at the back of her neck. They had been walking for an hour already, but despite the serene atmosphere and clearance of hidden traps, she felt tired already. "You know a lot about flowers, huh?"

"Yeah. My mom works at a flower shop so I grew up there. Flower meanings and ikebana are a must to help there"

"In your opinion, what's the most beautiful flower?" Tsuna asked.

"Personally, I like orchids. They're elegant and represent love, beauty and strength"

"And the most dangerous one?" Song Ro Na gave her a teasing smile.

"Why? Are you trying to poison someone?"

"No! No. But my luck is really terrible. I could probably eat an inconspicuous poisonous flower without knowing"

"Well, not really. You'll need to ingest big or heavily concentrated amounts for it to work fast. But to answer your question, I would say lily of the valley. It symbolizes youth, sincerity and most importantly, happiness. They are small and cute and carry such strong meaning but... they are also very lethal if consumed"

"And all that happiness crumbles away"

That was the rule in nature, the more beautiful and colourful something is, the more deadly and poisonous it is. Even friendship and love could become toxic under the veil of happiness, it wasn't always the case of course, but just like flowers, one could go on believing the beautiful lie.

"So, what's your favorite flower?"

"I don't really have a favorite, but… my old house, it was covered by vines and wisterias. It was a flower house, I used to think"

"That sounds lovely. Wisterias symbolize long-life and immortality, and they're also great repellents against demons"

"What?"

"Oh god, your face" Song Ro Na laughed "Yeah, I really don't know the history there, but the meaning was heavily influenced by the Japanese theatre. You tell me, was your old house haunted?" At her silence being filled by cicadas chirping, the other girl paused her amusement and looked at her in surprise "No way, it was?"

"A little" Tsuna tried to shrug casually and leave it at that.

"Well, what do you know? I think I'll do a documentary for the Halloween special about that. I'll probably have to do special makeup and all"

"Speaking of, do you by any chance know a flower that can paint your tongue green?"

"Not that I can think of, unless it's matcha powder. Flowers don't release pigment unless they had been saturated with alcohol or turned to liquid"

"Huh, well I guess I learnt something new today too" Tsuna stretched her arms, seeing Bianchi come to a halt a few meters ahead of everyone else and that let her know this expedition was coming to the end. "Thanks for indulging me, I probably kept you from you work"

"Oh no, don't worry. I multitask!" Song Ro Na waved her phone, and Tsuna felt dread.

"Did you… were you filming us? All this time?!"

"Don't worry about it! It wasn't a stream, and I can cut you out if you don't want to appear, I promise"

"Yes please"

The worst thing that could happen was getting international recognition, another reason why her social media consisted of pictures of cats, cakes and her artwork but not her face. Never her face. Haru and Kyoko had uploaded a picture of her with them but it was fine because it was every once in a while, not everyday to make a pattern and associate a close connection.

"Seems like your class is ready to walk down the mountain" Song Ro Na pointed out as Bianchi started herding the kids back the trial "Hey, we should go to an onsen sometime!"

"I'm not sure our schedules will align. We're leaving on Monday"

"Bummer, I'm staying for the whole week"

"How come your parents let you travel all the way here? You're still in high school, right?"

"I didn't tell them where I was going, for all they know, I'm in Jeju Island" Song Ro Na nodded, mostly to herself as if to justify her selfish actions and being determined to face the consequences come whatever "I just needed an out, you know?"

"Yeah" Tsuna came to a stop with a sigh "I gotta go but hey maybe, maybe we can catch up at the Villa?"

"For sure, enjoy your day with your friends. Sorry I stole you away"

"You didn't, it was nice talking to you"

She waved goodbye, but just as she was turning back, she was stopped by fingers holding her shirt.

"Hey, can I get your number?"

With a blush on her face and a confused expression, she walked down the mountain and towards Gokudera, who was waiting for her only a couple of steps away from her.

"Good job, Juudaime"

"I can't feel my legs" She exhaled tiredly "Talking is too exhausting, I want to sleep"

"We have a busy schedule ahead"

"Do you think if I fake-faint Bianchi will let me go?"

"You know she would"

Gokudera was not mad that his older sister seemed to dote and spoil the brunette, on the contrary, he was more annoyed that she steals his opportunities to take care of her first. It was funny watching the siblings compete with that, Tsuna never encourages it, but takes great amusement from watching it.

And when Gokudera offers to carry her on his back, she all but collapses.

"So? Flowers are out, huh"

"Yeah, cross it" She murmured, letting her arms hang loosely around his shoulders and closing her eyes to rest a little. "It wasn't food"

"Must we really uncover this mystery ourselves?"

"If we don't, they'll put us in the spotlight… ah, I really thought we'd have more time"

"Juudaime?"

"With Nono in the hospital and Xanxus alive, I thought they would leave us alone for a little while" Wishful thinking, that's all it was. Not even Reborn could keep the shadows at bay so how could they? "Vongola infiltrated on this trip and backed us against a wall so easily. They act like our owners, threatening us if we defy them and are expecting us to do as they wish"

They were kids playing detectives. The clues were laid like cards on a board game and they were throwing the dice, moving steps and picking plastic rewards as if it mattered nothing. They were not questioning or investigating suspects, no alibis or profiles, they're simply connecting the crumbs laid down for them to make a case. It felt humiliating in a way.

"But we're not" Gokudera said "Juudaime is not just playing along"

"You noticed?" She asked quietly.

"You really hate them?"

"Not hate, it's just… I don't know, it's complicated" She sighed and opened her eyes "I hate their power over us and how weak we're against them"

They were nothing but pawns in a bigger scheme, they can walk and run but their moves were limited, as was their path and choices. Tsuna can try to break free and ruin things, but someone will get burned in the fire for that.

She huffed a breath when Gokudera hoisted her up to better secure his grip, and to possibly shake her thoughts out of her mind, whatever the reason it made her wrap her arms better around his neck despite knowing he wouldn't let her fall.

"I'm with you. And we'll keep the baseball idiot and the others safe"

"But for how long?"

They were running out of time. Everyday was one more day in the Mafia, one more day for it to crawl into their homes and invade their lives. Everyday was one day less for them to escape, to run far away and find shelter. Everyday they took the risk to fall further into the shadows with no way back, to lose their way and brew regrets.

They were losing time to break free.

"For as long as we're here"

It was comforting, knowing she wasn't alone in the fight and someone else was ready to fight for her newfound family, but she also felt miserable, because she herself was running out of time too.

.

.

.

Kuroshio Morí park awaited them for a water ride once the sun was high in the sky. They had a brief snack on the way there and had to find new energy to stand by the docks while the instructor taught them how to move their arms to properly use the oars.

Everyone was given a life vest and forced to make pairs or row the canoe on your own. Tsuna immediately grabbed Gokudera's hand because he was the closest, but as she looked around to take count of her friends, she noted that while Hana was striking to Kyoko, Yamamoto rejected every partnership with a smile and opted to stay behind.

"I think I'm going to sit this one out" He told them as they approached him, with Tsuna dragging Gokudera.

"Want us to stay with you?"

"No, don't let me spoil the fun"

"All here by yourself?" Gokudera scoffed, and while they had gotten closer and shared secrets, they haven't shared trauma yet so there wasn't a way for the Italian to know why the sport fanatic wouldn't participate in the activity.

"I'd be on guard duty!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go"

It's not like Tsuna was forced to go canoeing, she could stay too if she wanted and keep him company, but there was also a part of her that somehow, despite waking early and having walked a forest, she kinda wanted to try it.

Promising to be back soon, they left Yamamoto with two other classmates who were dead tired from the morning exercise and got into the canoes.

The start of the trip was amusing, it was hard to coordinate the oars and move the little boats through the path the instructor was leading them to. Many of them crashed, turned on circles and were rowing in the contrary direction until they managed to get the hang of it.

It was a very cool experience. Despite being summer, the water remained cool and shadowed by the trees. There was green from the hills at both sides and the water a dark blue colour that turned green as they approached a long path of mangrove tunnel.

With the trees defying gravity and bending low into the water, as if the leaves were pulling the branches down into the river, it looked like a fantasy scene from a movie, magical and untouched by mankind.

Everything was fine, it had been going fine, so really, it wasn't even noon yet when trouble finally found them.

"It's a shark!"

"Don't be an idiot! There are no sharks in here"

"Fuck, that's a cayman!"

"Oh my god!"

"Don't panic, everything's fine! Just keep you arms inside the canoe!" The instructor yelled, trying to keep the screaming students from the dark shadow that was waving in the water and towards the floating canoes.

"Help! Help!"

"Everyone! Stay in your boats" Bianchi said, and she looked as if she was ready to throw herself in the water to fight the alligator, but it was impossible to control scared kids who in their frenzied rowing, crashed against one another or lost their grip in their oars. The commotion only seemed to attract the reptile, because it swam closer and bumped into the bottom of the boats, rocking them with enough force to flip them.

Tsuna was holding her oar tight despite knowing no one was going to get eaten, but before she could tell Gokudera to throw some bombs into the water, their own boat was hit, only managing to give a sharp "Shit!" before their canoe was thrown over.

Despite being clear on the surface, the water was murky inside. You couldn't see properly, which only added to the panic when blurred shapes swam past you. Tsuna surfaced, coughing and paddling, almost crawling, towards the closest shore with the aid of Leon, who had transformed into a small turbine that helped her swim faster.

Once she was on land, coughing water and soaking to the bone, the splashes and screams ceased. The alligator was gone, submerged or lost interest in the screaming humans, returning the waters to still beauty as if no one had been frightened to death. Though it had done its purpose, because while she wasn't the only student who took a dip into the waters, she was the only one separated from the rest.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera shouted from the other side, the lake dividing them and feeling frustrated because they were close but their hands grabbed nothing but water.

"I-I'm alright!" She waved weakly once she got on her feet "No, don't come over! I'll round the shore, let's meet halfway"

"Tsuna-chan, be careful!"

Gokudera was ready to swim over, alligator or not, and even Bianchi - who had remained standing on her canoe without a hair out of place - was close to rowing over to get her back but Tsuna just sagged her shoulders and shook her head. Best to just get this over with.

She walked on squelching shoes, sloshing water as she stepped over the roots of the path. She made sure to remain close to the shoreline to keep an eye on her friends, all while mumbling curses and squeezing water from her tangled hair. She didn't knew what to expect, but it certainly wasn't him.

"Well, this is a refreshing sight"

"Verde!" She cried indignantly "Why?!"

"I was in the area and wanted to see you"

"And you came all this way, set an alligator loose on my classmates, dunk me in swamp waters and ruined my last pair of socks just for that?"

"You wound me, you act as if you're displeased to see me"

The arcobaleno who she has kept virtual contact with for the past five years was suddenly there, appearing out of thin air with a baby-sized alligator that had no right to act cute after the cruel joke it played on them. She didn't care if some of the girls cried, but her friends were there damn it!

With the presence of the arcobaleno, Tsuna started walking through the trees and into the tiny forest, still in Gokudera's line of sight, but hidden enough so no one would see her talking to a baby in a lab coat.

"How are the organs coming along?" She asked, still crossed with him.

"You make it seem like we're involved in the black market"

"I didn't mean it like that, you know it!"

"Your petition is going well. I managed to get the collaboration of Viper to fund this little experiment so I have infinite resources of Mist flames at my disposal" He said before sighing heavily "They're asking for an 80% of profit, however, once it launched"

"I really don't care about the money, I just gave you an idea that could help a friend"

"An idea that is worth billions and can literally change the medical world"

"Not without explaining where the organs came from"

"We simply patent it as a synthetic fabric-friendly to the organism made of our of bark from a native reserve"

"You didn't come just to tell me that, you could have sent an email! They're free and dry!"

"I was supervising an archaeologist site where I had the privilege of discovering a chest from the 16th century and found some scrolls written by a man named Talbot and Leonardo da Vinci himself"

He paused and stared at her.

"And?"

"From the name alone, I thought you'll be screaming in joy at the artistic discovery"

"I'm emotionally stunted at the moment, but I'll play along. What did you find?"

"Hm"

He stopped his walk, forcing her to stop and kneel when he handed her an old scroll, its edges fried and broken showcasing its old age of creation. Giving a wary eye to the crocodile who blinked innocently at her, she opened it with careful fingers.

And once she saw what was inside, it took her all her self control not to rip the paper by the shock alone.

"Oh my god" She breathed out "Oh my god! This is it! It's exactly it!"

"Your joy is indisputable"

Sketched in old brown ink was the picture of a box. Its cubic view showed three sides framed by flower ornaments, with the front face revealing a small deep hole instead of a lock.

For years she has wondered, for years she has questioned and searched, and finally, finally, there were some answers written on paper.

"Does it say how to open it?" She asked, eyes moving rapidly through the faded Italian that instructed formulas and theories.

"It says all but that" Verde responded, not faced by the setback as he patted his pet and stared at her. "Your Vongola Intuition, can't it help?"

She wasn't startled at his question, just gave him an 'of course you know' look before shaking her head and tried to engrave the picture in her mind.

"I don't know" She confessed with a frown "It's not a crystal ball that shows me things whenever I ask. I need a conduit, like, like holding an object I'm inquiring about or being near a presence to feel their intentions. I need to think about it but I… this, I want this thing far away from me. That's all I know"

"Hmm"

"How does it work?"

"The machination works like a black hole, an empty space that sucks matter to store things inside a pocket dimension of infinite size" Taking a breath, Verde fixed his glasses up his nose "We're talking about decomposing atoms and breaking them to a molecule level to create a singularity of infinite value, trapping them in a net of zero gravity"

She nodded despite not understanding a word that he just said, and bit her lip in concentration for a mental image of how exactly this thing worked. She has turned the idea over and over, trying to search for a button or hidden puzzle to open it with no avail. Stressed, angry and scared, she hid the thing to put it out of her reach.

"Your box" Verde said, as if sensing her thoughts "Tsunayuuki, I don't think you should be worried about how to open it. Your main concern should rather be whatever is hiding in there"

It's the only reason an eight-year-old made contact with an arcobaleno in the first place.

"Can you recreate this?" Carefully, she folded the scroll back into a roll for him to guard and keep.

"You offend me" He said dryly with a raised eyebrow "It is complex, but I can. It involves all types of flames for the gears to work. Creating, destroying, sustaining, soothing, multiplying, enhancing and harmonizing the energy for it to function. I've yet to identify a material strong enough to sustain them all combined. It will take longer to break the flames into one single unit though, but I'm confident in its success"

She didn't doubt he would, the only matter was the time. How long will it take to recreate this?

"You sure you don't want to send the sample for a test run?"

"No"

"Very well" He sighed with a shrug "That is all, really. Reborn is leeching on your wifi so he'll block any incoming mails from my route. He's becoming rather territorial, he even scared the dragon from the area"

"He did what?" Tsuna blinked in confusion at his words and who he was referring to "Fon?"

"You should be careful with him"

"I'm always careful with Reborn"

"Are you?"

"What are you implying?" She frowned and stood up, feeling more than seeing Gokudera having finally taken a canoe when she stopped and reached her side of the shore.

"Nothing" He petted his alligator to get him moving "Nothing at all. It was good to see you once again, Tsunayuuki. You certainly grew up from that shivering mess you were five years ago"

"Verde" She stopped him with a frown "Why did you come here, really?"

"To see you" He smiled mysteriously before winking himself out of sight. No shadow or alligator remaining behind to remember their presence.

Tsuna felt danger, confusion and an emotion that sent sparks of energy through her veins. It was the same feeling of nausea after using her flames, of the push and pull she was getting intimately familiar with.

If Gokudera was surprised to see an arcobaleno, he didn't show it in exchange of staring with pure suspicion as the scientific baby disappeared with his pet alligator.

"Juudaime, is he an enemy?"

"No" She turned to see him, and smiled a little at his gray hair curling slightly at the tips from the water "We're business partners. Sort of. Just don't tell Reborn"

She walked towards him, limping in her sloshing shoes with a grimace.

"Ugg, now I stink of fish"

.

.

.

Not many of them had the stomach or energy for the next activity. Most of the girls stayed behind, scared and repulsed by the cold-blooded reptiles while a few boys who had a dunk in the murky waters also opted to stay behind and dry in the land.

Tsuna was very thankful Yamamoto stayed behind, although she soon felt guilty due to his reason for not participating in aquatic activities. Once they returned to the docks, dripping wet and smelling like fish, he looked at them with a strained smile, considering himself lucky but pitying them all the same.

Harabuya offered a variety of snakes, like a zoo for reptiles, each was encased in a crystal cage, coiling and spreading to fit as it wished, blinking and showing their tongues to smell the newcomers.

Tsuna thinks they are cute, after living with a magical lizard that can morph into anything, and being on the receiving end of that slimy tongue and cold scales, reptiles didn't scare her. They weren't her favourite, obviously, but she could do the tour without being clouded by fear or disgust.

If it was her choice, she would have skipped this section of the trip though, there wasn't anything worth noting about the slithering, hissing noodles. But they found a note with this location and a time, so here they were; trying to find a link to make up a case. So far they had seen nothing but colourful snakes and very few tourists. The late summer date wasn't that attractive for the public but it helped to keep track of people coming and going.

"Do we even know what we're looking for?" Yamamoto asked as he scratched his head and smiled awkwardly as he held a baby python in his arms. While he wasn't scared of snakes, he wasn't fond of them either. He preferred fluffy and playful dogs, not sneaky and smug-looking pets.

"Just keep your eyes open for anyone suspicious" Hana said with crossed arms, hugging herself tight and away from the snakes peering at her "We're all kids and tourists, no one will come alone just to see a snake"

"And the one who does will be for nefarious reasons"

"Got it" Yamamoto nodded "Be paranoid of everyone around me"

"Don't joke, idiot. This is serious" Gokudera growled, standing still with a yellow boa around his neck for Tsuna, who was taking pictures of everyone as an excuse not to hold any slimy reptile. If Leon refused to move from her shoulder, then that was her excuse.

After the small tour and some explanation on some exotic snakes, the group was done with the activities for the day. They were given a couple of minutes for a bathroom break before the van would drive them to a cozy restaurant to have lunch and then take them back to the villa for a free afternoon.

Tsuna was still trying to untangle her hair when Yamamoto walked up to them with a confused expression.

"Okay, so, I don't think the man was suspicious-looking, but he was inquiring about a sea king or something like that in the souvenirs area"

"A sea krait. That's a very poisonous snake" Gokudera filled them in.

"You don't think…?"

"Unless it was an exotic snake not yet discovered, no. Snake bites don't turn your tongue or skin green. They can definitely kill you, but you didn't mention a snake bite, and all poisonous snakes here are milked before a showcase, so there's no poison here" Hana reassured them.

There was an air of disappointment that they couldn't find a suspect, a culprit or even another clue. Perhaps their deductions had been wrong all along and focusing on the wrong clues.

"Wait, there he is!" Yamamoto suddenly called, pointing towards a snobbish looking man in a black suit and a white goatee, glaring at everything around him. He wasn't wearing flashy jewellery this time, but it was easy to recognize him.

"Not suspicious looking my ass!" Gokudera growled.

"That's the guy from the ferry"

"Oh" Yamamoto huffed while scratching his neck "Well, I got us the name"

"What did you do?"

"He was asking about what to eat on this island so I recommended some sushi and poke from a restaurant I saw on our way here. Then he asked for my help in delivering a parcel, but I told him I was on school business so he gave me a card"

"Oh god, you fool"

Gokudera looked close to strangle him as Hana took the card and read it out loud for them.

"Jack Garcia. CEO from Klarna enterprise"

Tsuna had no idea what that company was for or if it was even legal, but in the end it didn't matter, because they had a name to tie it all together.

"Hello suspect A"

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.

.

The first thing she did upon returning was take a long shower, using double soap and spray body mist to mask the swamp odour from her hair. She could still smell it, but pretending it was due to the sea being so close was easier so she let herself forget that matter by relaxing in her private pool.

She didn't bring her sketchbook, not wanting to think of dreams and the future, the what-ifs, what could be and what will be. It was a shame though, because the sunset was really beautiful on the open beach and a picture from her phone didn't do it justice. But she still sent it to her mom, texted Haru and Basil, and reminded herself to buy Chrome a phone when she gets back to Japan for better contact.

Mammon's involvement in her little 'fake-organ project' was good to hear, she was going to ask their help either way, but this way she didn't have to pay them interest and Verde can go as crazy as he wants with unlimited supplies of Mist flames. Their other project though, she didn't know how to feel. Excited, for finally having a breakthrough but also dread at the outcome.

She wasn't lying when she said her intuition couldn't get a read of it, whenever she as much thought about it, it was like screaming into a void of nothingness with no transmission back. A year ago she wouldn't have bothered, but now, with a magical tingle that lets her know what correct answer to choose on a test, you'd think inquiring about that would've been easier.

It wasn't.

Added that to her 'duty' as the leader of a mission she did not want any part of, her friends could feel her mood souring so there was no midnight party. Everyone had dinner at the Villa restaurant, and agreed to build a case to expose Jack García as the culprit before going to their own cabins for a restful sleep.

Tsuna was willing to wash her hands and call the police on the man, but knowing it could easily backfire, she held back and let the case build itself.

Their next day's activities were meant to be slow and relaxing, which is why, when she woke up from a dreamless night and found herself being kidnapped, she screamed.

"What the fuck?!"

"Quiet, child. It's early"

"It's plain daylight! My friends are waiting for me, are you out of your mind!? Daemon, what the fuck?!"

Tsuna was getting alarmingly concerned that her hyper intuition was broken. There had been many situations and red flags that her intuition had ignored and let pass, but not waking in panic when someone sneaked inside her locked room and whispered her away was her limit. Maybe it needed to recharge or maybe she wasn't meeting the conditions for it to work properly. Didn't it appear after Reborn shot her? She hasn't lighted her flames since the fight with Xanxus, maybe that was it?

That still doesn't explain why she was being kidnapped on her day-off by a melodramatic ghost. How did he even evade Leon?

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, annoyed at the man who was driving a golf car to a destination unknown. At least he had the mind to put on the seatbelt for her, she thought grumpily as she righted herself on the seat and rubbed the dust from her eyes.

"You're not wearing your ring" He said instead of answering her, and Tsuna looked down at her empty hands.

"I was worried I'd lose it, so I left it at home"

"How foolish"

"Why?" She asked again with a frown "Why do you want me to wear the ring? Why do you want me to be Vongola Decimo?"

"Hmm?"

"Daemon?" She shivered in the cold, early morning "Are you going to kill me?"

"My, what a morbid thought. Why would you think so, child?" He gave her a side glance, filled with mocking amusement before turning his eyes back to the road, driving deeper into the forest with no rush. Tsuna has never been more confused in her life.

"You want Vongola to rise, and I want to destroy it" She crossed her arms and her frown turned into a glare "Why are you here, with me?"

"Why, indeed?" He shrugged, and he did it in a way that was so elegantly and effortlessly while mocking her all the same "Did you know you have a real ghost haunting you? But you left him at home, so that's good I suppose"

She held back a curse and bit her tongue. She has been trying not to think about the scare of her life, of waking up with a bleeding nose to a man watching her sleep. Her heart would shrink at the memory of it, and for someone else to know and confirm her fears was petrifying. Then again, the man in her room wasn't the only ghost she has seen, has she? But for Daemon to know… it was still chilling.

Daemon was a puzzle in her life. He's been with her since she was a kid, five and tiny. She wouldn't call him a parental figure because although he had looked after her and taught her life lessons impossible to forget, he had also frightened her and made her cry many times. He was weirdly invested in her, but never to the point of endangering her life.

But she also knew his drive and grief, what he wanted and what moved him to remain on earth despite all these centuries. What other reason, if not to use her, would he meddle if not for Vongola's sake? His Vongola, that is.

And Tsuna, wanting the total opposite from him, how can she even begin to fight him?

"Your mist pet, he's not as great as the underworld believes. Didn't even notice me"

"Leave him alone" She feared Mukuro would try to engage in a battle if he found another mist user around, but their power was not equal by a drop, it's the reason she warned him in the first place.

"Oh? So possessive already?" Daemon said with a small smirk "That's good"

She could scream and rage and try to make him crash the stupid golf car, but she was tired, sleepy and hungry, so like a petulant child, she crossed her arms with a huff and sulked in silence. Even when Daemon started humming under his breath, she ignored him in favour of drafting a plan for today's schedule. If they didn't find Amelia's ring by noon, then they'll call the police to deal with Jack.

It's not like they needed to find a real killer, after all.

"The man you're looking for…" Daemon suddenly said, and all thoughts and plotting froze and shattered along with her breath by those words "He's on the move"

"Where?" Her voice was small and quiet, terrified.

"Not here" He said in a condescending tone "Do not seek him, child. As you are, he'll consume you"

A couple of months with Reborn, with flames and a possible mental weapon was not enough. She wasn't strong enough. Maybe she'll never be.

"Here we are"

Daemon pulled the car to a stop, still in the middle of the forest but near a small hut made of branches and moss. There was a fire pit releasing columns of smoke, and behind it, an old man in tattered robes and colourful tattoos was chanting in an unfamiliar language and sprinkling ashes to the fire to make the smoke rise higher.

"You stole me from my bed just to see an old man playing with smoke?"

"Don't be impolite"

He tugged at her hair in warning before pushing her forwards, making her stumble in her - already ruined - socks and putting her in front of the old man, who merely raised his head at their arrival. His face was tanned and wrinkled, and his teeth, when he smiled, were chipped and yellow, yet he didn't appear to be a threat to her.

"Hello" She greeted him with an awkward wave of her hand.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Sawada Tsunayuuki, nice to meet you, sir"

"Good. Good" The man nodded before asking again "And who are you?"

"I'm…" She paused to look at Daemon, who was busy fixing his gloves before answering with uncertainty this time "I'm Sawada Tsunayuuki"

"Hmm"

The old man nodded again and gestured for her to walk closer and kneel in front of the fire. Her eyes immediately watered, and she could feel an itch in her throat as if she had swallowed sand. Her body was remembering the trauma it suffered and healed before she even experienced the whole backlash, but the phantoms were still there lurking in the shadows.

"Your Ajna path is the greatest I've ever seen" The man said and sprinkled more dust that made the flames crackle.

"Excuse me?"

"Your third eye" the man explained as if Tsuna should already know "You see life as the stage it is, but you also have the control to direct that stage. And that's costing you"

Was he talking about the hyper intuition? Or the foretelling dreams? She has no clue as to why she was here and what the man or Daemon wanted to achieve. But her cooperation was needed, because the old man reached his hands over the fire and waited expectantly for her to place her hands over his.

She wasn't scared of the fire or getting burned, but her fingers still shook as she laid them over his calloused hands.

"Curious" He hummed and nodded to the smoke "How curious. There is a knot in your meridians, blocking the flow of energy from your head and down your hands, like a plug. Condensing and storing but in threat of blowing if left sealed"

"What does that mean?"

"Your head or your hands, there can only be one point your body can focus and withstand the energy. Not both"

If Tsuna was confused before, she surely was lost now.

"The crown is the gateway to the worlds. Once it's understood that we are all pieces of the same whole, the connection can never be lost. But your crown is out of balance. You're disconnected"

"So... how do I fix it?" She asked if only not to appear rude, but she was trying to remember all this ramble to ask Fon later, maybe even Mammon and Verde because one explanation won't be enough to understand all this.

"You chose"

What does that mean?! She cried internally, not understanding a single thing. But before she could ask for clarification, the flames under her hands suddenly sparkled and turned pure white. They didn't burn or hurt as the embers licked her skin, but she could feel something tingling, as if her hands had fallen asleep and her nerves were just waking up.

"You're lost, child. Broken. To heal yourself, you need to find yourself" The old man patted her hands over the fire "I can only pull a threat for the energy not to overflow, but you alone must untangle the knot yourself"

She was definitely calling Fon, no matter what petty fight Reborn might have had with him.

Though whatever it was the old man was doing, she could definitely feel something unplugging, as if her ears had popped and her nose unblocked. It felt, clearer. And it was only when the fire crackled and turned back to its original color did she have the startling realization that it had to do with her flames. What other crown could there be, but her sky flames?

And just like that, she started connecting the dots.

She's been having trouble with her flames, no lie there. Her headaches had increased, nosebleeds were appearing, she was sleeping less and becoming paranoid. Shaking, fearing, even fainting.

The flames were hurting her.

But why? That was yet to be found.

"Thank you" She smiled shakingly and nodded at the man for his help, whatever it was he did and hoped for.

"It will be a terrible journey, child. Hazardous. Treacherous. Don't lose time"

And as she drew her hands back from the fire, she couldn't help but wonder if it was Daemon who organized this trip for his convenience. He has definitely infiltrated Vongola ranks, -he never left to begin with- and maybe he was able to pull the strings to arrange this meeting in the island where, oh so coincidently, the Vongola elite was requiring her to solve a mystery and catch a man framed of murderer.

So who was manipulating who exactly?

Still, that doesn't explain his motives with her, and the worst part was that he seems to know more about the situation than she does.

"Because you shouldn't have it"

"How did you knew?" She asked once she got up and walked towards the ghost that has haunted her since childhood "How can you possibly…"

"You can't die, child. I've plans, and you're an asset for them" He told her with a finger under her chin, raising her face higher so that their eyes could meet.

"Plans for me or to use me?"

"You'll have to survive and see"

In a blink of an eye, he was gone. He was gone along with the golf car, the hut and the smoke man. There was nothing of his presence there, just her standing alone in her ruined socks.

"Are you seriously leaving me alone in the forest?!"

.

.

.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera exclaimed as soon as he spotted her and ran to meet her halfway, instantly patting her arms and shoulders for any wounds or trackers, or whatever else might have glued to her arms in her frenzy walk back to the villa. "Are you alright? What happened? Where were you?"

Tsuna let him fuss over her, and her annoyance was evaporated by his sincere worried expression.

"I'm alright" She reassured him, despite knowing how she might look. Sweaty, in dirty socks, smelling of smoke and probably with leaves on her wild hair.

So much for a vacation.

"I saved you some breakfast. Juudaime, we must hurry. The other group is already leaving"

She grimaced at that, knowing that a shower was out of the question but she still needed to do her best to look presentable.

"Tsuna-darling, we leave in 5 minutes" Bianchi told her as soon as they walked past the entrance and ignored all the stares and mockings from everyone else. At least she wasn't in her underwear, she thought with dry humor as she approached her cabin and knocked insistently for Hana to open because she didn't have the key.

"Where did you go?" Hana asked with raised eyebrows as she took in her appearance and let her in.

"Morning run" Tsuna gasped as she ran inside to gather her things. Unless Leon transformed into magical socks, she was going to wear her shoes without them because she didn't think to bring sandals to the beach. She didn't like them. And the ones the villa provided were big and noisy when she walked, so… what else can she do?

Quickly washing her face in the bathroom and changing into her gym uniform, she tied her hair up in a top knot to hide the mess before spraying the strawberry shortcake deluxe vanilla edition body mist all around her to hide the smell of wilderness smell.

"Sawada, we're leaving!"

"I'm coming!"

Well, she tried her best. And it's not like she's trying to impress someone, so whatever. She came out, grabbing her bag and letting Leon glue himself to her neck and was just about to leave when a black mass lounging in her bed made her pause.

"You're fired!" She yelled at the cat, who rolled on her bed and blinked lazily at her. He even had the gall to purr!

Closing the door with a slam, she marched towards the entrance with as much grace as she could manage, and overheard poor Harrison Laroque still yelling about the missing ring. Apparently, the Villa hadn't called the police in, although they had verified and checked everyone and their cabins. If someone mentioned Theo's disappearance, then she missed it but seeing as no one was screaming, they haven't found the body.

It was nice the guys saved her some food, but seeing as they were going to a fish factory, she opted to save her poke bowl for later. And maybe it was good she didn't have breakfast at the villa, because eating fresh sashimi slices with bonito flakes to start the day after that terrible wake-up call was refreshing and cooled her burning skin.

This tour felt more like a school trip should be. They were led through the factory and shown the process of elaboration for the bonito flakes. And the perk at the end is that they allowed you to make and take a bag of flakes with you to commemorate the visit.

They still had a few minutes to kill, so they gathered together to enjoy their snack and were soon joined by the old ladies from the ferry, who had come to the factory to sell their oysters. They were walking in their fishing pants and hats, carrying buckets of ice and handing oysters to anyone who accepted them. They were jolly, in the way only those free-spirited were.

"Here love, have an oyster! They're fresh"

"Are you sure you don't want to try them? They're delicious!" Yamamoto asked Tsuna, who had surrendered her oyster shell to him.

"No thanks"

"Thank you, Kimiko-san" Hana said politely, after having been given 3 more.

"You're very welcome. All you youngsters these days, so skinny"

It's not like you could gain fat by eating molluscs, but no one could say no when offered. It helped that they were fresh and cleaned, so no one was at risk of food poisoning.

"They're very good. My dad has a sushi restaurant, I'm sure he could add them to the menu!"

"Now that's an idea" Kimiko-san grinned "We have a small stock supplier business, if you're really interested, just let us know"

"I really am! Here, can I get your number? Is that weird?"

"Oh you're a sweet boy"

"And embarrassing" Muttered Gokudera, who didn't flinch when Tsuna elbowed him.

"Are you a local, Kimiko-san?" Hana asked.

"Have been for 35 years. You see that lovely lady over there" She nodded with a secret smile towards the other old lady, who was laughing with a tourist couple. "She's my life partner. Life was so different a few years back, kids. You have no idea. Speaking up your mind or even showing a bit of self-determination by following your own dreams, you were judged as if you were in purgatory for a heinous crime"

"That's terrible"

"Truly" Kimiko-san sighed heavily with a shake of her head before smiling again "But society has learnt to adapt and accept change, in some cases more than others. There's still misogyny and prejudice, but the voice of you youngsters its making it better for them to listen"

The old generation had certainly cemented roots of hatred and control over their kin and community, but it was nice to know that even among them, rebels with hearts if gold existed.

"Me and my deary, we escaped to this little island when her family tried to marry her with nothing but the clothes we were wearing. We had no plan or money, no history so the only legal job we could find was fishing and selling oysters. Waking up early and walking miles, it became our routine. But now that we have money and freedom, we don't want to leave the life we have made for ourselves here. Funny, isn't it?" Kimiko-san laughed before batting the air "Ah, but look at me boring you kids with such tales"

"It's lovely, Kimiko-san. Thank you for sharing"

"Well, when you reach my age, you don't give a flying monkey for the rules. Don't let anyone live for you, kids" She advised them sweetly despite the tears of experience her words carried "The oysters will always be there to be fished, your life won't"

"You're both invited to my graduation party" Yamamoto said, moved and charmed.

"Oh, thank you, dear. We'll love to!"

Like a strong current, the mood suddenly shifted. It was heartwarming and a little wistful, like the advice of a grandma who has lived long to be wise enough. It left them all thinking, were they wasting their youth doing things to meet the expectations laid on them? Or have they not challenged themselves to break the mold and just live?

Tsuna knew the answer, she was trapped, chained and probably with a death sentence, but come hell or high water she will fight tooth and nail to walk her own path. It was a sentiment shared, as they said their goodbyes and let Yamamoto hold her hand as they walked back to the van.

"I have a question" He suddenly asked, and Tsuna was preparing herself to tell a sob story. By the way her emotions were still fresh in her nose, it would be easy to cry.

"Hm?"

"How come your hands are always clean? I thought painters were always stained with paint"

"Oh, that." She snorted a rebel sniffle "Watercolors are a bitch to work with"

"Sawada!" Hana scolded her language despite no one caring.

"Just one smear and the whole painting can be ruined so I learnt to keep my hands clean"

Also, Squalo drilled her to never leave fingerprints on crime scenes, or anywhere, for the matter. And after that one time with the charcoal pencil she learnt her lesson to keep her hands spotless of paint, grime and other substances.

It was a bright day, and their excursion to Ooshima Tsumugimura was meant to be relaxing and entertaining, but sadly they had a mission, and the sooner they got it over with the better. Tsuna was a bit sad that she was going to miss the next landmark, because she wanted to make a personalized handkerchief for her mom.

Maybe she can escape to the island when things get rough? She can bring her mom, and the kids, and just… get away from everything.

It sounded simple.

And she wanted to pretend that it was.

"Tsuna-chan?" She turned her head when Kyoko called her, and looked down to see her clutching the back of her shirt, eyes downcast and a frown pulling on her lips.

"Hey?"

"Did I… did I do something wrong?"

"What? No!" Startled, Tsuna blinked and shook her head "Kyoko, no"

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

Dumbstruck, she turned to see her friends for help, only to see Hana giving her a dark glare of 'you deal with this' while she pushed the guys away to give them some space. Bianchi was taking her time gathering and calling everyone's name to board the vehicle, so they had the privacy for what could very well be her first disagreement with a friend.

She didn't want it to escalate to a fight.

"I'm not"

"Ever since yesterday, you've been distant and cagey. Hana-chan too…" Kyoko still wouldn't meet her eyes "I know you're not planning something bad for me, but, was it something I did?"

You should push her away, her intuition was telling her. This was the perfect opportunity to break her heart and push her away, save her. Keep her away from harm and protect her from the shadows that had crept into their peaceful home.

"I…"

And yet, the words were stuck on her throat.

Lying was easy. She has been doing it ever since she met her, their friendship was built on a lie that just grew until she ended up believing in it. And now that things were real and life was worse, and was only going to get worse, a part of her still wanted to keep the sweet illusion.

"I wasn't trying, it wasn't- Sorry" She said quietly, and just like with Hana, she decided to come clean with another white lie to the growing list Kyoko must keep record of. "That was mean, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad, honest. And you did nothing bad! You could never. It's just… my family, they're not the best. And they almost ruined the trip by planting a fake murder for me to solve as a game. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or worse…"

Things could have gone so much worse, she can't believe their luck.

"Why didn't you say so?" Kyoko's soft reproach made her look up at her with confusion and disbelief at the sudden turn from a frown to pout. "Haru-chan and I have been watching many crime dramas and lessons, we want to help you, Tsuna-chan"

What?

"What?"

Kyoko sniffed a little, but instead of waterworks or an explanation to that, she held her hand in hers.

"I know you're involved in something, Tsuna-chan. And I know you're scared and hurting, but please, let me help you. No matter how insignificant it might feel against the hardships you're facing, I want to be there for you!"

"It's not insignificant" Tsuna told her "Kyoko, you're enough"

Just having her as a friend was enough, knowing her care and feelings were real was enough for Tsuna to believe she was worth something, however undeserving it might seem. She really did enjoy hanging out with her and Haru, loved to feel like a normal teenage girl talking about sweets, bubble tea and b-b-boys, when the topic eventually surged.

"I'm sorry, for before. That was rude" She wanted to protect and hide her from the Mafia, but she didn't mean to ignore her and ghost her like that. Though knowing how stubborn Kyoko, Haru and Hana were, if she wasn't careful, they will one day pass the point of no return. It really was so easy to break their friendship, but she didn't want to.

"Don't push me away, okay?"

"Okay"

The heart was truly a selfish thing.

.

.

.

With Kyoko's insight to the case, they managed to glue the clues and draft a scenario in the 14 minute ride it took to reach their next location. Gokudera did his homework last night and used the contact information from the business card Yamamoto got to search the place Jack Garica was staying at. It was a 30 minute ride, and they'll still have an hour and a half to plant the fake evidence, call the police and come back without being seen.

Simple.

And for that to work, they were going to sneak out, consequences be damned. And because now they were all a team, Hana and Kyoko were going to be on the lookout and help with their alibis of feeling sick in the bathroom while the three of them stole the school van.

It was stupid, reckless and crazy.

But it will do.

"Do you have a license?" Yamamoto asked; wary, as Gokudera buckled up in the driver seat, with only Bianchi remaining outside to give them the signal to go.

"You don't need a license for this, idiot"

"For stealing?"

"We're borrowing it"

They were really a bad influence, but nothing they said made Yamamoto stay behind this time, so he was in for a ride. With Bianchi as their flagger, they managed to slip away with the poor driver suffering from indigestion and drove in silence, just listening to the radio and trusting Gokudera not to crash or drive them down the cliffs.

Why couldn't this have been their summer vacation? Tsuna thought as she stared at the window view with the wind in her hair. Just a road trip. Friends and the coast by their side.

Maybe, someday.

As soon as they arrived at the location, Gokudera parked a street away to watch for any surveillance. It was a private house, white stone with big crystal windows revealing the luxurious living room inside. And that was it, just a big empty house.

"There's not enough security around" She noted as they got out of the car and peered around. Everything was quiet and still, even her danger senses were feeling nothing, but she didn't know if she could trust it anymore. "No one's in?"

"That's because they're dead" Mukuro said, and they all jumped, startled by his unexpected presence.

"Shit!"

"You need a bell" Yamamoto laughed weakly.

"Dead?" Tsuna asked with a frown.

"Mn" The mist user nodded gravely, as if it was a matter of importance. Knowing him, he was just bored and his toys were taken away before he could even play with them. "Completely laid on the ground. No blood, though"

"How many?"

"23"

"Maybe they all fainted?" Yamamoto suggested "You know, like in the movies, someone could have thrown sleeping gas on them"

"Could be" Tsuna said to spare his feelings "We'll need masks if we're going in"

She put on her mittens just in case, and glared at Mukuro to comply, which he did with a smirk, knowing her debt was increasing. With protective gear, and some of them armed, they were ready to break in.

"Leon, I need you to disconnect the cameras"

The chameleon jumped from her neck and scurried inside the property. They waited for another five minutes for him to return, but when he did Tsuna knew it was safe to go in. And Gokudera really did think of everything, because he placed a tiny camera near the entrance and used his phone to check in case Jack or someone else returned.

"Okay, we just need to find the ring, search the evidence and call the police. No fighting or loitering"

"Yes, boss"

"Please, don't call me boss"

Tsuna has already sneaked out of her house, but breaking into private property was a first in her list of juvenile crimes. She shouldn't feel giddy, but a part of her, the Varia child she used to be oh so long ago, felt a little high at the thrill of it.

Secured in knowledge there was no one to spot them, they walked inside the beach house. The space was luxurious with a huge pool next to a gazebo and an open entrance with no doors to the dining room. It would have been a pretty sight, if it weren't for the dozens of men laying still on different areas of the property.

As Mukuro said, there was no blood or injuries on them. No signs of aggression or defense wounds, just like Theo. They were just lying there.

Not wanting to linger more, they quickly started searching inside the house. Apart from booze, contract papers and smoke packages, there wasn't much on the first floor. But when they went upstairs, they hit the jackpot. Heavy doors barricaded the rooms, as if each of them consisted of safe boxes hiding a treasure. Using dynamites or her punches could send off an alarm, so the doors were easily opened thanks to Leon transforming into a magical system key.

"Oh wow" Yamamoto breathed under his mask at the sight of the first room "Look at how many there are!"

Piles and towers of tiny diamonds covered every nook and cranny as if they were dust. They were bright, shiny and the dream of every girl, woman and man who wished to own one. Still, as perfect looking as they were, there was naturally something wrong for there to be so many in one single room.

"There's something strange about this" Gokudera said as he held two tiny diamonds in his gloved hands for close inspection.

"What do you mean?"

"They're real, both of them. But they're exactly the same. Every diamond in nature is different by a cut or weight, and yet these are a perfect replicate, even the sides"

"I don't follow" Yamamoto said with a confused frown.

"They are the same diamond" Gokudera said "All of them"

"He's a Cloud user" Tsuna stated before the words registered in her mind, and when they did, there was a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Cloud flames are known for propagation and multiplying" Gokudera whispered harshly "If he managed to duplicate a diamond, let alone expensive ones, he'll built an empire out of it"

"Is that even possible?" Yamamoto, the civilian one of the three, still finds the mechanics of the Mafia world and their magic tricks surprising.

"In theory, I mean, I guess? Reborn made it seem so" Tsuna said with a shake of her head "His flames can mend broken bones and Mist flames literally creates functioning organs"

"Fuck" Gokudera cursed. "Fuck"

Fuck indeed. No wonder Vongola wanted him out. With him in the market, he could replicate and mass produce weapons, jewellery, even gold if he finds a pure ore. He already has an empire of stolen and duplicated diamonds, but greed is an illness with no cure, and it will spread fast and wide to those infected.

"Do you guys know what the ring looked like?" Tsuna asked, sweeping a look around the room for a spot-the-difference gem.

"I did some digging last night, from the looks of it, I'm pretty sure it's a Padparadscha Sapphire"

"I've never heard that name before"

"That's because you're poor" Gokudera crossed his arms and shook his head "It's a light pinkish, orange gem. Very bright and oval in shape"

"Okay, so it's not here"

The second room contained piles of dollars. Tsuna didn't know how that would work, seeing as every bill had a code to identify them and prevent scams like this. But then again, Mist flames could change it and make people believe, so…

The next room was an empty office with one man lying on the floor.

Yamamoto still looked a little green, so Gokudera gave him his phone and put him on watch duty while they inspected inside. Nothing seemed to be in disarray for the man to die of burglary gone wrong or theft, so the question still remains on why and how they died. The only clue Tsuna could find that could link the case with Theo, was a burning smoke on his hand.

"He died smoking?" She asked tentatively as she knelt down to take a proper look. "The men outside, did they have cigarettes too?"

"Some of them" Mukuro shrugged in boredom.

Humming in question, Tsuna looked around the desk in search of something, anything. There were papers with some names and account numbers. Other than that and a golden lighter, there was nothing worth noticing, no pretty ring hidden in the drawers, but her eyes returned to the lighter for some reason, so she grabbed it and like a curious cat, she lighted it.

The little flame did not illuminate the room, but it did spark an action.

"Wait! Juudaime! Nobody breathe!" Gokudera gripped her wrist, making her drop the lighter for him to catch.

No one moved at his call, and Tsuna stopped breathing until he opened the windows and batted the air for a minute. It was good they were wearing masks, but one could never be sure.

"What? What is it?"

"It smells like almonds" He said a little frantic by the close call as he inspected the little lighter and cursed when he turned it upside down to show the bottom missing and a black screw instead of a gold one "It's been tampered. It's not gas, it's cyanide"

"The smoke" The link that connected them "So he was, they were poisoned?"

"It leaves no trace. Perfect way to get moles out. Or to keep people quiet"

Okay, they can work with that. But before she could suggest an idea, she was grabbed by the wrist again, this time by Mukuro and pulled out of the room and into an ensuite bathroom.

"Hey! Wait! What are you doing?!"

"Wash your hands"

"It's fine! I didn't even touch it. You're ridiculous, stop!"

"Um, guys?" Yamamoto called from the doorway, waving the phone to grab their attention "He's coming"

"Gokudera-kun, you and Yamamoto search for the ring. Mukuro and I will deal with him" Tsuna said after having gotten her hand back and started dragging the illusionist out of the room instead.

"Juudaime, are you sure we can trust him? He's a bastard, and a liar! And don't forget what he did to you!"

"I'm not. But he's dangerous and I'm not afraid to use him"

"You wound me"

"Deal with it!" She pushed him out of the room before nodding at him "You two saw the ring, make sure to take pictures of everything and call the police once you find it. Don't worry"

She patted Yamamoto on the shoulder to reassure him that everything will go fine on her way out, and went downstairs where Mukuro had made himself at home and sat on the sofa with his trident at hand.

"Can you change us?"

"I can do better" He smiled roguishly at her "You can use me as a shield and as a sword, but it will cost you"

"You've no rights to call the shots"

Turning herself on fire will bring her unwanted attention and instant recognition, so really, she needed someone to fight for her if things went ugly. She was confident in using martial arts to fight, but if a gun was drawn, she'd be in trouble. Still, she'll end up losing either way if she works with this person.

"Better be quick, Boss" He drawled the word in mockness"The target's here"

"Don't kill him" Is all she said before she felt a cool breeze going through her just as the front doors opened and in walked Jack Garcia, cursing and talking to himself without even looking at them as he walked inside.

"Useless dogs, can't find a single pearl on this damn island. Lazy fuckers, the lots of them!"

He threw his things on the table, went to the kitchen to grab some bourbon and drank the shot with a heavy hiss, all the while unaware of someone following him from behind until they whispered in his ear.

"Hello"

"Fucking shit!" He turned around and tried to hit someone with the bottle, but it crashed on nothing, the sound of glass breaking mixing with a sardnoc laugh that raised his hairs and made him draw his gun to aim all around the empty room "Reveal yourself you fucking fox! I'll shoot!"

"None of that"

Vines sprang from the floor, wrapping around his limbs and a strong hold and slammed him hard on the table, forcing him to release the gun and start cutting the circulation on his veins.

"Who the fuck are you?! Let me go! I'm a CEO, I'll ruin your life!" He cursed loudly, growling hoarsely as a vine wrapped around his neck too and started tightening.

"How scary" The voice mocked, glitchy and robotic, giving no way to know the gender or age of his attacker "I wonder how loud you'll scream if I cut a hand"

"W-What do you want? Riches? Diamonds?" He coughed and tried to move away but the vines only held him tighter until he started choking "Who sent you? I can double the payment! J-JUst let me- Let me go! I'll-"

"I'm just curious" Someone whispered close despite no one being there "You have no Famiglia. No owner. Or the brains for it. So how did you manage to build an empire of duplicates?"

"Fucking scum, I'll kill you"

"Yeah, see, here's the thing" "I have the power to kill you and make you disappear. You're really annoying my vacation plans, so answer my question and I won't. Who gave you the idea?"

"It was my idea! M-My empire!"

"Would you rather go to jail? Or do you want to go with them"

"You- I've done nothing wrong! I haven't broken any laws!" He started gasping for breath and shaking by the lack of air and by fear alone. "You have no power over me, you filthy-!"

"Don't I?" The voice purred menacingly "I know who they are, I know how to call them. I can make them take you away, chain you, never to see the life of day as you rot on your own filth. Do you want that?"

Tsuna scrunched her nose at the sight, the man turning red, then purple, until his face blacked and he passed out. He was still breathing, just barely, but he fainted with answers that although she didn't need them, they could have been useful.

"What did you do to him?" She asked the illusionist who stepped closer to her.

"He's dreaming" He said while fixing his clothes "If he doesn't confess, he'll gut himself and hang by his own intestines"

"Huh" She breathed out. While she wasn't open to torture, she knew it can save them some time in cases like this. And they do need to hurry. "Okay"

"We found it!" Gokudera's voice called from upstairs, coming down but lingering on the stairs. Probably to stop Yamamoto from seeing whatever it was they were doing; Jack did scream a little loud earlier. "Police is on its way"

"You didn't touch anything, right?"

"No prints left behind!" Yamamoto said. By the chirp in his voice, she knew he wasn't that perturbed but she still walked out of the kitchen and to fetch them so that they could leave the premises as soon as possible. And by Gokudera's nod, she knew all evidence had been planted.

"Alright, let's go"

Hurriedly, they left the house, making sure to close the door and leave no footprints as they got inside the car and drove away with the sound of sirens crying behind.

.

.

.

Tsuna thought she would be brimming with excitement and try every flavor available, but she sat quietly with her melting cup of cookie dough with a scoop of brownie ice cream in the corner of Le Fonte Gelato.

The shop was tiny, it barely fit the 15 students loitering in the tables as they enjoyed the cool treat. The taste was amazing, and really she shouldn't let something cause such a downpour in her mood when they evaded all trouble, but she still felt gloomy.

Hana bought the pretense of the missing ring and all the evidence that pointed that Theo; as were all the other men present in that house, were members working for Jack Garcia, and as the paranoid greedy man he was, he had them all killed by cyanide poison through smoke gas to keep his secret stash of diamonds all to himself.

It was a simple lie.

An easy outcome.

A clear set-up.

"What?" Hana asked with a frown when Yamamoto and Kyoko started laughing "What is it?"

"Your tongue is green" Kyoko giggled, while her own was blue. They had chosen flavours with the theme of space, and while the taste wasn't artificial at all, the ice-cream had painted their tongues in neon colors.

When they returned to the Villa for a free afternoon, they spotted an Interpol officer returning the ring to Amelia, who was thankful but it was Harrison Laroque who was close to crying. Tsuna steered clear, not wanting to be drawn to the European international police when it was supposed to be just the local ones, meaning that Vongola had already alerted them since the start.

With Jack García going behind bars and the expensive diamond returned, they could have one good night of rest before returning to Japan.

But there was still one thing left to do.

Kyoko and Haru went to refresh themselves for the bonfire later at night, leaving the three alone to end the charade.

"Case closed!" Yamamoto declared with a smile, stretching his arms to the sky and feeling on taking a nap after today's events, Tsuna felt a little bad.

"It's not"

"What do you mean?"

"Jack Garcia was indeed a magnate and building an empire on stolen diamonds, but he did not kill Theo. All the evidence against him was just the perfect opportunity to frame him and finally arrest him"

"But... but if he's not the murderer, then who killed Theo?"

"Nobody" She gave him a rueful smile "He was never a corpse to begin with"

"Does that mean…"

"He's alive"

.

---

There was a body lying dead on the sand.

He's still alive

There was no heartbeat

He's still alive

There is no breathing

He's still alive

There was no blood.

He's still alive

And yet…

And yet her intuition was screaming loud and clear that the body was alive, that the man pretending to be Theo was not dead and was just somehow, faking it to perfection so that he could act like a corpse for the murder mystery Vongola wanted her to solve. How he was faking it was the real mystery, but it didn't take the anger away from the sick game they were forcing them in.

It wasn't a coincidence.

It was foul play.

Trying to lie her way, keeping Yamamoto from seeing too much and Hana thinking it was a game was stressful, because she didn't want to involve them in the first place, and acting alone would have prevented everyone's feelings. As was the case with Kyoko later on.

She didn't know how they were being watched, so whispering plans and acting normal was a must, which is why on her first moment of respite she went to a close source of information with friendly intentions so as to not raise suspicion.

.

Basil - 17:45

"-the sight was really breathtaking! But falling in water was dangerous!

I can hold my breath for 15 seconds only, Signorina was lucky to find land so soon"

You- 17:46

"Tell me about it! ヾ( •́д•̀ ;)ﾉ My hair still stinks of fish!

But hey! speaking of which,

isn't there a mafiosi who can stop his heart or something?

(・・？)"

Basil - 17:46

"Yes! Moretti!

He actually helped Master and the team escape HQ"

You- 17:48

"It's an amazing ability, able to play dead and confuse the enemy

Reborn would probably burry me to acquire such skill

(；´ﾟДﾟ)ゞ

Basil - 17:48

"Please don't jinx yourself, Signorina"

---

.

In the end, even with her intuition malfunctioning, it was pretty easy to know Vongola's involvement in the case and what they needed to do to end things without drawing unnecessary attention. And so, now that things were over it was time to wake the dead.

They walked towards a hidden spot behind some rocks, away from prying eyes. The illusion had dropped, and it was easier to see something was buried there without care, as if not really trying to hide it or someone attempting to climb out. Tsuna used her foot to sweep some sand where she was sure the head was hastily buried, no doubt having stretched his neck to gulp some air once there wasn't anyone around.

"Game's over, you can breathe again"

For a moment nothing happened. The waves crashed on the sand and a seagull cried above them, but then the ground started shaking and the sand rose and scattered around as Theo - or rather Moretti - broke his head free out, gasping and coughing grains of sand.

"You solve it!" He rasped a laugh "Congratulations! But god, I swear your Mist was close to killing me! I couldn't even open my eyes at night with him watching me. I had to take tiny breaths or I'd have passed out for real"

"We couldn't take any chances"

"I know, I know. Still, I'm impressed, kids" He spatted some more sand before grinning up at them. He was an average looking man, tan skin, small eyes and a sharp nose. His hat was unfortunately ruined, but for someone chained and buried alive for almost two days, he didn't look much perturbed. "I'm glad you'll be Decimo"

"Oh? Why's that?" She knelt next to him and hugged her legs. Gokudera was standing right beside her, arms crossed and glaring down at the talking head while Yamamoto stayed silent a few steps behind them. It was starting to get a little windy, and wet sand was glueing to their skin and clothes, but she let it be for the moment; it wasn't important.

"You got heart. Xanxus is a good leader, but he's all brute force and vindictive anger. You're a good kid, you think and listen and act fast to protect your friends without compromising the mission"

"Compromising?"

"You know about the coup, right?" As if she didn't. But still, she kept quiet to listen "Xanxus let rage fuel him, kill many of us and betrayed the Famiglia for a petty spat. He even killed one of his own in cold blood"

"Ottavio?" She asked and at his nod, she said "Good"

Moretti looked startled at her voice and stopped wiggling in trying to get out, confused and a little bit betrayed. Tsuna could almost scowl. Vongola was full of senile elders who probably thought peace could be achieved by lying and manipulating, while the next generation thought forgiving and let bygones be bygones with no much as a slap on your hand was the best course of action. Really, why the fuck did they think she was going to be an obedient doll?

"What did you expected? Hold hands, have tea and forgive the betrayal? Ottavio deserved to die after betraying his leader and selling weapons of mass production to a corrupted army. Not to mention the hostages he killed to draw Varia in" She said dryly "And to be truthful, I'm not different from him. I was going to bury you, dead or alive, I didn't care so long as I didn't get in trouble"

She stood up and brushed the sand from her legs before looking down at him with the best glare she could make without succumbing to it. She couldn't choke him with killer intent, not with her friends present, but her intentions were clear in her eyes because he flinched.

"Make no mistake, if you follow me; approach me, my friends or my classmates and try another sick joke like this, I will kill you" She delivered with bitter anger "This is where we part, Moretti the Murdered. Though I hope you can breathe underwater too. There's a storm coming, and the tide will rise in 5 minutes"

She turned and walked away, ignoring his questions and frantic movements to dig himself out while still on chains. The storm will hit before he can escape, but if he lives or dies, that wouldn't be on her. She was just sad that her friends would be hit in the crossfire.

"We should have buried him deeper" Gokudera grumbled with crossed arms.

"Don't bother, he will leave us alone"

"Vongola?" Yamamoto asked a little low-spirited at being misled and tricked so easily.

"Iemitsu. Both. I don't know"

"How did you find out? The evidence was perfect"

"Too perfect" Gokudera kicked the sand.

"When I first saw the body, I knew he wasn't dead. And with the clues leading to Jack, it was clear what Vongola wanted so I just played along" Tsuna explained quietly, hugging her arms against the wind too.

"For what purpose?" Yamamoto asked with a confused shake of his head "Why would they fake a case to catch a criminal when they can do it themselves just fine?"

"Haven't you realized it yet? It was a test to see how we worked and how well we followed orders"

It really was humiliating and a nuisance, to think Vongola can thirteen them and force them to their will simply because they weren't strong enough to go against them. Today worked fine, but it could have easily gone downhill, many civilians were involved and if a different scenario was created, someone could have really died.

"Still want to be part of it?"

Yamamoto didn't give a verbal answer, but he stayed close to them so his intention was clear. The Mafia wasn't sunshine and rainbows as she once used to believe, but it really was too late to get out from the shadows. All they could do was hold on and try to fight back.

Once they returned and changed themselves out of their clothes, they tried to let loose a little and enjoy the bonfire. Neither Gokudera nor Tsuna had ever been to one, they never went camping or parties at the beach at night so everyone made sure to fill them in and made them eat lots of chocolate smores and watermelon slices, not that Tsuna minded about that.

They were also gifted a box of sparklers each by the staff that they held and played with until the sticks burned out. The smell of ozone lingered in the air, the clouds above were dark and rolling but the sight didn't interfere with the mood. They stayed late in front of the fire, telling ghost stories and funny memories as well as creating new ones.

Tsuna found herself enjoying the night, feeding Leon sticky smores and laughing at the ridiculous stories, that is until her home tutor finally contacted her just to remind her of her homework. At least he didn't call her to scold her for 'the mission' or give her another one.

"Ugg"

"Whose that?"

"Reborn" She sighed heavily "He wants me to think of a new startup project. It needs to be unique and to his standards"

What could possibly please a hitman? A simple coffee or cake shop wouldn't do, he already rejected that idea and she wasn't good at anything else that wasn't painting so she didn't know what else to come up with.

"What about photography?"

"Nah, it's too easy"

"A translating agency?"

"Too common"

"You can sell Japanese products in a box to the international market. Or Italians, for the matter"

"That's good, but I think it's already done"

"Opening a podcast?"

"Depends on the information given"

"Well, he certainly is hard to please"

They spend a couple of minutes brainstorming back and forth, all ideas were good but were already done, so it was an instant rejection by Reborn's standard. Tsuna didn't want to break her head thinking, she was already starting a multi-millionaire fake-organ project, but Reborn was petty and a jerk too, so good ideas could also be rejected.

"I know!" She suddenly said "I will build a coffee shop with cakes on the menu on this island that will hide the detective office at the back to solve murder mystery cases. With cats!"

"There's no way that will be accepted"

Her phone pinged.

"He said yes!"

"What kind of tutor is he?!"

.

.

.

The storm hit at nighttime.

Tsuna woke up by a rumble of loud thunder, one that rattled the windows and shook her to the core, for the sound of clapping in the sky sounded more like a shotgun that ringed and lingered in her head. Her heart started beating fast, she could hear it in her ears as she sat up, wide eyes staring at the window as if waiting for something to come.

The wind howled and waves crashed, but not a drop of rain hit the windows. It took her a couple of minutes to breathe out, and turned to the other side of the room, where Hana was peacefully sleeping, undisturbed by the noise. She stayed staring at her for a while until her heart started to slow down but the image of her dream stayed in her mind.

Slowly, silently, she stood up from bed and left the room.

Leon blinked awake after she left the bed, but she closed the door before he could follow her. Frantically, he started to pace.

And Tsuna…

It was like she was possessed by some force, an invisible being pulling her forth, walking the thin line between dream and reality that blurred the more she walked in silence through the dark and silent beach. She walked and walked, all the way to the shore where she stood barefoot in the sand, the raging waves barely touching her feet but looked like by every pull and push of the tide, they seemed to be trying to reach her.

To claw her feet and drag her into the waters.

It was quiet.

But the thunderstorm was brewing. Lightning crawled in the clouds, breaking the darkness like fireworks in the night sky, sizzling a sweet, pungent aroma that mixed with the salt of the waves roaring; whispering.

And Tsuna…

She wasn't there anymore.

"What are you doing on a night like this? Alone and in your nightgown?" A voice asked from behind, having watched the girl raise from bed and walk alone to the beach. He didn't try his luck in breaking in and sleeping on her bed, but he remained close for reasons of his own. He wasn't expecting her to wake in the middle of the night, but Mukuro loved to tease her for the amusing reactions she made.

Yet at not receiving an answer, he walked closer.

Curious.

"Tsunayuuki?"

She stood still, not moving or flinching at his presence, at the wind batting her hair or the cold waves crashing in her feet. Standing tall like a monolith, unaffected by it all, it was more like she was the conduit of the forces of nature; beckoning and fueling, the storm starting and ending with her.

He didn't like it.

"Hey"

Something was wrong.

"Tsunayuuki!"

Something was breaking.

At the first drop of rain, he moved to stand by her side, glaring with confusion and hidden concern at seeing tears and blood pouring down her nose, her orange eyes staring at nothing and everything, listening to screams and whispers of ghosts and sirens but not his voice as he called her again and again.

Over and over.

And Tsuna…

Everything was fading and breaking but there was one thing clear in her drowning mind, a thought that was as simple as breathing and heartbreaking as dying.

The sea was calling.

.

.

.

̳̿͟͞c̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞a̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞n̳̿͟͞ ̳̿͟͞y̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞o̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞u̳̿͟͞ ̳̿͟͞h̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞e̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞a̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞r̳̿͟͞ ̳̿͟͞m̳̳̿̿͟͟͞͞e̳̿͟͞?

.

.

.

---

Thank you so much for reading!

I tried my best to update on xmas day and then before new years, but I couldn't make it on time. It was a tough year for me, emotionally, financially and mentally. Sometimes I barely had the inspiration to write a page, let alone a paragraph. But I'm really happy to see how far this fic has gone and how positive it has been received. You guys are amazing!

Here's hoping for a great new year! See y'all soon! ヽ(=^･ω･^=)丿