Another Path Part 10 : That welcomed the storm
Hello again. I still can't believe this fic got over 100 reviews in 10 chapters. You guys (and girls) are the best.
Also, thanks to Harihi and ShinDragonX, I can now give credits to the story that inspired me : To that faraway sky, by Cywscross, that can be found on Ao3. I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer : Still don't own KHR.
"That is enough."
All the surviving Mafiosi turned their heads to stare at the newcomer with shivers running down their backs. They hadn't seen the boy arrive and didn't expect to be interrupted. The leader vaguely remembered the kid as one of the two who had delivered their guns an ammo. But the thing walking towards him at a steady pace was way too different. Though he hadn't been as terrified as one could have thought, the boy had been meek and obeyed without protest, unlike the threat that was halfway in front of him.
Humans didn't have glowing sunset orange eyes that seemed to judge you for your sins and fire on their heads -though he vaguely recalled a story about how those affiliated with Vongola could use colored fire powers. But that had merely been a rumor, one of the many exaggerating the might of the still most powerful Famiglia. And not one of the most believable ones. It sounded like a TV show for kids. The thing in front of him was real.
The brunet opened his mouth to speak again. "You will release that boy without further harm, or you will have to face us." The voice was still eerily calm. The Mafiosi would rather have him scream.
From the shadows another figure emerged. There was the other kid, the bloodthirsty one, recalled the leader. The raven looked a bit surprised to be honest, but quickly went to stand besides his friends, tonfas flashing out of his jacket.
Another few steps and the monster would be on him. They had to act, and fast. The leader straightened his arm, who had faltered when the thing appeared. His gun was once again in the silveret's face. He had 16 men still standing and able to fight. That should be enough to put the monster and his friends down, now that they had a hostage.
"Y-you take one more step and I blow his brains out!" threatened the boss. His subordinates moved to protect him and kill the thing.
The monster paused, his eyes staring straight into the boss'. That was just terrifying and he couldn't help the shivers that raked his body. The thing spoke. "I see you refuse to let go. So be it, you were fairly warned."
The thugs barely had time to register the words before a flash of orange fire struck through their defense and hit their boss in the arm and stomach. The man was sent flying to the opposite wall where he crashed loudly. He had had no time to shoot.
Hayato was staring at the figure in front of him, the one who saved his life. He barely recognized the brunet as Tsuna, the weird civilian who said he could escape and called him a friend. Apparently, his skills were as he had said, and the silveret couldn't help but hope that he also said the truth for the second part.
It took a few seconds for the henchmen to regain their bearings and begin attacking. Tsunayoshi took the arm of the stunned silveret and pulled him to safety. He had no doubt Kyoya could take care of the thugs on his own without trouble. He had grown very proficient with infusing his purple -Cloud- flames in his tonfas to increase their potency. The remaining Mafiosi were all injured in some way, they didn't stand a chance.
The 'fight' -one-sided massacre would be more appropriate- lasted a dozen minutes. The raven child barely had a scratch and the others were all on the floor, still breathing, but heavily wounded.
Tsuna, who was still in his strangely calm state, left Hayato's side to talk with the Mafioso boss. He was hunched against a wall but was still conscious. His right arm was oddly crooked and he couldn't fight back anymore. "You will leave Hayato alone." Stated the brunet. It went without saying that this was not a suggestion. "And you will never speak a word of what happened here to a soul. We never met. Understood?" The boss nodded frantically. Anything to be away from the monster. "Good."
Kyoya, Tsuna and Hayato left the plaza (Tsuna pulled Hayato by the arm all along) and only stopped when they reached a secluded street far away.
The Sky took a deep breath and the fire on his head and in his eyes slowly died out. "Well, that could have gone better..."
"Sawada-sama!" yelled the silveret behind him. He was bowing deeply, apparently out of whatever daze had kept him quiet so far. Kyoya groaned and went to stand closer to the brunet and farther from the loud Herbivore. "Thank you so much for saving my life! Tell me what Famiglia you belong to and I will spend the rest of my life serving you!"
The other two boys were staring silently with wide eyes for a moment before Tsuna shook out of his stupor. "OK... First, Hayato, don't call me that, I don't really like my family name. We aren't in Japan and 'sama' is way too much. Secondly, you don't have to dedicate your life like that. I helped because I wanted to, and it was Kyoya who took them all out either way. Finally, I'm not really a part of any Famiglia. Or rather, my father is and I'm trying to avoid having anything to do with all that Mafia mess." The silveret raised teary eyes at him, though his head remained down. "W-Wait! I didn't say I don't want anything to do with you! In fact, I rather like you, I told you we're friends already!" Hayato's eyes lit up and Tsuna could only sigh. "It's just... I don't want my father's Famiglia to find me and having connexions with a Mafioso would make me more visible. And please raise your head Hayato".
Hayato obeyed, but a frown marred his face. "So that means that if I step out of the Mafia, I can serve Tsunayoshi-sam... hum, I mean Tsunayoshi-san?"
The brunet was still until he let out another resigned sigh. "At least shorten it to 'Tsuna'. I don't want someone to 'serve' me and I don't want you to quit whatever job you have to devote your life to me." Once again, Hayato looked devastated. "But I wouldn't mind you staying close to me as a friend." He finished with a small, but not less radiant smile. Kyoya huffed. The loud Herbivore was going to stay forever after a smile like that. Not that he was one to talk.
"Of course, Tsuna-san! I will follow you wherever you go! And I can quit being in the Mafia easily. My only contact is my mentor who doesn't mind whatever I do." The silveret was beaming. It was his first time making friend(s) (he wasn't sure the surly raven could be counted as a one, given his glare).
Tsuna was really happy to have made another friend. "I'm glad. Do you have a job you can do, or do you want to come and work with us? We have a jack-of-all-trades shop, and enough rooms to house you. And most requests don't end up like this one..." He added a little embarrassedly.
Hayato was hesitant. The offer was more than tempting : he had no house to return to and few would employ him with his delinquent looks and foul mouth. But he didn't want to intrude. "I don't want to be a bother..."
Tsuna interrupted him. "You won't be one, I swear. In fact, with all the jobs we are offered, another helping hand would be appreciated. So, do you want to? We're headed there either way to treat your wounds." To be honest, the boy had forgotten all about his injuries. He finally gave a small nod. "Great!" smiled the brunet. "I work with two other boys : first is Kyoya here." he pointed at the raven head a few feet ahead. "He's kinder than he looks deep down... Very deep down, but don't piss him off. You saw how strong he is. There is also Shoichi, who isn't here right now. He's extremely smart and likes to invent, but he's a little shy."
Tsuna continued happily blabbering about his friends and Hayato's new work place. He occasionally asked a few questions to the silveret, but quickly changed the subject when the boy hesitated and looked even slightly unwilling to answer. It was fine, they had all the time in the world to discover things about each other, and Tsuna didn't say everything either.
()()()()()()
Hayato was shocked to discover the shop Caeruleus. Given that it was run by children, aged from 10 to 13 (Kyoya had celebrated his birthday last month), he expected a run-down shack, not a well-kept, obviously thriving business. Tsuna-san had told him that they had many job offers, but that was a bit much.
He was introduced to Irie Shoichi, or rather Shoichi Irie in Italy. The red head had first gotten stomach aches over seeing his delinquent appearance (the seizures had gotten better, but Hayato's ragged and scowling looks were a bit too much). Then he panicked upon hearing about the recent incidents and almost fainted when Tsuna announced that the scary silveret was to stay and work with them. Really, you'd think Kyoya's constant presence would have dulled Shoichi's panic attacks, but to be honest, the raven wasn't all that threatening when you left him alone. Or rather, he never went out of his way to frighten you, while the grumpy delinquent he was facing looked like he was always looking for trouble.
But Hayato's obvious adoration of Tsuna reassured Shoichi a bit and they actually managed to talk. It was then that the three Japanese kids discovered that despite his looks, Hayato was actually very smart. Like very, very smart if he managed to keep on with the inventor's explanation of his last concept. Tsuna and Kyoya didn't even bother trying.
The silveret was apparently also a great fan of what he called 'UMAs', which stands for Unidentified Mysterious Animal, and really, any para-scientific theory. It was amusing to see his scowling face turn enthusiastic when he started on the subject.
The day after he arrived and settled in (he had almost no belongings, it was short), Hayato asked for a disposable phone to call his mentor. He was sure the lazy man wouldn't try to track him, but he would take no chance. He had told Tsuna-san that he would quit the Mafia, so he would. To be honest, the 'conversation' was rather underwhelming. The answering phone was picked up at the very last second, Hayato said that he had 'found someone he would follow and so he quit the Mafia', Tsuna heard his interlocutor reply in a short, uninterested way, Hayato said 'goodbye' and he hung up. It barely took a minute.
Due to his smarts, Hayato was asked if he could handle administrative work. Handling a shop was a lot of paperwork, and neither Tsuna nor Shoichi were very comfortable with it, so it fell on Kyoya most of the time. The raven was doing a decent job, thanks to his experience with the Discipline Comity, but he was quickly getting fed up. Hayato asked for a week to study and learn, and once the time came, he efficiently dealt with administrative matters.
There were really only two big issues that arose when the silveret moved in. First, he kept clashing with Kyoya. Both disliked the other's behavior and it often ended in fights. Tsuna had to intervene before their house was destroyed by tonfas and dynamite (and who in their right mind would have willingly chosen explosives as their main weapon?). Hayato was told that Kyoya was his leader's first and best friend and that if he truly couldn't get along with him, he would have to leave. It sobered the boy at once. Kyoya, on the other hand, was told to learn to tolerate his co-workers, even if they weren't friends ('yet' added Tsuna mentally, but he kept that for himself). Finally, any fight that still took place (Tsuna was an optimist, but he was had to be realist : they both had too strong a personality to cohabit entirely peacefully) was to happen in the basement's training rooms. Said rooms had thankfully been reinforced to put up with their destructive impulses.
The second issue was not nearly as bad as the first. The Japanese boys had decided to share all the chores, so they asked Hayato to do his part. He was decent with a vacuum cleaner and a duster (Shoichi was ecstatic : his other friends were still terrible at cleaning) and admitted having no experience in cooking, but offered to study it.
All seemed well, until the silveret decided to put his theoretical knowledge to the test. Turns out that unless you somehow had a recipe that involved cooking with dynamite sticks, Hayato was awful in the kitchen. His meals were always charred black and he almost blew up the whole house a few times. As such, he was not allowed to cook without someone to supervise him. Just like Tsuna and Kyoya with cleaning, they would persevere until the silveret could at least cook pasta safely. Hayato apologetically admitted that cooking had never been one of his family's forte.
Speaking of his family, about a month after he moved in (so in the middle of summer), the boy started telling his friends (Kyoya had finally been reluctantly counted as one after he saved him from an exploding saucepan) about his circumstances.
The three Japanese boys were bewildered to learn that Hayato had been separated from his mother, who was his father's mistress, at birth and that the half-Japanese woman could only teach him the piano without ever revealing her identity. Then she died when the boy was four and he only learnt the truth a year later, after overhearing it from servants. His father, a Mafia boss, had never paid him any attention until he showed his musical talents, and he was pretty much raised by his sister Bianchi. Now, Bianchi was caring, yes, but she also never realized that whatever she cooked turned toxic, and innocently continued feeding her brother her poisonous goods. Hayato didn't hate his sister, but now, seeing her face was enough to literally paralyze him and make him sick.
When he discovered a few years ago that his father was responsible for his mother's demise, he left the Famiglia. He had never been treated well there either way thanks to his bastard status and his mixed-blood. He was shortly taken in by one of his late mother's acquaintances : Shamal, a hitman and doctor. The man told him the basics of being a hitman before he left to work as a free-lancer and sought a Famiglia of his own.
The story was tragic, and the other boys felt compelled to tell their own.
Shoichi talked about his nice family and the way they always saw him as a full grown adult able to handle himself.
Kyoya explained in short sentences his duty to oversee Namimori and how he left it in the hands of a group he had formed himself. He talked about his distant, but still loving in their own way parents and how his mother had helped them come to Italy.
Tsuna talked about the way his mother and brother treated him. About his absent father (he didn't mention his actual job) and his bullies. He explained the circumstances that led to their departure for Italy without once saying a word about the Vongola.
But Hayato was intelligent and picked up the discrepancies in his story. "How come you absolutely had to leave Japan? Why do you do your best to stay hidden? And you said something about having a father in the Mafia when we first met..." The silveret didn't want to be pushy, but he also wanted to understand his friends, especially Tsuna-san.
The brunet hesitated a moment before answering. After all, Hayato knew more about the Underworld than Shoichi had. He would take it better. Probably.
"You see, When I was younger, I overheard my father talking with his boss. From there, I was able to gather that he was actually part of the Mafia. Kyoya filled me in on the rest after some research. Sawada Iemitsu is actually the head of CEDEF and the external advisor of Vongola." He could see that Hayato had paled. He understood what that meant. "But that idiot would rather delude himself and see his family as a fairytale one. He never believed me and would have brought me back forcefully and kept me there if I had tried to escape. After Ienobu had attempted to assassinate me for the first time" Kyoya growled, Shoichi closed his fists and Hayato's gaze sharpened ominously. Tsuna only smiled sadly. "I knew I had to disappear in a way he wouldn't find me. Kyoya and Shoichi were the best of friends ever and came with me despite the risks."
Hayato nodded, although his eyes remained dark. His Tsuna-san had almost been killed by his own twin. If he ever met the little piece of shit, he would blow him up painfully. He would not have another opportunity to harm his first friend. He was also reluctantly impressed by Kyoya and Shoichi. That amount of devotion to their friends was worth his grudging (and unspoken) respect. But the revelations also explained a few other details.
"Wait a minute... When we met, you both could use some weirdly colored fire and I've seen you summon it a few times since. I've heard some rumors that the Vongola and its allies had an ability like that. Even my moronic mentor mentioned it a few times. It's called 'Dying Will Flames', or 'Flames of the Sky' or something. I've never believed it to be true until then, but now... Is it the same thing?"
"Probably" answered the brunet. "Truth be told I've awakened that ability by accident and never showed it to Iemitsu. But I've heard him talk about a 'Sky Flame' once and it sounded similar to my power. I've also been the one to teach it to Kyoya, who got a purple 'Cloud' flame, and then to Shoichi, who has a yellow 'Sun' one. But all the information we have has been secretly gathered by Kyoya through the Hibari clan, so we still don't know a lot of things. Shoichi is currently studying them."
Hayato wanted to ask something but didn't dare. He barked a lot, but deep down he was very unsure of himself and felt unworthy of what he wanted. "Do... Do you think..." he trailed off, unable to finish his request.
"Do you want me to teach you how to use yours?" asked Tsuna. He could guess it was what the silveret wanted but didn't dare ask.
Hayato's eyes were shiny with hope. "If you don't mind..."
"Of course I don't mind, silly. We're friends, you should be able to at least ask what you want openly. And it's not like I've ever been told by Vongola that it's a secret, so I can teach it to whoever I want." he winked. He knew it was allegedly supposed to be one of the world's greatest secrets, but it was actually quite satisfying to cheat his father that way. And besides, he trusted Hayato enough to teach him and to know he wouldn't just show off with the ability and get him busted. "I think we've shared enough sob stories and secrets for the day. Might as well start now since we've got no job for the moment. And I'm curious as to what color your flame is."
()()()()()()
After a couple months of meditating, it turned out that Hayato had multiple flames. His main and most powerful one was a shimmering red that Tsuna remembered was called a 'Storm Flame'. He also had weaker Sun and Cloud flames, as well as a light blue 'Rain Flame' that looked like water ('finally another flame that has an understandable name besides the Sun one' exclaimed Tsuna. He still wasn't over the Sky Flame being orange) and a bright green one that looked more like electricity. 'Lightning Flame' had recalled Tsuna while glaring at the flame for not being the right color for its name.
Kyoya and Shoichi were curious as to the new flames' specificities. They had noticed that the Sun one tended to make nearby plants grow faster and the red head had theorized that its attribute was 'growth'. They knew that each flame had its special ability, but the one to tell them, Hibari Yukiko, had refused to say more. Apparently, it could be either too dangerous to use or she didn't trust them to use it sensibly. Not that it would prevent them from figuring it out on their own.
Kyoya had also noted that whenever he used his flames as the same time as the chains hidden in his tonfas (a trump card created by Shoichi that he rarely ever felt the need to use) the length of the chain seemed to change according to his will. Further experiences proved it to be true and Shoichi guessed that the Cloud Flame's attribute was something along the line of 'increase' or 'multiply'.
Tsuna's flame had no visible effect for a while, except that people felt at ease around it. There was also the fact that it could come out in the boy's eyes and forehead and put him in a strangely calm state of mind. Hence the speculations that the Sky Flame's attribute was 'serenity'. But then again, it was strange for a 'serene' flame to have such high destructive ability. Hayato supposed that maybe it was due to the brunet's control and the amount of flames he could summon (which was higher than the three others combined). That theory was accepted until Tsuna accidentally petrified one end of Kyoya's chain during a spar. That had nothing to do with his mastery of his Flame and didn't fit the 'serenity' part, so they were still puzzled about its attribute.
Hayato's three new flames led to a whole new batch of experiments. Unfortunately, the silveret had trouble maintaining his weaker flames out for too long, so most test were about the 'Storm Flame'. A single test was able to show that it was highly destructive, and all the following experiments said the same. So they theorized that its attribute was 'destruction'.
The little amount of time Hayato managed to keep his Rain Flame out was enough to lead to the discovery that it had a numbing effect. The following testing fight showed that it also slowed perception and would probably eventually lead to sleep if the silveret could summon it long enough. Its attribute was guessed to be 'calm' or maybe 'sleep'.
The green flame's attribute had been harder to theorize on. Hayato was having real trouble calling it to the surface longer than a handful of seconds and it greatly limited the possible experiments. Shoichi had tried to see if Lightning Flame actually had the same properties as electricity, but no experiment yielded positive results. It didn't have any obvious offensive ability outside of being a flame, as could be observed during the test spars with Kyoya. It was only when the raven got bored and decided to really try and attack the silveret that Hayato discovered that his arms had become tougher under the flame's influence. Thus the attribute was deemed to be 'strengthen' or 'protect'.
After weeks of tests ans experimentations, the only two flames that were still a mystery and whose attribute was still completely unknown were the 'Mist Flame' because the four children didn't know anyone who could summon said flame, and the Sky Flame, because they couldn't tell anything about it. They didn't know if it was passive, defensive or offensive because the brunet could use it any way. They didn't know if it was normal that he could call so much out because they had no other test subject. And they had no idea what its attribute might be because it seemed to have too large a range of applications (from focusing to petrifying and let's not forget soothing others).
The four spent days brainstorming to try and come up with any clear result regarding the Sky Flame.
Shoichi, Hayato and Kyoya finally concluded that it wasn't so much a problem with the Sky Flame itself, but rather an issue with the one summoning it. Tsuna had nothing that could contradict that theory and could only resort to pouting and grumbling non-intelligibly that they should not decide that without proof...