TWO DAYS PRIOR

When Tsuna made it home from the hospital, the light was on in the kitchen, and he assumed his mother was once again, rather most likely, putting together some kind of late night snack for the kids before they went to bed. He had announced his arrival home like he usually did, quickly peaking around the corner into the kitchen to make sure she was busy before heading upstairs. So it wasn't like he was intending to give her a heart attack. It just that happened to be the ONE time Sawada Nana wasn't at the counter, but enjoying a tea at the table, facing the entry way. It was only natural that she would scream bloody murder, dropping her cup, when she could see a large portion of her son's shirt stained with blood. Tsuna winced and cursed his bad luck.

"Kaa-san! It's alright! I'm fine!" He practically shouted, trying to reassure her. It took him at least ten minutes of his mother's panicking to finally convince her to let him quickly shower and change into clean clothes so that he could actually explain what happened. When Tsuna did return downstairs, Nana had gotten herself, and Tsuna, another cup of tea. "See? I'm fine." He said, white t-shirt and not a spec of blood later.

"I'm sorry Tsu-kun, but you had me terrified for a moment." Nana held a hand over her heart as she took in a calming breath. "So then, what happened?" She asked, and Tsuna recounted everything he knew. How they were supposed to meet with Kazumi before going out, but found that someone had broken into her apartment and attacked her. How they found her laying on the floor, bleeding. How he ended up tending to her injuries to the best of his abilities while they waited for the ambulance. How he hadn't even had time to think about the blood getting on his clothes the whole time. During the entire tale, Nana looked absolutely horrified.

"That sounds terrible." Nana managed. "The poor girl; she must have been so scared. I couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have been like."

"Yeah." Tsuna agreed, thinking about Kazumi's unconscious and battered body, and the man who was leaving the apartment complex. He visibly shuddered. Something was telling him there was more to that event than meets the eye.

"Ah, perhaps I can put together a get well package for her?" Nana suddenly perked when the idea hit her. "She's going to need lots of nutrition if she's going to heal quickly and get out of the hospital, right? And after an ordeal like that, I think she wouldn't mind receiving such a happy gift. What do you think Tsu-kun?" Tsuna's eyes lit up with his mother's at the idea.

"That's a great idea Kaa-san! I'm sure she'll be happy too!" Tsuna grinned as the two of them began brainstorming ideas.

xXx

Returning to school the next day was like a harsh reminder of everything that happened with Kazumi's absence. Throughout the entire day, all he could do was reimagine the image of Kazumi laying in her own blood on the floor of her apartment. He doubted he would get over that nightmare any time soon.

"Tsuna-kun, you and Yamamoto-kun and Gokudera-kun were the last ones to speak with Kazumi-chan before the weekend, right?" Kyoko had asked in between classes. "Do you know why she's absent today?" Apparently Kazumi had gotten quite close with the girls among his ragtag group of friends. While that made him happy for her, the question in itself made him panic. Something was telling him that Kyoko shouldn't know the truth.

"Ah, um… No, sorry." He lied, scratching at a ghostly itch at the base of his neck. Thankfully Takeshi and Hayato were able to pick up on the lie right away and run with it.

"She seemed just fine before we left." Takeshi said, feigning a thoughtful expression.

"Yo, baseball-nut, didn't you say she send you a message afterwards? Saying something about something that had come up or whatever?" Takeshi blinked idiotically at Hayato before catching on. Thankfully that really wasn't out of the usual for them.

"Haha! Yeah, you're right. I almost forgot." Takeshi laughed. "I'm sure Kazumi is fine. She'll be back in school in no time."

Except when Kazumi also didn't return to school the next day, even more students began to worry. And anyone who heard that the three of them were the last ones to see her, approached them at any minute of the day, asking if they knew anything. When Tsuna said, on repeat, that he really didn't know anything at all, it began a resurfacing of his old nickname Dame-Tsuna.

Apparently not knowing anything, even if he hadn't been there, wouldn't have been a good enough answer for anybody.

"You're going to visit her again after school, right Juudaime?" Hayato had quietly asked on their way out of the school grounds. Tsuna gave a simple nod for his answer. "Then let me accompany you. You could still be in danger." He tried to insist.

"No, I feel like if Kazumi is going to open up about anything, there should be as few people as possible. She was hurt pretty badly; I don't want to cause her any unnecessary stress when she does wake up." He knew that was a pipedream, but he had to do what he could. So when Hayato started to protest, Tsuna gave him a pleading glance. "Besides, Reborn will be with me. You have nothing to worry about, Hayato." There was little to be argued after that.

xXx

"She's awake?!" Tsuna asked the front desk clerk excitedly as she checked him in.

"Y-yes, last time she was checked on at least." The clerk answered, slightly taken back by Tsuna's sudden forwardness. "She regained consciousness earlier this afternoon. Ah, there we go. You're all check in Sawada-kun." Tsuna was barely able to get out his thanks as he snatched up the pass and ran for the elevator. He had so many things to ask Kazumi, but more than anything, he wanted to make sure she was okay.

When Tsuna reached Kazumi's private room, he pulled the door open quickly and scanned the inside. For a second, Kazumi looked like she might have still been asleep. Her eyes were closed and she looked almost peaceful, despite the light bruising still on her cheek and neck. But she quickly opened her green, very green, eyes and looked right at him.

"You really are awake!" He said with a huff of excitement, just as Reborn calmly caught up with him and strolled into the room before Tsuna closed the door behind them. When he looked to Kazumi, he thought that she looked to be in pain. A lot of pain. Tsuna couldn't help the worried expression that formed on his face. "A-are… are you doing alright?"

"Y-yeah. I'll be okay. Somehow." She barely managed to whisper as she breathed out painfully. It was awful to watch, and Tsuna found himself trying to think of ways he could possibly help her, but for some reason, she was already thanking him. Her straightforwardness left him embarrassed, until he found himself hesitating, remembering why he had actually come here in the first place.

"Why would anyone do that to you?" He hadn't actually meant to blurt out the question like that. And he could tell Kazumi was instantly uncomfortable with the change of subject. When she looked away from them, finding interest in something outside the window, Tsuna considered changing the subject again all together. But once again, he was beaten to the punch.

"I should explain everything from the beginning." And that was the start of Kazumi revealing the truth. By the end of it, Tsuna was still finding it hard to believe that it was Kazumi's own father that had broken into her apartment and nearly beaten her to death.

"I have many questions for you, but I will settle for having just one answered right now, while you're still giving us information so freely; give me one good reason why I don't just kill you." What? Had he heard that right? As if in slow motion, Tsuna watched as Reborn adjusted the positioning of his Leon-gun, focusing it at Kazumi, who didn't even seem to flinch, and basically threatened her life. Again.

"REBORN!" He found himself shouting at his tutor. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid!

"I don't have one. My life is yours to do with as you see fit." WHAT? Tsuna turned back to Kazumi, only to see a dullness in her eyes. She didn't actually mean that, did she? He hadn't realized he even said that out loud until she responded. "I do." And he realized she was completely serious. There was a lifeless acceptance in her expression that said it all. "Kill me, take me prisoner, or whatever. I've already made my decision." Tsuna watched as Reborn studied her, looking at the Flame of resolve that brought just the slightest glimmer of life back into her eyes. She was already willing to die if they, if Reborn, decided that was her fate, and she would accept it with pride in the decision she had made.

"Very well. Tsuna, you're the Boss. The decision is yours." Reborn said suddenly, lowering his gun as he did.

"What?" He had been so caught up in the tension and too focused on Kazumi's sudden acceptance of death that he barely registered what Reborn had even said. "I'm not going to kill her! Forget it!" That idea was completely OUT. OF. THE. QUESTION.

"Then, are you prepared to take on the consequences of what befalls your actions?" Reborn was eyeing him in that way, telling him that there were high expectations behind what he was saying. Tsuna didn't care.

"I won't kill my friend, Reborn." And somehow, he ended up agreeing to take responsibility for… whatever happens. And Reborn finally left well enough alone, leaving him in the room with Kazumi. He found himself apologizing for everything that happened. He really hadn't meant for their visit to go this way at all. But then she started apologizing to him. And thanking him again for saving her. Why wouldn't he save her?

"I couldn't just leave you there. You were hurt really badly. I don't even want to think about what might have happened if we didn't decide to go check on you." Not that he had to think hard. With the condition she was in, and how she looked just two nights ago, there was only one place Tsuna's mind could go. And it was a very, very dark place.

"Thank you." Kazumi finally said, softly, and Tsuna finally noticed just how tired she looked.

"You're welcome, Kazumi-san. You should rest so you can get well and better soon. I'll visit again tomorrow." He promised as he gathered up his things to leave, just as Kazumi gave into the allure of sleep.

Upon reaching the main lobby of the hospital, Tsuna handed in his visitors pass and proceeded on the long walk home. It was during this time, that everything finally caught up with him. He realized, after all this time, everything that he, Reborn, and his Guardians had been worried about was all true; Kazumi was an assassin. And she was supposed to kill him. Now she was saying that she had abandoned that mission. It was also then that Tsuna realized exactly what Reborn meant by taking responsibility for his actions and owning up to consequences.

Tsuna sighed. He believed in Kazumi, and he trusted his intuition enough to allow himself to put faith in her.