Another Path Part 27 : That returned to its roots
Congratulations to crayontesla and Kindenvy (sort of) for guessing this chapter's new character, although setokayba2n's guess was also inspired. But, no. No Enzo the turtle for now.
I love how most people fell right into my trap and voted for Reborn. No, guys, I told you before, Reborn won't come up until the majority of the cast (at the very least the Guardians) have been introduced. I don't want his god-like influence on the KHR universe and characters to change how the kids meet and interact on their own.
"Kusakabe left a message."
Tsuna blinked a few times before processing Kyoya's out of the blue words. It took him long seconds before remembering that Kusakabe had been the Cloud's right hand man when he ruled over Namimori, and they had left him a phone number to use only in case of emergency. Kyoya might have followed the brunet to Italy, but he was still the self-appointed protector and peace-keeper of the small Japanese town, he wouldn't have left without insurance that he would be contacted if his Discipline Committee needed back-up.
After a nod, confirming that Tsuna had remembered the context, the Cloud continued. "Yakuza are invading the town; the DC can't stop them properly. I'm going to Namimori to bite them to death."
There was truly only one thing Tsuna could reply to that. "I'm going with you."
The raven eyed him silently before nodding his agreement. As if he could have stopped him if Tsuna wanted to follow his oldest friend on his old hunting grounds. Nonetheless, the younger boy took that as permission to keep talking. "We need to tell the others before leaving."
Kyoya grunted, but didn't object. Instead, he went straight to the shared laptop (some members, namely Shoichi, Mukuro and Hayato, had a personal one, bought with their own money, but not the Cloud) and presumably looked for the earliest flight to Japan.
Tsuna pulled out his cellphone and texted everyone in Caeruleus. 'Emergency meeting after lunch, everyone who can must attend.' Best explain the details in person, instead of leaving sensitive information written in their phones. It was more than a little paranoid, but it had served Tsuna well to be cautious.
Everyone made it, but they waited until the meal was over (cooked by Mukuro and Ken, with Hayato on potato peeling duty; he still wasn't allowed to touch anything fire or heat-related) to tackle the problem.
"Kyoya and I are needed in Namimori." Exposed Tsuna once all bellies were full and the dishes were waiting to be cleaned in the kitchen. "There's trouble with yakuzas and the contact we left there requested help. We're leaving for Japan this evening." There were frowns on his friends' faces, but he kept talking. "I don't know how long we'll be gone, but you guys should keep the shop going until we return. Shoichi, I put you in charge of Caeruleus during our absence."
Said red-head blinked, bewildered, but silently accepted the job. Of all the people there, he was the most level-headed with Chikusa, and had a knack for organizing and managing. It made sense for him to be the substitute leader when Tsuna was gone.
"I'm coming with you." Stated Hayato. It was not a question. "You two are hiding from Vongola, and there are bound to be agents there in case Tsuna-san comes back, not counting the locals who would recognize you on sight. You won't be able to act openly. They don't know about me or that I know you, so I will be able to move as I want. Plus, of all the people here, I'm among the best Japanese speakers, I can blend in easier."
As much as Tsuna wanted to refuse, those were sound arguments. At the back of the room, leaning against a wall, Kyoya also looked displeased, but with nothing to counter, he just scowled. Of all people, it was Mukuro that supported Hayato's reasoning.
"In that case, I am coming along as well." He ignored the surprised sounds of his two former minions. "All of the lapdog's argument also apply to me." This time, he ignore the silveret's indignant cry. "Moreover, my Mist Flames would prove useful to us, underage children, passing borders without raising alarms. A proper Mist cloaking would also allow you two to move in your city without being recognized, and I have a decent grasp of Japanese customs and language, enough to slip in unnoticed." Thanks to the memory sharing he and Tsuna had done when they first met.
Hayato and Mukuro looked adamant about following them into dangerous territory. Honestly, the Sky should have seen it coming. Hayato had shown time and time again that he would be right behind him at every hurdle, and Mukuro, while more cagey, was loyal to a fault once you earned his trust, and cared in a roundabout way – god forbid anything be straight forward with him. The illusionist had also witnessed first hand how much Namimori had hurt the brunet, and would want to be there to prevent further harm. No way would they have left Tsuna and Kyoya alone to face yakuzas in a place probably monitored by the Vongola.
"Lambo-san wants to come too!" Yelled the younger boy. This, though, was something the brunet could and would stop. Lambo was simply too young to willingly take him into danger.
He squatted in front of the Lightning. "I'm sorry, Lambo, but not this time." The boy looked about to throw one of his legendary tantrums when Tsuna added, while patting his afro. "When you're older and stronger, then you can come with your big brothers on missions, but for now, you should stay at home. Today, you have a mission of your own : make sure this place is protected, so we have a home to come back to once this is over."
The child was mollified and enthused at being entrusted with such an important task. He loudly proclaimed that Caeruleus would be fine, since it was under 'the great Lambo-san's protection'. Tsuna smiled fondly at his younger brother before addressing the others. "That's it, then. Kyoya, Hayato, Mukuro and me go back to Japan, while you guys hold the shop. We'll keep you updated so that you know when we're coming back."
There were still a few disgruntled faces (Kyoya's for instance), but nobody argued and the matter was closed. The four who would depart for Namimori left to pack their things. They didn't know how long they would stay in Japan, so they had to take a sizable bag each, even if they would stay at Kyoya's house. The place was isolated enough and defended by the servants, making it an ideal base of operations, out of yakuza or Vongola's reach.
Absently, Tsuna mused that taking Hayato and Mukuro with him would make Shoichi's job much easier. Those two and Kyoya were always the first to start a fight; with them gone, things should stay relatively peaceful in Caeruleus.
Of course, it would make his own job much harder.
()()()()()()
After so long in Italy, the return to Japanese culture was jarring.
Tsuna sighed in relief at finally exiting the plane in one piece. The trip had been the most strenuous the brunet had ever experienced; cramming Kyoya, Hayato and Mukuro, his three most volatile friends, inside a closed metal structure and then letting said structure fly hundreds of meters in the sky had been a terrible idea. The Sky had had to mediate between the three during the whole flight to prevent them from crashing the plane.
He refused to think about the trip back to Italy at the moment.
The strain and the jet-lag had him exhausted when he arrived in the airport in Tokyo, and there was still roughly an hour of train before they reached Namimori. Since a train was barely better than a plane with his violent friends, he would have to stay awake again. Luckily, the first departure for his hometown left in four hours, leaving him some time for a much needed nap.
When they reached the crowded station, he located a bench, lied down on it and proceeded to rest his eyes. His friends could keep people at bay easily and would make sure nothing happened. They could sleep in the train if they really to, it would give Tsuna a rest as well.
With his eyes closed, he heard Hayato leave to look for something to eat while Kyoya was lurking around the bench, no doubt glaring at anyone who disturbed his idea of peace. Mukuro sat next to him in silence.
He let the sounds of a familiar Japanese tongue wash over him as he tethered on the edge of sleep. Distantly, he realized that while it felt nice to be back in his homeland, he honestly hadn't missed it. He had built his home in Italy, with his mismatched family, and he was content with it. Instead of a native returning to his roots, he felt like a tourist : here to enjoy the place and the sights, but meant to leave sooner or later to go back home.
Beside him, the illusionist was shifting restlessly. It prevented Tsuna from truly falling asleep, no matter how much he tried, so after ten minutes he reluctantly sat up, opened his eyes and asked. "Are you OK, Mukuro?"
The bluenet stiffened. "Of course I am." But Tsuna wasn't convinced. He looked way too uncomfortable for the Sky to believe him, which the latter showed by raising a dubious eyebrow. Mukuro sighed. "Fine, I am not alright. There's..." He searched for words. "... there's someone sending a distress signal on Mist Flames nearby. It's distracting."
Tsuna frowned. For Mukuro to be this antsy, it had to be more than 'distracting'. "Do you want to look into it?"
The older boy looked surprised. "Don't you want to stay and wait for our train? Besides, I'd rather not drag those two along. Can you really leave them alone?" He nodded towards Kyoya and Hayato, who had returned from his search for snacks and was butting heads with the Cloud over something or another. The people around them were sending them looks and giving them a wide berth.
The brunet sighed. Mukuro had a point, those two couldn't be left alone. "Do you want to look into it on you own, then? If it bothers you so much, you should see what it's about. I promise we won't leave without you, although it would be best if you came back before our ride arrives."
"You wouldn't mind?" Inquired the Mist. Tsuna had to hold back a fond smile. If that was what Mukuro had wanted from the beginning, he could just have said so. He always had to make things more complicated.
"I go on my own all the time thanks to my 'Intuition'." He lightly poked his head to illustrate. "I can't be upset with you for doing the same. Just make sure to call us if you need anything."
Mukuro nodded with a thankful smile, before slipping into the crowd and vanishing from Tsuna's view. The brunet laid back down on the bench, using his bag as a pillow and closed his eyes. This time, he fell asleep easily.
Only to be woken up what felt like minutes later by a grumpy Hayato muttering loudly to himself. "... has he gone? I knew it was a bad idea to take him with us. Sneaking around like that. I'm sure he went to cause trouble to Tsuna-san." He looked at the previously sleeping brunet and startled when he met drowsy but open amber eyes. "Tsuna-san! You're awake! Mukuro left us!" He shouted, making the Sky wince. The silveret had a pair of lungs rivaling Squalo's when he wanted.
"I know, I know." He placated him, while searching the crowd for Kyoya. "There was something he wanted to do, he didn't give us the slip. He'll be back soon." Ah, there was the Cloud. Roaming the station, glowering at anyone that got too close.
Hayato was still angrily growling about fleeing pineapples, so Tsuna gave up on his nap. A look at the time revealed he had actually managed to sleep close to three hours. He was surprised the silveret hadn't noticed Mukuro's absence earlier. Maybe he had, but Tsuna had slept through most of his complaining; he had badly needed the rest.
He ate the sandwich Hayato offered him in silence, keeping an eye on his two companions as he waited for the third to come back. He had promised not to leave for Namimori without him, but the Sky was starting to wonder how he could prevent Kyoya from boarding the train anyway. The raven was particularly aggressive today to conceal his worry for his hometown. It would be tough to delay their arrival.
Thankfully, Mukuro appeared half an hour before their train was due, making all his worries moot. But he bluenet wasn't alone.
Next to him was a slip of a girl around Tsuna's age in a light dress with purple hair and an eyepatch on her right eye. She was gazing at Mukuro in what was disturbingly close to adoration.
Mukuro, for his part, looked smug. "Tsunayoshi." He greeted when he reached the brunet. Kyoya had converged on them when he noticed the newcomer, and Hayato was frothing at the mouth with indignation, so the bluenet spoke uninterrupted. "This is Chrome. Chrome Dokuro. She'll be coming with us." The girl stood a step behind the illusionist, peering shyly at them.
Now, there was a lot of things Tsuna could answer to that bold statement. Refusing to bring this 'Chrome' along, for instance, or demanding an explanation. Instead, he looked at the timid girl and waved. "Hello, Chrome-chan." He almost forgot to add the honorific, but this was Japan, not Italy. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can just call me Tsuna. These two are Gokudera Hayato and Hibari Kyoya." The former was still spluttering in outrage, while the latter was glowering at Mukuro. He ignored them. "Did Mukuro tell you anything about us?"
She nodded bashfully. With her hair and eye color, she looked like the living embodiment of the expression 'shrinking violet'. "He told me about you and your shop in Italy." She admitted softly.
"And you want to come with us all the way back there? Don't you have people here in Japan?" He asked as kindly as he could. She already looked spooked enough.
This time, she shook her head. "Nobody who'll miss me." She looked pained. Tsuna caught a glint of fury in Mukuro's heterochromatic eyes. Something had happened, but he would clearly not get anything more out of the girl at the moment. Besides, as she spoke, an announcement sounded throughout the station saying their train had arrived.
He smiled as warmly as he could. "In that case, welcome to Caeruleus, Chrome-chan. We have some business to deal with in Japan, but as soon as were done, we're going back to Italy. We'd be happy to have you with us if you still want to come then." He elbowed Hayato in the ribs discreetly when the silveret opened his mouth to argue. The Storm had the good sense to stay silent after that. Kyoya had made for the platform as soon a he had established that Chrome-chan was no threat.
Mukuro looked satisfied, and Chrome-chan smiled back tentatively. It was a good thing Tsuna trusted the bluenet, or he would currently be wondering if he had not kidnapped the poor girl.
()()()()()()
"Where did you find her?" Asked Tsuna as soon as he and Mukuro were alone. The five of them had boarded the train ten minutes ago. The silent tension due to a newcomer and the urge to reach Namimori had weighed on them all, and Chrome-chan had quickly excused herself to the restroom to escape. Tsuna had used the opportunity to drag Mukuro to an empty area and pester him for an explanation.
"In a hospital." Replied the bluenet, for once offering answers without beating around the bush. He looked angry just thinking about Chrome-chan's circumstances, so perhaps that was why. "She had been the one sending the Mist signal unconsciously. She was in a forced coma after an accident that took several of her internal organs." He supplied through clenched teeth.
"Is she alright?!" Worried Tsuna immediately, looking in the direction the girl had disappeared to. She hadn't looked injured when he had seen her.
"I replaced all her organs with strong illusions. She's fine for now. She'll have to eventually learn to sustain them on her own, but she should be able to. She has strong Mist Flames, which is how she managed to contact me, but she doesn't know how to use them yet. I planned on teaching her."
Tsuna nodded thoughtfully, his eyes back on Mukuro and his stuff posture. "What are you not telling me?"
The bluenet huffed. "Of course you noticed." His shoulders relaxed partially, though. "She should be the one telling you, but given the circumstances, I suppose I can be forgiven for telling you personal information. She was alone in her hospital room." At Tsuna's frown, he elaborated. "Neither her mother or her step-father wanted to pay the bills to heal her, or even ease her suffering. In fact, they were ready to unplug the machines keeping her alive. She's only still breathing because the hospital staff was hesitating on killing her just like that. From what I've gathered, she doesn't have anyone looking out for her, so I thought I could take her with us. It also allows me to keep maintaining the illusions of her organs." He paused, there was something hesitant in his eyes, even as his tone was purposefully haughty and mocking. "Did I do well, Tsunayoshi?"
"Of course." The Sky was quick to reassure him. "Of course you had to help her. She's welcome among us; I just wanted to know what the problem was. Besides, I can't blame you for bringing strays in." He joked, trying to alleviate the tension. "Is Chrome her real name, by the way? It doesn't sound very Japanese."
Mukuro shook his head. "No, her original name is Nagi, but she asked to change it completely, as a way to make a new start. I suggested Chrome, because 'Ku-ro-mu' is a play on my own name. Dokuro was created the same way."
Tsuna raised an amused eyebrow at his friend, but didn't comment. He wouldn't know exactly what to say anyway. "I assume she doesn't have papers. Can you smuggle her in Italy with your Mist Flames?"
"It should be manageable. I planned to use our time in Italy to teach her the rudiments of illusions, so that she can take care of it herself, but I'll be there to correct anything if she stumbles. It would be easier if you acquired new papers for her in the future, though."
Tsuna agreed. Mist Flames were convenient, very convenient, especially when you had a user as skillful as Mukuro, but a legal background was always preferable. "I'll contact Fon when we return to Italy. The less links to Caeruleus we leave in Namimori, the better."
They returned to their seats after that, finding that Chrome-chan had come back and was willing herself to disappear under the combined disapproval of Kyoya and Hayato. Tsuna set out to rescue the girl by engaging her in a friendly conversation.
It was difficult to get a reply out of her, but Tsuna was nothing if not patient. She relaxed a little when Mukuro joined them, and her answers became more detailed. The brunet talked about anything and everything, and changed the subject as soon as she looked even slightly uncomfortable. The topic of her family was diligently avoided, but he got her talking on her favorite foods, the kinds of music she liked, or what she was the most looking forward to in Italy.
Once she started getting out of her shell, she turned out to be a very nice girl. Still painfully shy, but Tsuna could work on that over time. He had no doubt that she would eventually be accepted by everyone at home. Hayato had already stopped scowling, probably figuring that if she had the approval of his Tsuna-san, then she couldn't be that bad (even if Mukuro had been the one to bring her in). Kyoya was pretending to sleep in a corner, but the Sky knew him enough to guess that he was listening in on every word, and was anyway probably too tense and worried about Namimori to actually nap.
It was a much smoother trip than the flight to Tokyo. If there was one point to complain about, though, it would be Chrome-chan's way of calling him (especially after he had banned Hayato from using that nickname). What had Mukuro told her in that hospital for her to decide to call him 'Boss'?
So, any guess as to the next character they'll meet? I'll only count the first character they'll encounter, given that they're likely to meet several in the same chapter. Given all the hints you have, the number of possibilities has been greatly reduced, so it's only fair.