Another Path Part 36 : That learned of the ranking planet
Sorry for the wait, my old computer erased my files twice, at which point I finally decided to buy a new one, which turned out to be a whole other ordeal that took two more months. I also couldn't find the motivation to rewrite everything from the start.
But no matter what, I will NEVER abandon this story, especially not after 36 chapters.
To help find the will to continue it, though, I decided to switch points of view a few times in this chapter (that way I did not type exactly the same words that I lost twice). Hopefully it's not too confusing.
Thank you again to everyone, especially those who reviewed. Even the smallest message boosted my motivation to write again. You people are amazing! Extra long chapter to thank you and get things rolling again.
"Fuuta! I thought I told you not to rank in the Office!"
Tsuna watched Shoichi run into the room, only to get caught in range of whatever made everything levitate. His glasses flew sideways and he would have crashed on the floor had he not been floating a few centimeters in the air.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot." Said the little boy – Fuuta? – before his irises turned from a starry expense to a more subdued brown and everything hovering in midair slowly flew back to the ground. He smiled sheepishly at Shoichi (who was squinting and patting the floor for his lost glasses) before his big eyes turned to Tsuna and blinked in surprise. Apparently the boy hadn't noticed he had an audience until now.
And what an audience. Tsuna was frozen on the spot he had fallen once he stopped floating, Skull clinging to his hair, as wide-eyed as the unknown brunet boy. Behind them, their traveling companions were staring, having rushed closer when Tsuna had cried out in surprise at being lifted into the air.
"Uuh... hi?" The boy looked like a deer in the headlights, like any child caught in the middle of something he should not have done and lost as to how to salvage the situation.
Shoichi was still looking for his glasses, but he shot up when someone replied to the boy with a bellowing "Hi! That was EXTREMELY awesome! How did you do that?!"
Tsuna winced – he had hoped to give his friends a warning before introducing them to their new housemates. Instead, Lambo, I-pin, Ken and Chikusa were rushing into the Office, weapons at the ready and clearly expecting to be under attack while Spanner lingered behind a doorway, a so-far turned-off mini-Mosca in hand.
Yeah, Ryohei might give a booming, aggressive impression from a distance, but thankfully not in person. His introduction to the Fuuta boy was loud and a little overbearing if you didn't know him, but the broad grin he aimed at the child was all kindness and candor. The unknown kid offered a shy smile in return, almost despite himself. Ryohei had that effect on most people – his earnestness made him hard to hate despite his extremeness.
Ken and Chikusa had pulled back their yo-yos and sets of teeth upon seeing Mukuro at the door, while I-pin and Lambo were already climbing Tsuna's legs with happy cheers. Shoichi finally found his glasses with Spanner's help (the infernal robot he called 'cute' left in a corner) and looked clearly relieved when he recognized some of the newcomers.
Whatever ability the Fuuta boy had, Shoichi obviously wanted to keep them hidden.
"You're finally back!" The redhead smiled, then he looked at all of them and frowned in confusion. "Weren't you four when you left?"
… Maybe Tsuna could deflect? Delay the inevitable for a few more minutes? "Weren't you six plus Verde and Byakuran when we left?"
Shoichi looked down in embarrassment. Now Tsuna felt bad. "Yeah, we were, but then Fuuta ran into us – or we ran into Fuuta, I'm still not sure – and we couldn't just let him be kidnapped, so we helped hide him. Then Byakuran arrived, took one look at him, said he had nobody so we had to protect him and left, probably to deal with the thugs; at least we never heard from them since and Byakuran looked smug when he returned alone."
That… didn't really make sense, but neither did Byakuran, so it was plausible. At least Tsuna figured it was; with all the nonsense happening around him on a weekly basis, he didn't trust his ability to discern normal from insane all that much.
He trusted his friends' even less. Tsuna was a bit odd and desensitized to their madness, but most of them were completely unhinged – usually in a good way, but crazy all the same.
In any case, he needed to introduce himself. "Hello." He greeted the new kid, Fuuta, with an open smile. "I'm Tsuna. I don't know if the others told you about me, but I sorta manage things in Caeruleus normally."
Fuuta looked back at him with stars in his eyes – metaphorical ones, this time. "I know about you! You're the number one person least likely to refuse a request and the number one most likely to help a kid in need and take them in!"
A chorus of snorts and barely hidden chortles sounded around them. Tsuna willfully ignored them; he wasn't that bad. "I- I see. If you say so…" He trailed off, looking for a full name.
"Fuuta de la Stella." Offered the little boy with a grin. "And I'm sure you are, because the ranking planet said so!"
This conversation was rapidly getting out of hand. "The ranking planet?" He had to ask. He dreaded the answer and the new nonsense it would bring so soon after he returned home, but he had to ask.
"Mmmh. They're the ones sending me information for my rankings." Fuuta beamed and showed him a random page of his book. Tsuna saw neat rows of names and ranks under the title 'People most likely to blow up the kitchen'. Hayato's name was 14th, not at the top, which was worrying on its own, but even more so when Tsuna realized that Fuuta had never met Hayato, let alone seen him 'cook'.
He glanced at Shoichi who replied with a nod and a grim expression. However they happened, the rankings were legit. Tsuna could guess why the smiling, harmless-looking little boy in front of him was actively wanted by criminals now, and the reason he had no more guardians to speak of.
Maybe it was time to show why he had apparently earned the top place in the rankings Fuuta had mentioned. "I see. Well then, Fuuta, you're welcome to stay with us for however long you want. And you don't have to rank anything for us in exchange. Only rank the things you want, but keep it in the back rooms if it makes things around you fly like earlier." Because at no point did he want the boy to think they only kept him for his talents, but he also didn't want him to feel the need to hide his abilities in the safety of the house.
Fuuta grinned at him, and only when the tension in his frame vanished did Tsuna notice it had been there to begin with. "I will, Tsuna-nii!" He used the same familiar name as Lambo and I-pin (making Tsuna melt a bit more, if that was possible) then he settled on the couch – that the others must have put back into place – to write on his book. Apparently, the ranking planet gave him data in bulk but he didn't need to make everything float to record it. Verde must have had a field day with that, although judging from how relaxed everyone was, the scientist hadn't attempted any in depth experiences on the kid.
Or so Tsuna figured, he didn't have the energy to ponder on it longer for now. The burst of adrenaline slowly faded from his system, leaving only the exhaustion of the long trip.
"We should put all our things out of the taxis first, then we'll call everyone and do introductions." He decided in a final effort to delay his report on Namimori. The ones that stayed in Italy had been mostly out of the loop on that front, and Tsuna had little idea of what had happened there in the meantime, besides taking Fuuta in. He needed to be up to date, fast.
Gods, he just wanted to go to bed already.
()()()()()()
Over the course of the following days, Shoichi observed the group Tsuna had brought back with cautious interest.
Truth be told, he had expected the Sky to return with additional people in tow, except he thought it would be one or two, not six other teens, an Arcobaleno and was that an octopus?
Tsuna often bemoaned his friends' eccentricities, but honestly? He was the worst of the bunch with his people collecting mania, and he had handpicked said crazies himself. Shoichi still wasn't sure how much of the boy's bonding was mere luck, and how much was his Flames reacting to his subconscious wish to bring these people in.
Admittedly, Tsuna had never taken in someone truly dangerous. No, that was not quite right, Tsuna had never included someone intentionally dangerous to the rest of his Elements. Saying Xanxus and his team of killers, Verde and his crazy inventions, or even Mukuro, Ken and Chikusa with blood on their hands and Vindice on their heels were not dangerous would be a bit of a fib.
Yeah, some of their members stretched even that loose definition, but all in all, none of Tsuna's Elements would put the others in danger without a very good reason, and probably not with malicious intentions.
Probably.
Anyway, Shoichi chose to assume that none of the newcomers were a threat, no matter how they presented themselves.
First, there was the purple baby in a biking suit, with piercings and makeup, that refused to leave the comfort of Tsuna's hair and apparently owned the octopus that he had named Oodako. From that ridiculous sentence alone, Shoichi decided it was an Arcobaleno; the gods help them all if normal babies behaved like that too.
(Lambo and I-pin were a fair bit older physically and therefore did not count. Yes, denial was a pretty cozy place, thank you for asking.)
Still, Strongest Seven or not, Skull obviously delighted in Tsuna's – and to an extent, the others' – company. There was no overbearing power, no true assumption of being the most important person in the room, no controlled, barely veiled threat beneath an amicable guise. Skull looked innocent and genuine, almost like an actual child if not for his choice of outfit and the way his eyes sometimes darkened. Like when he heard of Fuuta's circumstances, or when the rest of them introduced themselves and briefly explained their own background.
Shoichi had no doubt he'd fit right in.
Second on his list of most worrying new members (not written or approved of by Fuuta and the ranking planet) was Takeshi.
There was something utterly unsettling about the way he eyed them all with a pasted smile, the way he moved to keep most of them in his sights, but especially Tsuna. Always Tsuna, and Shoichi couldn't tell if that intensity was protective, predatorial or anything else.
But the Sky turned his back on the Rain (and budding swordsman) without a second thought, which eased a lot of Shoichi's concerns. Tsuna had impeccable instincts and an even stronger need to keep his Elements from harm. The brunet might not have noticed, driven by intuition as he often was, but whenever a threat appeared in their lives, Tsuna never let it out of his field of vision.
That he did it so unthinkingly with Takeshi meant that the Rain couldn't be all bad. He likely was just as weird as the rest of them, only in a very focused, probably mildly obsessional way. At least he handled the chores and questions thrown his way without digging his heels.
Third came Chrome, the one that had allegedly not been brought in by Tsuna, but by Mukuro (prompting Ken to call their Sky 'contagious' in his urge to collect people; everybody laughed, although no one but Tsuna bothered denying it). Honestly, the biggest red flag in her case was exactly that: she had been chosen by Mukuro.
Apparently, she had some talent for Mist Flames and the older illusionist had found her, replaced all her missing organs with his Flames (Shoichi hadn't known that was possible and itched to study that in more detail. From how Verde stared, so did he) and took her in as his apprentice. Besides that, Chrome looked like a nice, shy girl that wouldn't make any waves.
The remaining four newcomers made something of a unit and it took Shoichi some time to unravel the various bonds between them. Haru was… Hayato's stalker? She looked at the Storm with hearts in her eyes and was quick to jump in his defense, but compared to Takeshi's disturbing intensity, her enthusiasm appeared quite refreshing.
(Hayato obviously didn't agree, but then again, he never shook her off quite as harshly as Shoichi knew he could. Either Tsuna had instructed him to go easy on the girl, or the Storm didn't hate her as much as he pretended to. Maybe both.)
Unless Shoichi had gotten it wrong, Hana and Kyoko were best friends, with Haru as a more recent addition to their circle, and Ryohei was Kyoko's brother. His fellow Sun appeared a bit (a lot) overbearing at first glance, especially with the tiny sparks flying from his shadow-boxing fists when he grew too excited, but all of Shoichi's reserves vanished the moment he saw him interact with the younger members.
Nobody who could look at Fuuta, I-pin and Lambo with such tenderness, who could talk with I-pin about martial arts so passionately, patiently wait by Fuuta as he rambled about his rankings or be attentive to Lambo's bragging, nobody who could do all that could be bad.
No wonder Tsuna's Flames had snagged him up so quickly: they shared the exact same mothering tendencies, although they didn't quite express them in the same ways. Kyoko seemed to have some of those too, but more watered down, at least towards strangers. Maybe she'd warm up to their resident children after a while.
In contrast, the more Shoichi saw of Hana, the more he understood Kyoya's, Mukuro's and Hayato's blatant reservations towards her.
She struggled to fit in. Clearly, sociability was not her forte, more so with younger kids; Shoichi could pinpoint the exact moment she decided to keep her distances from I-pin, Lambo and Fuuta. Not that he saw a problem with that specifically – it was bound to happen in such a large and growing group as theirs. For instance, he himself tended not to mingle with Mukuro more than necessary, they just didn't click. It didn't mean they hated each other or couldn't work together, just that they didn't get along as well as they did with other members of Caeruleus.
Let's be honest for a second, the lynchpin, the one everybody revolved around and that tied them all together no matter their differences, the one that set the pace was undoubtedly Tsuna. Even Haru quickly started to take her cues from him, despite her infatuation with Hayato, as did Chrome, Chikusa and Ken who obviously followed Mukuro. Perhaps that was where the problem with Hana came from: she gravitated around Kyoko, not Tsuna, and she struggled to adapt to the others' tempo in consequence.
Hopefully she would find a place in the group soon and learn to dance to their beat. Hana had issues with people who were not Kyoko, but she visibly worked on those and made an effort to adapt; apart from that, she was smart and less prone to shenanigans than the rest of them. Shoichi would hate to see such an asset and potential ally leave because she couldn't fit in.
They needed more down-to-earth individuals in their midst, if only to rein in the madness.
()()()()()()()
Two days in, Byakuran popped by and greeted Tsuna and everyone else by name like he'd known the newcomers for years despite not having been introduced to any of them. His grin showed he was well aware of exactly how unsettling his behavior was, and that he reveled in their confusion. Without further warning, he then left for a job with a stunned Haru in tow.
They had discussed showing the newcomers their work at Caeruleus, and then shadowing them for the simplest errands – none of them knew any Italian yet – but not that fast.
When Haru returned though, she looked delighted with her day, thanked Byakuran profusely for his assistance and had promptly engaged Hayato in a conversation about the science and math behind making explosives. After a moment of utter bewilderment, the Storm had tentatively replied, until they were both debating the merits of various containers with animated gestures and relaxed postures.
Byakuran looked like a cat that had gotten the cream, so even more smug than usual. No, Tsuna hadn't believed that was possible until he saw it either.
The thought of his fellow Sky playing matchmaker brought icy shivers down his spine. He resolved to never talk about that with anyone, lest it encourage Byakuran to repeat the experience with anyone else.
()()()()()()
Fon appeared on their doorstep a week later, five days after Tsuna's phone call informing him of the newcomers' existence, warning him of more mail to forward and tentatively asking for additional fake papers. The Storm Arcobaleno might be pretty calm and willing to indulge them, but Tsuna didn't want to push his luck by requesting too much, too fast.
Shivers still wracked the Sky's spine when he remembered the talking down he'd received when the Arcobaleno had learned that new, dangerous, wanted people lived with I-pin without his knowledge.
"It is good to see you, Tsunayoshi. I hope everyone is in good health."
"Yeah, everyone's fine, Fon, thank you." Tsuna always found himself more polite in Fon's presence, likely due to subconscious mimicking of the man's manners and innate fear of what being less than hospitable would do. "You look fine too."
Fon smiled, and the Sky had the horrible feeling that the not-baby knew exactly how his behavior affected Tsuna. "I am, thank you for noticing. I'm not here to exchange pleasantries, though, but to meet your new housemates and greet my fellow Arcobalenos. Only if I'm satisfied will I deliver the papers I have brought."
It took the whole day for Fon to find everyone new, since some of them had already left for a few easy errands (with supervision from more experienced members), so the man spent some time reconnecting with those he already knew, like I-pin, Verde and Skull. Tsuna guided him to everyone he had to meet, but always gave them their privacy when they started talking. He did have things to do, and he trusted the Storm Arcobaleno not to mess with his other Elements too badly.
Besides, nothing could have made him stay in the room with Takeshi and Fon when they began staring each other down in silence, eerie, plastic smiles on their lips like the first one to drop it or open their mouth would pay a fine or something.
Still, he stayed nearby, close enough to hear if anyone got mad and raised their voices – or started a fight. Thankfully, no such incidents happened (except for Ryohei, but being loud was not a sign of anything with him); the conversation with Hana lasted longer than the others and Skull looked a bit nervous to be left alone with another Arcobaleno (there was a history there, but Fon had assured Tsuna that he only wanted to catch up with the Cloud and Tsuna believed him), but nothing remotely alarming.
When Fon rejoined Tsuna in the private living room, he nodded in satisfaction and handed over his stack of fake identity papers. "You have a unique gathering of individuals here, Tsunayoshi, but they all seem good enough for me and I-pin. You can count on me to pass along any mail between them and their families."
"Thank you, Fon." Tsuna heaved a sigh of relief. While he could have found an alternate way to obtain fake identifications (between Verde, the Varia and whatever Byakuran had going, he was starting to have quite the connections), having I-pin's guardian disapprove of some of her housemates would have been more than problematic. Apart from Haru, Hana and Kyoko, Tsuna already had strong bonds with all of them, and he didn't doubt his Sky Flames would latch on the three girls the moment they manifested a flicker of Flames themselves.
Fon's smile broadened. "Although I doubt you would have gotten rid of any of them even if I disliked them. Not after bringing them all the way from Japan already."
There was a hint of a warning in those words and a threat in that smile, but Tsuna didn't take them to heart. For all that he was a responsible guardian, Fon had a mischievous streak and enjoyed making people sweat. "You think I should have left some of them behind?"
As much as it rankled to admit, Tsuna still had doubts about it. He had single-handedly uprooted his friends from all they knew: family, friends, home, even language and customs. While he saw no other options for Chrome and Skull, the others very well could have stayed behind and lived normal, happy lives in Namimori with some changes. Especially Haru and Takeshi, who had only been involved with the criminal world through him.
"Hmm." Fon took the time to give his question all due consideration, which Tsuna appreciated. He didn't have many adult figures in his life to confide in, and none of the others were well versed in emotional issues. Verde would have sent him away with logical, rational answers that would have done nothing for his inner turmoil and Xanxus had the nasty habit of converting all emotions into anger. Skull didn't even bear thinking: in many ways, he was as childish as Lambo.
"I think you had no other options, not really." The Storm Arcobaleno replied after a moment. "Ryohei clearly couldn't be left to his own devices without falling into Mafia hands, and his sister shouldn't have been left alone without him. Hana doesn't strike me as the type to have many friends – the Sasagawa siblings are likely the only close people she has. She would never have let them go alone, not without making a ruckus, and forcing it would have been cruel to everyone involved."
Tsuna nodded without a word; he had come to the same conclusion, but hearing Fon validate it certainly helped reassure him that he had done the right thing.
"With how strong Taekshi's focus on you is, he would also have followed you to the ends of the earth and attracted quite a lot of unwanted attention in the meantime. Besides, from my understanding, he's the only one here with not only parental authorization but encouragement, and he's a bit… unstable. It happens with powerful Flame-users, active or dormant: they get terrible tunnel-vision and slowly lose any sense of limits. The only real cure is a bond with a Sky; the harmony factor helps them grow attuned to the rest of their environment again. Takeshi will get better soon and form friendships with the rest of your Elements and other people, you'll see."
Tsuna sure hoped so. While he'd gotten used to Takeshi's intense gaze on his back, it couldn't be healthy to be so hyper-focused on one person only, to the point of thinking of all your actions in reaction to that person's.
"Haru has the same issue, only centered on Hayato and to a much lesser degree than Takeshi – her dormant Flames are likely weaker than his. She's already started making new bonds with the other girls and yourself, but without meeting you, she would have slowly gotten just as obsessive and isolated as Takeshi. It is my understanding that she only started befriending Kyoko and Haru after crossing paths with your group, didn't she? Leaving her behind after she had latched onto your Flames and Hayato's affection would have only aggravated her condition faster."
The Sky nodded again. It made an awful lot of sense in hindsight. Both Haru and Takeshi had adamantly refused to stay in Namimori, but it soothed his worries to know staying in Caeruleus helped them get better too.
"Chrome couldn't have survived without Mukuro, so I imagine you have no qualms about pulling her away from a neglectful, unloving family. As for Skull, his Famiglia was terrible, and he was never suited for a criminal life anyway. It is the failing of us Arcobaleno that we let one of our own suffer and be abused like he was. I'm deeply sorry for that and should actually thank you for offering him a safe place to be himself freely."
"No, no, it's fine! I didn't do it for you anyway!" Tsuna was quick to dismiss Fon's bow. "You should apologize to Skull, but that's got nothing to do with me! I just couldn't let him stay with the Carcassa when he looked so sad!"
"I suppose that brings me to my final point." Fon continued after letting Tsuna gesticulate for a while. "You yourself were fundamentally unable to leave any of them behind."
The brunet blinked a few times, but the Arcobaleno's words didn't make any more sense. "What?"
Fon raised a long-sleeved hand in front of his mouth; Tsuna got the impression he was hiding a gleeful smile. "Skies fall in two categories: nurturing or possessive. Mind you, they're not mutually exclusive, but there are always clear tendencies towards one or the other. Nurturing Skies like to provide anything their Elements ask for, they're someone to fall back on, supporters from the sidelines, and they let their Elements do what they want in the meanwhile. They prefer to assist and supervise rather than interfere. On the other hand, possessive Skies keep their Elements close, tend to get more personally involved into their lives and happiness and need a measure of knowledge and control on their movements. A certain amount of exclusiveness too. They give instructions and lead from the field, stepping in without prompting if they feel needed. You, my dear Sky, fall quite firmly into the possessive category."
Tsuna spluttered, feeling offended by the insinuation. "I'm not- I'm not possessive!"
This time, Fon didn't bother hiding his amusement. The traitor went so far as to chuckle. "Yes, you are. It's not a bad thing per se; neither category means much about the Sky's personality, really. For instance, despite his predilection for violence, your friend Xanxus is more nurturing: he lets the Varia elite roam and fight like they want with only limited supervision, if any. Yet he's always there to support them and give them a safe place to fall back between missions, sanctioned or not.
"But you need to know all your Elements are close at hand, safe and content. If one of them needs assistance, you step in without waiting for them to call you. I'm sure the mere idea of any of them seeking another Sky for advice or protection makes you uneasy."
… It did. Just thinking about any of his friends going to another Sky for help made him feel queasy. Even if that Sky was Byakuran, whom Tsuna was somehow bonded with. But that didn't mean Fon was right!
"I don't 'control' you!" He argued. "You never stay long, and I have no idea where you go when you're not here! And I don't 'control' Xanxus and the Varia either!"
"But you'd rather I stay in Caeruleus with you." Countered Fon serenely, definitely finding the whole situation hilarious. "Besides, I visit on a regular basis, you have ways to reach me immediately and you know I can deal with pretty much anything on my own. I am an Arcobaleno, one of the Strongest Seven and the second most powerful of them, at that. As for the Varia, they live closeby, you have Xanxus' private phone number and you know he will reply at once if you call, and once again, the Varia are this world's top assassin group; they can protect themselves – and you still visit regularly to restore their base anyway. Under contract, I know, but it still counts as monitoring.
"Meanwhile, your newest Elements are not only isolated in Japan, but also untrained, defenseless and far from you, your protection and your eyes. Thus, you couldn't ever truly consider leaving Chrome, Takeshi, Skull, Ryohei or even Haru, who had latched onto your Flames, behind. Ryohei's happiness depended on Kyoko's presence, so you brought her in as well and likely subconsciously formed a fledgling bond with her to not have loose, unbonded people around your Elements, and then she needed Hana to come along, so you included her too. I dare you to tell me I am mistaken and you seriously thought about how things would develop had you left any of them in Japan."
Tsuna gaped, frantically looking for a counterargument to Fon's theory. He found none. He did have the start of a bond with Hana, Haru and Kyoko, too vague to make out what their Flame was, but there nonetheless when he closed his eyes. The others had clicked without him noticing when, but by the time he was about to return to Italy, he couldn't really imagine leaving them behind.
Still… "That doesn't mean I'm possessive!"
Fon patted his arm with a patronizing smile. "If you say so, Tsunayoshi. If you say so."
()()()()()()
It was time for the mini-trash and his friends to come Varia grounds for their monthly checkup and repair everything his stupid group had damaged. Sometimes, Xanxus wondered why he kept so many people under his command that could not be trusted to not slice their own walls or explode entire rooms.
Then he got annoyed with one of his underlings and shot new holes in the brand new paint job. Yeah, that was why.
He hadn't seen the mini-trash himself for a while – three months where the brat was apparently overseas to settle some problem. Xanxus had not asked for details and Tsuna had not volunteered them in his last phone call before leaving; better have plausible deniability if the kid really was in Namimori like Xanxus suspected. Iemitsu could not learn that his oldest son was so close to his home.
So when he saw mini-trash lead his ragtag group of brats in the throne room (everyone not from Varia had to see Xanxus first to be allowed further, even people that came regularly), he actually had to smother a smile at seeing them all in good health. He had a reputation to preserve.
Then he caught the ridiculous increase in members and almost did a double-take when he spotted an Asari and a Knuckle look-alike.
"Mini-trash, what the fuck?!"
Tsuna rubbed the back of his fluffy head sheepishly (somehow not dislodging the fucking Cloud Arcobaleno that had taken residence there). "Yeah, we picked up a few more people while we were away."
He introduced the new kids with only their first names, like all the others, as if the leader of Varia couldn't figure out their entire identities with only that. As if he hadn't done exactly that with all the first members, just to make sure they were no threat or infiltrated mafiosi from enemy Famiglie (and absolutely not to ensure they would not endanger mini-trash). Xanxus only bothered to remember the name of Takeshi and Ryohei, the two new first-generation clones, but he knew Squalo had noted them all and would do thorough background checks.
Fuck, if those two had the Flames Xanxus thought they did, mini-trash had completed his unknowing reconstitution of Vongola Primo's generation, with Tsuna, an actual, proven descendant of Giotto, as the pièce de résistance.
"You scum can go do your work elsewhere." He growled. "Mini-trash, we need to talk. Alone."
Xanxus watched Tsuna reassure the other brats that he would be fine (the long-haired new girl looked especially unconvinced) and gently push them to follow Squalo to where the worst of the damage awaited them. There was much to do, since the last three months had seen a decrease in the workload they could take on with the absence of four members. The four that could put up a fight, meaning the remaining kids had to stay together to make sure not to be attacked by wandering Varia assassins.
(He had given clear instructions not to bother the repairing brats, but not all his agents followed his orders to the letter. Punishment would have been expeditive and harsh, of course, but it would be too late if one of the kids got hurt or killed. Better they stay together under the surveillance of one of the more trusted elite if they couldn't defend themselves.)
He waited until he and Tsuna were alone behind closed doors to pinch his nose and speak again. "Please tell me you did not pick up a Rain swordsman and a Sun boxer."
Mini-trash froze, blinked in confusion and started sweating. Bullseye. Fuck. "How- how did you guess that?"
Xanxus could only sigh. How did that brat get in situations like this? "Remember the picture I sent you ages ago?"
His explanation didn't seem to clarify anything for Tsuna. "Uhm, sort of? The one about Vongola's first generation?"
Exasperated, Xanxus stalked off his throne to shove his phone into mini-trash's face. He'd taken a clearer picture of the old painting featuring Giotto and the first Guardians than the first one he'd sent Tsuna, and it was this photo he was currently showing the brat. "Notice anything?"
The kid had to step back to actually see anything, but his eyes widened the moment he did. "No way! They look exactly like Takeshi and Ryohei!"
"Yeah, and they also were a Rain swordsman and a Sun boxer. Congratulations! You've got the whole set now!" He couldn't help the sarcasm. Tsuna had no idea the complications his newest Elements brought him.
"Weird." Mused mini-trash. "But what does that change? I already had Kyoya, Hayato, Mukuro and Lambo. This doesn't change anything."
"It does if Vongola ever gets their hands on you." Countered Xanxus in a growl. "Before, Iemitsu could have ignored the strange resemblance between some of you and the first generation as a coincidence, divided you and sent you packing back to Namimori. It's not like you're absolutely identical, at least not in coloring, except for your Rain, and maybe growing up, you'd have looked less like Primo and his Guardians. One can fucking hope.
"With a full set with matching Flames and appearances, though, even Iemitsu would have to report to Nono directly and you can bet the old man would never let you go. He'd spin it like 'the reincarnation of the first generation' or some bullshit like that and the seven of you'd never get away. He'd probably also get rid of the others in your group to make sure the Guardian positions are unchallenged; kill some and imprison the others to have hostages and chain you permanently to the Cosa Nostra."
Tsuna was as pale as a sheet. Finally, the consequences were dawning on him. "Fuck." Xanxus did not at all preen at teaching the kid to swear. Not. At. All. "How many people could see the resemblance?"
The fact that mini-trash did not for a second think that Xanxus would sell them out made him feel oddly warm inside. He blamed the wine; Squalo had bought some piss-poor stuff recently, pretexting it was easier to clean off his hair. "Any of the Vongola top brass for sure, and potentially anyone who's ever been invited in Nono's private side of the mansion, where the painting hangs. That means a whole fucking lot of Bosses and right-hands."
Tsuna was already nodding, considering the ramifications. "I see. Anyone else?"
"Just the cleaning staff with high enough clearance, and those guys tend to stay in the mansion all year long – they're Flame-users and fighters as well so they double as security personnel. You probably won't meet them unless you end up in Vongola mansion, and then you're fucked anyway."
"So the only thing I can do is make doubly sure that I don't encounter any Mafia higher-ups." Sighed the brat. "Somehow I don't think my luck is going to be that good."
It made Xanxus huff. "You fucking tell me, mini-trash. First, how do you wind up looking like Primo with a few years less and a dyejob, despite Iemitsu looking nothing like the guy? And then how the fuck do you also end up collecting clones of his Guardians without realizing it?"
Tsuna chuckled weakly. "If only I knew! I swear, I don't do it on purpose, but I just couldn't leave any of them alone…" He paused, looking thoughtful and a bit embarrassed. "Hey, Xanxus? You don't think I'm possessive, do you?"
Oh, someone had gotten the nurturing/possessive Sky talk. Xanxus remembered his, and trying to shoot his brothers' heads off when they told him he was definitely the nurturing type. Him, nurturing? He sure didn't think so at the time and felt pretty insulted by it.
Now, he could sort of see where they came from, but he still hated the insinuation that he was some kind of motherly pansy as a result. Anyone who so much as hinted at that got a bullet in a painful place, see if that was motherly.
"I don't know, mini-trash. Maybe I should talk to my old man or another Sky about it? Get them to meet your brats to see if they can tell?"
The way Tsuna responded to his goading, looking almost constipated, frowning, clenching his jaw and balling his fists at the mere idea of involving another, unknown Sky had Xanxus in fits of laughter. Not possessive, my ass!
"There you have it." He managed after his guffaws died down. "Don't worry too much about it, though. It doesn't mean anything except that other Skies had better stay the hell away from your Elements if they know what's good for them. I mean, it's not like you think differently of me because I'm supposed to be 'nurturing', is it?"
If Tsuna had changed the way he looked at Xanxus, the Varia leader would have shot him, no questions asked. Thankfully, the brat barely reacted other than relaxing a little. "I guess you're right. It doesn't really matter and you're still an ass. Thanks."
"You're welcome, mini-trash." Xanxus sniggered right back. "Any other mind-boggling revelations before you go? Got the actual ghost of one of Primo's Guardians hidden somewhere?"
The brat laughed, finally completely unclenching that jaw. "No, but I promise to tell you immediately if that happens. But I do have a favor to ask if that's alright."
God, when did Xanxus get so fond of the little shit? Anyone else and they would have a new butthole by now. "Shoot."
"It's… Look, both Takeshi and Ryohei need someone to teach them to fight for real, and none of us at Caeruleus are good with swords or boxing moves. I can handle bare-handed training, as can Kyoya, but he's better with tonfas and I'm more into hit-and-run tactics – that's worlds apart from real boxing."
Xanxus could see where he was going, but let the kid continue. Maybe saying out loud what he wanted would help him come to terms with the whole possessive description faster?
"Takeshi has some frightening instincts and a couple weeks of his father's accelerated lessons, but almost no experience, while Ryohei had formal training for matches, but nothing about life-or-death battles. I was wondering if, maybe, if you and they agree, you could ask Lussuria and Squalo to give them a few pointers? Besides, Takeshi has some obsession problems with me and I think a fellow swordsman – someone just close and yet distant enough from me – could help him bond with other people."
Ah, a fixated-type, drunk on the intensity of their own Flame without an outlet or a Sky to harmonize with their surroundings until now. The Varia had a lot of those: they made for excellent fighters, usually in exchange for a short lifespan. Obsessions that strong didn't tend to make for good life decisions.
"... You do realize you're asking me, one of your Elements, to talk some of my Elements into babysitting your new Rain and Sun and helping them get over their problems? Problems that they probably didn't ask for help dealing with and that you're purposefully keeping in the circle of those you're bonded with instead of finding any random kid out there to befriend for your Rain?"
Tsuna crossed his arms defensively and puffed out. It looked fucking adorable. "Yeah, I know, I'm a possessive Sky and all. Will you ask?"
"Just making sure." Xanxus snickered, not bothering to hide how much a pouting mini-trash amused him. "I'll ask, and I'm pretty sure Luss and Squalo will agree. They like you brats for whatever reason."
The way Tsuna deflated reminded him strongly of a blowfish. A sulky and fluffy blowfish. Xanxus should get his head checked, he'd clearly gotten one too many hits to the head. "Thanks, Xanxus. I'll go back to the others to tell them about it. It was nice seeing you again, I missed your grumpy mug!"
"Get lost, mini-trash, or I'll shoot." Grumbled the fearsome Varia leader, but his heart wasn't in it. His threat was rewarded with an impish laugh as the brat skipped off to find his friends.
No wonder Tsuna collected so many people when he could wrap even Xanxus around his skinny fingers.
In case it wasn't obvious, I'm really not a fan of Timoteo, Vongola Nono. Every time you see him in the manga, it reeks of manipulation. Like: 'yes, you can leave the Mafia, Tsuna. I would be oh so disappointed and Vongola would collapse without an heir, but the door is right open!' and 'I sealed your Flames as a kid for your own good and later sent you the tutor with the most understanding of your circumstances and ignorance I could find. Look at me, I'm a weak, harmless old man and a kindly grandfather figure!'
I don't know if it's just me, if fanfictions spoiled my opinion or if the author really implied it like that, but I can't see Nono as a good guy no matter how much I try. On the other hand, I love Xanxus as some sort of reluctantly fond big brother figure.
Congratulations to Dman4869, leofrick, cartoon lover 2016, ChuLian, CloudSkylark18, Princessblood, qqn, Yabas, aGnamZer0, ynariaalejo and guests for figuring Fuuta's identity out. I'm sure more had guessed it correctly (the end of the last chapter was pretty obvious, I think), but I basically Ctrl+F the comment page for 'Fu' to see who typed Fuuta's name, so sorry if I missed you.
Any guesses as to the next character?