Tsuna was tempted to curl in on himself. He was so nervous he imagined there were rabid dogs having a wild party in his stomach.
Reborn was leading him deeper in a forest somewhere -he wouldn't have an idea as he'd just been tossed out a plane after being nabbed in the middle of the night- with just the two of them alone, not even Leon with them.
He wasn't worried about wild animals or even an ambush. Tsuna was really more concerned about his tutor.
Now in the body of an eight year old -steadily growing in leaps and bounds-, Reborn had taken him aside earlier this week and with a solemn air, told him that they were going on an educational trip.
He hadn't mentioned when but Tsuna could put two and two.
Reborn had been quiet the whole time and it was doing things to his already non-existent calm. A quiet Reborn, especially with such a sombre air around him, couldn't be a good thing.
Mostly for Tsuna.
He recalled how his mafia raised friends had been particularly encouraging these past few days.
"You can do this Juudaime, you're the best!"
"That's right, Tsuna-nii will surely do great!"
"Not as great as Lambo-sama was!"
"I remember when that perverted doctor did it for Hayato. Aaah~, my baby brother was so cute."
"I'm sure you'll be alright, Boss."
"Kufufufu."
Well, mostly encouraging.
It only did the opposite and had him more apprehensive for whatever was to come.
He could conclude it was some kind of coming of age ceremony and if he were to be honest, Tsuna's greatest fear here was... he'd somehow mess up and disappoint Reborn. After everything that had happened too.
The Arcobaleno Representative Battles of a few months ago flashed through his mind.
He shook his head.
No. He couldn't think like that after... After everything he'd gone through. Positive.
Be positive Tsuna.
Though he'd never been very good at that...
No! Positive! Positive! Positive! Think Tsuna, if Lambo, who must've been even younger than his current age, passed -and a much younger Hayato too- then surely he could do it too.
But no one ever said they passed, did they?
Gah! This clearly wasn't working!
Reborn watched Tsuna pull at his hair, face flitting through different kinds of expressions. He held in a snicker.
Becoming a tutor might just probably be the best decision he had made in his life.
Then he remembered what they were here for, which inevitably had his thoughts heading to his worst decisions, and Reborn quickly lost his humour.
He stopped in the middle of a nondescript clearing. He kicked out the young Vongola's feet when he continued walking, absorbed in his thoughts.
That returned Reborn's good mood.
"Ack! Ow!"
"Alright, Dame-Tsuna. We're going to meet someone."
Tsuna scrambled to his feet. Reborn smirked when he, almost unconsciously, immediately went to tidying himself up to the best of his abilities while in a pair of pyjamas.
Some lessons, if you bash in hard enough, would stick.
Tsuna's back straightened, stance firm and eyes forward. At seventeen in his 'boss mode' as his family had began calling it, Tsuna looked anything but a no-good. Even in his pyjamas with uncombed hair.
A boss only greets someone in their best after all.
"Who is it Reborn?"
"I don't know."
"...eh?"
Reborn pretended he didn't hear him. Tsuna swallowed, bracing himself when the leaves rustled to their right.
Was this someone who'd judge him for his test or something? Why would Reborn not know him? Would he have to fight him?
Sometimes, -Not very often, mind you- Tsuna cursed his lack of knowledge when it came to mafia customs. For that matter, the movies never showed any of this!
Certainly no crazy baby tutors.
The thicket parted and out stepped a... A someone that reminded him of a washed out paper? Did that even make sense?
Tsuna blinked, schooling his face. He definitely didn't want to offend.
The man had porcelain white skin -his arms bare of any hair-, grayish green hair, skinny -almost gaunt- physique, and a pair of glowing red orbs peering at them. Saying eyes didn't seem right.
Reborn's expression immediately turned sour.
"Ohohoho, an Arcobaleno? What a surprise." His eyes pinned Tsuna in his place, his gaze unnaturally invasive.
"And a human." He raised an amused eyebrow, "Truly a surprise. A human with the Sun Arcobaleno. I should talk to a witch and see what this omen means?"
"Dame-Tsuna, this piece of repulsive waste of space you're seeing here is a vampire, now let's go."
...huh?
"W-what? Wait! Reborn, what-ow! Ow! Ow!"
The boy barely half Tsuna's height had grabbed his collar and was towing him away, dragging him through the ground.
"Hey," the vampire -Tsuna didn't have a reason to doubt Reborn's word- drawled in his velvety voice, "Now, now, Sun Arcobaleno, let's respect tradition, we haven't finished the ceremony yet."
"We'll return when it's not a vampire. I don't want my kid to have a horrible impression."
"Thats not how it works. I mean, what will your fellows think if they heard what you're doing? This is insane breach of protocol you know."
Reborn apparently didn't want him anywhere near a vampire -and if the stories were true then he was of the same mind- though said vampire didn't seem to actually be doing anything to earn the hostility.
In fact, strangely enough, the vampire reminded him of Takeshi's own easy going attitude.
He winked at Tsuna.
Though with Byakuran's kind of creepiness.
Reborn stopped. Turned, and tilted the brim of his hat over his eyes.
"Planning to tattle, I see."
He shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.
"You can't blame me, Their Majesty expressed curiosity and I just happen to be the one holding the ceremony now, who am I to deny them?"
The look Reborn gave him was as dry as the Sahara.
"They're always curious. How is that anything new?"
Your Majesty?! Who's Your Majesty?! Tsuna didn't know anything about having to deal with royalty!
"Reborn, you're choking me! Also, what's happening?"
The man's eyes lit up -literally, it glowed like a lamp. Gleefully, the stranger spread his arms, his grin stretching the skin on his face in a way that made Tsuna want to wince.
"Little human boy, my name is Jakra, a vampire from the Mexican coven. You are currently participating in a ceremony to introduce you to the so called supernatural world."