Hello, people from the world! Here comes a new story!
I know there have been a few fics where Tsuna is a girl, but I wanted to give it a shot. Also, my English is not the best, so please bear with me. I'm really trying my best for you guys and for the story.
So please, tell me what you think c:
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"OUT! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY CLASS!"
Nedzu-sensei yelled to the point his whole face was red in anger, with his hands and shoulders shaking by the force. Snickers could be heard all around the classroom, as well as a chair scraping against the floor and someone walking towards the door.
"It's Dame-Tsuna time" A guy mocked with a smirk.
"Pay me" Another one demanded his friend, who reluctantly gave him some money for losing the bet.
Between the snickers and the teacher's fuming, a soft sigh was made, followed by the classroom's door being shut quietly. Walking down the hallways with no one around, Tsuna could only think one thing.
Not again.
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It was a beautiful day in Namimori, Japan.
The sky was blue with a few fluffy clouds roaming around and the air was fresh due to the start of spring. If there was a word to describe Namimori's town, it was peaceful. With only a few common problems at night that were quickly solved thanks to the police force and a certain disciplinary committee, the town really offered a feeling of security to the people living in it, making them all be able to call it home.
It was midday, so every school was at lunch break. Some students were outside playing while others decided to stay in their classroom to enjoy time with their friends.
Everyone, but one.
A 13-year-old brunette girl was lying on the rooftop of her school; Namimori middle, enjoying the cool breeze with her eyes closed and her arms behind her head. It had been a while since she last took a nap, and she really needed one. With the recent sleepless nights that were causing her to drop her grades, something that her mother and her teachers didn't like one bit, she welcomed every little rest she could get.
Her name, Sawada Tsunayuuki.
She was an average looking person with an average teenage life.
Her body was thin with no signs of muscles while her milky skin was flawless with no signs of marks. Her messy chestnut hair was of mid-back length, and her fringe was long enough that it reached her caramel doe eyes that sometimes gleamed gold when the sun shined on them.
She is considered one of the cutest girls in school. That is, however, when she was not making a fool of herself.
In school, she was known as Tsuny-Tsundere. Or more specific, Dame-Tsuna.
Why? She was a roller-coaster! That's why.
Her grades were sometimes the best in the class, while other times, they dropped to the bottom and were the worst of the worst.
Some days she would take P.E seriously and play well, while other days she would make her team lose drastically so she would spend the rest of the class sitting in the bleachers by herself.
She was a cool girl, always calm and serious, and it was said that her smile was so bright it could melt the hearts of people. Yet, there were moments when she was clumsy enough to trip over her own feet when she was just standing. She would bump into people or flinch at loud noises that caused her to stutter.
And on some very rare occasions, she was brave enough - or stupid - to fight her bullies and come out without a scratch.
In simple words, she was a mystery.
One that her classmates liked to make fun of and create bets between themselves to see which side she would show the next day. It was quite cruel, but she didn't care. It's not like she could change their opinion on herself, and to be truthful, it wasn't worth it.
Right now she was in Dame-Tsuna mode. Having not done her homework, arriving almost late to class, forgetting her lunchbox and failing with a 15 mark in her maths exam, it was like nothing seemed to work for her that day. So after her teacher kicked her out of his class with everyone laughing at her bad luck, she went to the only place where she could enjoy a few minutes of quietness.
And here she was. The rooftop. It was peaceful and quiet, the perfect place where she could relax under the sun and rest her tired psyche. However, she only got 15 minutes of that tranquillity before the rooftop door was violently opened and letting a murderous aura surround the place.
"Skipping classes again?" A monotone voice said "If you don't give me one good reason, I'll bite you to death"
"Hello, my dear prefect" She yawned and sat up stretching her arms "What brings you to the roof at such a lovely hour?"
"I asked first," he said and pulled a metal tonfa out. "Talk"
"Stupid teacher kicked me out for not doing my homework" She mumbled, but the disciplinary committee leader heard it and sighed heavily.
"Again?"
"It's not my fault! I was busy last night" The brunette exclaimed while she stood up.
"Sleeping?" He raised an eyebrow.
"For your information..." She crossed her arms over her chest "Sleeping is good. You should try it, you know? You are so pale I could mistake you for a vampire"
"I will bite you to death" He growled and ran towards her with a raised tonfa, but she simply moved aside to dodge.
"See, a vampire" She giggled and continued dodging the attacks the prefect was throwing her with agility. Which made her break into a smile, for if she was able to dodge without tripping, it meant that her Dame-Tsuna mode was finally off.
"You little-" He was cut by the school's bell, signalling lunch was over. He sighed and narrowed his eyes at the brunette "After class, you are helping me with paperwork as a punishment for not doing your school duties"
"But Kyoya!" Tsuna exclaimed with a pout.
"No whining" He glared at her "Now go to class before I bite you to death, little animal"
"You are not fun" She murmured, but squeaked when a tonfa came flying towards her head "Alright, I'm going! Geez~"
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Location: Sicily, Italy
The sun was going down, painting the sky in orange, red and purple, along with those in-between. It was quite a sight. The air was nice, neither warm nor cold. It was starting to be late, so not many people were outside. Only those who were returning home or were too drunk to move were loitering the streets.
Them and those who have a business to resolve.
Which sadly, he did.
Here he was again, walking downtown after a meeting with the old man. He got a new mission, a mission he didn't expect for it was too soon, too unexpected, but how could he refuse such a challenge? And as he walked down the streets with a smirk on his shadowed face thanks to his fedora, he ignored the stares and whispers he received as he passed by, too busy thinking, planning, imagining plans and situations that will involve a certain someone.
At first, he was horrified and found the mission ridiculous and a loss of time. Just thinking about his first student made him want to sigh in annoyance at having to live that all over again.
But that's where the twist came and made him re-think. If he hadn't known Nono for years, he would have dismissed the old man as a fool. But those eyes full of determination made him pause, they made him want to do the mission, if only just to see the glorious outcome. A challenge indeed.
He will do the impossible.
Make a teenage girl into a Mafia Boss.
After all, he wasn't called the greatest hitman of the world for nothing.
"Japan, huh?" He said, his smirk never leaving his face "This one will probably be a short journey"
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Finally, school was over and Tsuna could only watch with jealousy at how her classmates ran out from pris- I mean, school. She could have been one of those free souls if she weren't grounded by the disciplinary committee leader. With a heavy sigh, she stood up from her chair and arranged her things.
"Want to go and get some cakes, Tsuna-chan?" An orange-haired girl asked her with a bright smile. Sasagawa Kyoko, the kindest girl Namimori middle ever had. She and Tsuna had known each other since they were kids, and though Tsuna had a hard time admitting it, she was her best friend.
"Sorry, I have to stay after classes" Tsuna grimaced at the thought of having to spend more time inside the school and sent an apologetic smile to the girl in front of her.
"I see," Kyoko said, not missing her smile "Maybe this weekend?"
"Definitely" Tsuna smiled back and walked Kyoko towards the door "Be careful on your way home"
"You too, Tsuna-chan" With a wave, both girls parted ways.
She walked into the familiar path towards the disciplinary committee office while humming softly to herself, but just as the brunette was going to turn into the next hallway, a hand on her shoulder made her stop. She looked behind her, only to see a boy with spiky dark hair and a smug smirk on his face.
"Hey" He greeted her.
"Mochida-senpai" Tsuna nodded her head at him.
"Tsunayuuki, where are you going in such a hurry?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"I have duties to do" Tsuna said simply and turned to walk away.
"That's uncool," Moichida said as he walked next to her, unaware of the brunette's attempts to get away from him "How about you skip with me?"
"Tempting" Moichida smirked, but it fell slightly at the next response "But no, thank you" With that, Tsuna hurried her steps and walked ahead of him.
"Wait" He ran up to catch her "I know, how about you and I go out this weekend?"
"Can't, I promised Kyoko I would hang out with her"
"Why are you always so difficult?" Mochida huffed before smirking again "Doesn't matter, I like challenges. I won't give up until you go out with me" He declared before turning to walk away.
"What an annoying guy" She murmured once he was out of reach. Tsuna sighed, again, and kept walking toward the office. What Mochida suggested was really tempting; not going with him, but skipping this whole punishment.
What were the chances of getting caught if she ran away now? It was worth a try, she thought. But just as she was about to turn around and dash for her escape, someone called her name.
"Sawada-san" Kusakabe Tetsuya, the second in command of the disciplinary committee leader nodded at her as he rounded the corner and spotted her. Tsuna had to bite down a groan, for now, her chances were drawn to zero.
"Hello, Kusakabe-san" Tsuna greeted him weakly.
"Kyo-san is waiting," Kusakabe reminded her, crossing his arms over his chest and giving the brunette a sharp look. "So don't plan on running away"
"You know me too well" Tsuna giggled nervously.
"Come on now" Kusakabe motioned for the brunette to follow him and started to walk away. Tsuna sighed one more time and followed him to her fate.
After a minute or two, they reached the disciplinary committee office. Kusakabe stopped in front of the door and knocked politely.
"Sawada's here" He said and received a 'come in' in response.
Opening the door wide open, he let the brunette walk in before closing the door quietly. Once inside, Tsuna dropped her bag on the couch and sat down in front of the desk, which was full of papers.
"You know, I will never understand what's so special about paperwork" She said as she eyed the towers of papers with disinterest
"In silence little animal, and start working" Hibari grunted from his place behind the desk, never once looking at her from his work.
"Hmm..." The brunette pouted and grabbed a pen to start.
And so, Tsuna started filling the documents, asking one or two questions on what she should put here and there. It wasn't the first time she did paperwork, so she knew what the process eventually was, but it was still boring.
She cursed in her mind for not being able to complete her homework, but it wasn't really her fault. She was tired and fell asleep in the middle of it, she didn't even have dinner! And to put the cherry in the cake, she had a nightmare and didn't sleep for the rest of the night.
That thought made the pen stop unconsciously in mid-air as she recalled her dream. It was weird and bizarre, but when were they not? It used to happen every now and then, some nights sleep couldn't seem to grasp hold of her while other times her dreams were plagued with haunting images and a frantic sense of dread that made her wake in the middle of the night.
It wasn't healthy, and it obviously was affecting her life but there was no way to stop them. Those dreams came and went as they pleased, some of them staying while others faded in time. It may sound stupid, and she couldn't really put it into words, but she was almost sure that those dreams were talking to her, or at least trying to tell her something.
So deep in her thoughts, her body flinched when someone clearing their throat brought her back to reality and when she looked up it was to see Hibari glaring at her.
"Did I tell you to stop?" He asked with a grunt, his hand tempting to grab his tonfa and whack her in the head.
"Sorry" She murmured and continued working, only to stop again after five minutes.
Her eyes became unfocused as she recalled her last dream once more and the feeling of trepidation it left in its wake. It was as if, no matter how much she tried to forget and move on, that nagging feeling wouldn't leave her. It was clinging, clawing and almost possessive in a way that scared her. She hadn't felt such a powerful sensation, probably not since...
The feeling of cold fingers against her cheek snapped her back.
"Huh?" She blinked and turned to see Hibari, who was watching her with narrowed eyes.
"You are spacing out," He said with a glare "Again"
"Sorry, I just..." She closed her eyes and sighed tiredly.
"You didn't sleep at all, did you?" He questioned.
"A dream just kept me up, it's nothing" Tsuna shook her head as if to get rid of her thoughts and grabbed another paper from the pile. "Should I finish this too?"
"Tsunayuuki" Him calling her full name meant that he was annoyed and wanted answers. It didn't happen often, but when it did, Tsuna knew that there was no escape from him. She remained quiet for a moment though, organizing her thoughts before sighing and resting her head on the table.
"I'm just worried"
"About?"
"I don't know, but I am," She said with a frown "It's like something inside of me is screaming at me to be careful"
"It wouldn't be the first time" He pointed calmly, being fully aware of the past times where the brunette had had those mysterious feelings and dreams and how anxious she got.
"I know," She said biting her lip, thinking the same as him. "But I can't simply ignore them"
They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, each deep in their own thoughts. Hibari could not empathise with the way she was feeling nor did he try to pretend to give her comfort, it wasn't in his personality. But he always listens when she keeps rambling about nonsense and hovers when her words die out. It's how they worked, as strange as it was. And the girl never asked for his opinion in the matter, it seemed she just needed someone where she could just store her thoughts like a safety cloud.
"You are weird" He finally declared before going back to his work.
"I know" She smiled sheepishly and closed her eyes intent on resting some more, but a startled cry escaped her lips as a metal hit landed on her head.
"Keep working" Hibari growled with narrowed eyes and a raised tonfa.
"Y-Yes" She squeaked and continued to work, nursing her poor head in the process.
And so, the two kept working until the sun started to set and the school was deserted. As soon as the last paper was done and tucked into the folder, Tsuna immediately grabbed her bag and ran towards the exit before the boy could try to chain her to another task.
"See you tomorrow, Kyoya!" She exclaimed with a goodbye wave and jogged her way out.
"Hn" He watched her leave school grounds, before shaking his head for staring for too long.
'What a little animal.' He thought and walked around school one last time to make sure everything was ready for tomorrow's classes.
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After 15 minutes of walking, Tsuna arrived home safely and apologized to her mother for being late, but Nana Sawada just hugged her daughter and smiled at having her home.
One could really see the resemblance they both shared. Tsuna could be the split image of her mother if it weren't for her hair being lighter in colour and longer in length. As well as her eyes, they were a tad bigger and honey-coloured instead of the usual brown.
And oh, how Nana adored her daughter's eyes. They were so big and pretty and when the light hit them just right, they could shine in another colour. And it saddened her deeply to see how that light just kept dimming as she grew up.
Her eyes didn't shine in happiness or wonder as they used to do and as a mother, it really hurt to see that. And although she tried her best to cheer her up, she couldn't really force her daughter to feel more than she could. So she always made sure to shower her extra in love and care, and she knew that Tsuna really appreciated that.
But sometimes she just wished her daughter could see beyond her own little world. She wanted to see her daughter be happy, to have fun with friends and experience her youth with a lighter heart. She knew life hadn't been the best for her, but she was trying, they both were.
She knew she could never force her daughter out of her shell, she didn't have the heart for that, but she was strong and patient and she would keep holding her daughter close until she was ready to stand on her own again.
After a warm shower, Tsuna had dinner with her mother and then went to her room where this time, she finished all her school duties before falling asleep in her bed.
Nana went to check her daughter a few minutes after dark, only to see her all sprawled on her bed with papers still scattered over the covers. Shaking her head with a quiet giggle, she walked quietly inside to pick up the mess and covered her daughter, who murmured something in her sleep and cuddled her pillow at the soft touches. Nana smiled and wished she had a camera, and with one last look, she closed the door gently before going to her own room.
That night, the two brunettes in the Sawada residence slept peacefully, neither of them knowing that it would be the last time they had such a good night.
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Morning, the sky was still a bit dark but the silhouette of the sun was starting to peek over one side of the sky. Only the early risers were the ones to see such sight, Sawada Nana being one of them.
She walked outside to greet the new day in good spirits.
"Let's see what's on the news today" She said to herself as she opened her mailbox to take the newspaper, but blinked when she saw a piece of paper next to it. Curious, she grabbed it and read it, only to have a sparkle appearing on her eyes at what she saw.
Smiling to herself, she walked back inside, ready to start breakfast and to make a call, and hoping that things would turn for the better.
Behind her, as the sun rose up in the sky, no one was able to see a dark shadow making its way towards the humbled home.
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After breakfast was ready and hearing no noise from upstairs, Nana hummed to herself thinking that perhaps this was to be a peaceful morning. But after taking one look at the clock in the kitchen and seeing it was only 30 minutes before 7, she opted to walk towards the stairs so that her voice could be heard better.
"Tsuna-chan" She shouted, "Time to wake up or you will be late for school!" But she didn't receive any answer, nor heard any thumps or screams.
"This girl" She sighed and walked upstairs, opening Tsuna's bedroom door slightly to poke her head inside, the sight that greeted her brought an amused smile to her face. "What's this?"
It appears that in her sleep, Tsuna had turned and ended up on the floor with a pillow and all. And as she opened the door wider, she blinked, noting that there were clothes, books and some papers lying all around the room. She probably didn't see them last night because it was dark, she thought as she went to kneel next to her daughter and shook her gently.
"Tsuna-chan, wake up" But the girl didn't stir.
"don wanna...eat sushi" Tsuna mumbled, making Nana giggle and shake her head. What strange dreams was she having?
Sighing and looking around the room, something caught her attention. A folded piece of paper sticking out from between the pages of an old book. Tsuna didn't like folding her homework unless it was a draft or was trying to hide something. So with a knowing look, Nana stood and walked towards the desk where the book was resting and took out the paper. Unfolding it, she could only stare at the bright red number on it.
"Sawada Tsunayuuki, who got another 15 on her math test?" She asked sweetly.
That did the trick. The brunette on the floor jolted up with a fearful gaze.
"Not me, I swear!" She exclaimed.
But it was late, Nana was waving the exam in front of her face.
"Mom!" She panicked and made a launch for the exam, but apparently, she didn't notice that she was on the floor and miscalculated the distance, thus making her face-fall to the floor with a pained groan. Looking around, she stared at the bed in confusion, wondering how she got herself on the floor.
"Darling" Her mother's voice made her look up to see her mother showing her a pink flyer, all thoughts of the failed exam forgotten.
"What is it?" She asked with a tilted head.
"Starting today, a home tutor is going to be coming" Nana's sweet voice made her slightly shiver. Oh, so the exam wasn't forgotten after all.
"I don't need a home tutor" Tsuna stood from the floor and sat on her bed with a grumble.
"I will raise your child to become the leader of the next generation," Nana said while reading the information of the flyer "I am young, good looking and humble, and as long as they have a place to sleep and food, I'll teach you 24/7 for free"
"But mom! I don't need a tutor! My grades are okay"
"They are sometimes, dear. You need to keep them up" Nana said.
"You can't believe this mom, what if it's a trick? It could be a scam!" Tsuna rolled her eyes before setting them on her wall clock, which made her gasp "Oh sh- I have 15 minutes!"
She jumped and ran out of the room, telling her mother to call off the agreement of the tutor. She quickly took a shower in five minutes and changed into her uniform in record time thanks to her experience with rushed mornings. And because she washed her hair last night, she didn't waste extra minutes trying to dry it up, though it was a bit messy, but she can survive with that.
She quickly grabbed her school bag and ran down the stairs to try and get some breakfast, but just as she was halfway through a knock on the door startled her, and her foot slipped.
Gasping in horror, Tsuna could only watch in slow motion as her world spun around her. Inwardly, she was cursing her dame-mode, and praying to whoever was in heaven for letting her live after this, or Kyoya was surely going to bite her to death for being late again.
And her prayers were heard. Just as her body was about to hit the stairs, she pushed her hands down, taking impulse, she made her body rotate in the air with a twirl that made her gut ache at the strain. She closed her eyes and took a breath, feeling her feet pulling her body downwards and she was expecting the worse, but when no pain came, she blinked in surprise when she landed safely on the floor below.
"Safe!" She cried in disbelief and was happy she didn't fall.
"Ciaossu"
A squeaky voice said beside her, and she spun too fast, making her feet tangle between them and thus making her fall on her butt.
Moaning in pain, Tsuna took her time to observe the person that was looking at her, only to blink at what she saw. A baby wearing a black suit, with a matching fedora and a green chameleon on it were staring back at her, but what drew her attention was the round yellow thing hanging around his neck.
'Is that a pacifier?' She thought with wide eyes. 'He must be…'
"You must be Tsuna," The baby said "Starting today, I'll be taking care of you"
Tsuna could only blink at the baby, confused.
"Ha?"
"Impressive stunt you pull there, where did you learn it, the circus?" He asked with amusement.
"What?" Tsuna asked in confusion at his sudden intrusion and mocking. She opened her mouth again, ready to say something but the baby interrupted again.
"The information said you were a clumsy-no-good, meaning that you shouldn't be able to do something like that" He rubbed his chin in intrigue as his black eyes scanned the brunette's body.
"What information?" She asked with a glare, only to duck before the kick aimed at her face hit her.
"Reflexes too" He murmured to himself and looked at the girl with a hint of suspicion, who was glaring back at him from her place on the floor.
"Oh, where did the baby come from?" Asked Nana as she came down the stairs. Reborn turned so that he could face both brunettes and showed them his business card.
"My name is Reborn, I will be the home tutor" He said calmly.
The two brunettes remained quiet after the declaration, and Reborn waited patiently for their reaction.
"Home tutor?" Nana asked and gave Reborn a questioning look. "He is so cute, don't you think so Tsuna?" Nana giggled, unaware of her daughter's inner misery.
'I'm doom ' Tsuna cried in her head.
"If you don't hurry, you're going to be late, Tsuna-chan," Nana's voice said, making Tsuna jump.
"I can't be late again!" She exclaimed before running towards the kitchen to grab her lunchbox and a piece of bread before yelling a goodbye as she ran out of her house. Her mother watched her go in amusement and smiled when Reborn tilted his fedora at her and went out after her daughter. Maybe he could be the prayer she had been waiting for, she thought while unaware of her daughter's opposite thoughts.
"What is he doing here?" Tsuna murmured to herself, having swallowed down her breakfast and jogging towards the familiar path to school on autopilot. Her mind was too busy trying to think what exactly was happening, but it seemed like the world wasn't giving her a rest, because just as she crossed a street, a squeaky voice called from above her.
"I'm your tutor"
She gasped and stumbled when she realized there was someone sitting on top of her head. Luckily, she didn't fall or else her knees would have scraped badly. Instead, she came to a halt and tried to look up to the culprit.
"When did you get there?" She exclaimed in shock, for she didn't even feel him until he talked.
But before someone could say anything, a loud growling was heard. Tsuna looked down to see she was stepping onto a dog's tail that was sticking out from the house's gate, and when they locked eyes it began barking madly at her. She quickly stepped back and watched as the dog stood up from his place and opened the gate with his head, growling angrily in front of her.
Tsuna took a step back, and before Reborn could even jump down to try something fun, he felt the brunette move. Slowly, she stretched her arm to open the gate, before kicking the dog gently inside and closing the doors without trouble.
"Where were we?" She asked the baby on top of her head, who was looking at what just happened in amusement.
He was about to speak when he was interrupted, again, only this time by a loud gasp of horror and a sweet greeting.
"Tsuna-chan" Kyoko came jogging towards the brunette and smiled at the baby on top of her friend's head with amusement "How cute, who is he?"
Tsuna sighed and removed Reborn from her head before setting him on the floor, where Kyoko was already waiting for him.
"Ciaossu" He greeted her.
"Good morning" Kyoko smiled brightly.
"Morning" Tsuna murmured and took the time to at least fix her messy hair. She tried, but in the end she only tied a small side ponytail on the left side of her head and let the rest of her hair down. Just then, a girl wearing a different school uniform came rushing towards them. Her short chocolate hair was tied in a high messy ponytail, and her brown eyes were glaring at Tsuna.
"Is this kid your younger brother?" She asked a little forcefully.
"No" Was the only response she got from Tsuna.
"Why are you wearing a suit? It looks too cute" Kyoko asked.
"That's because I'm in the mafia" Reborn said simply as if he was talking of the weather.
'Mafia...' Tsuna thought as she glanced down at the baby, more especially, his yellow pacifier.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Kyoko exclaimed, thinking it was a joke and playing along, which made the other girl gasp in shock, for she was thinking a different thing. Sadly, they didn't have time to chatter or exchange pleasantries.
"We better go, Tsuna-chan, or we'll be late for school" Kyoko stood, dusting her skirt and turning to see her friend.
"You go ahead. I gotta… um, stuff, yeah" She tried to come with an excuse but her mind was going into overdrive. Kyoko gave her a confused look but it soon melted into understanding.
"Okay, I guess I will see you at school" She then smiled down at Reborn "See you later"
"Ciao, Ciao" Reborn said in a cute manner that made Tsuna shudder, but the other girls weren't affected because Kyoko giggled and the other girl blushed at the action. There was nothing cute about this baby!
"Tsuna-chan, don't be late again" Kyoko gave her one final stern look before the brunette nodded to her.
"Yeah" Tsuna smiled a little, making Kyoko smile and walk away.
"I'm going to be late too, so see you again" Said the other girl awkwardly before dashing away. Tsuna could only stare in confusion as she left.
"You are poor at making friends" Reborn stated.
"Where did that come from?" Tsuna grunted offended and crossed her arms around her chest "More importantly, what's this thing about the mafia?"
"As your home tutor, I should understand all the relationships you have, starting from making friends" Reborn said, clearly ignoring the topic of the mafia.
"I do have friends," Tsuna said before starting to walk to school again "Kyoko is my friend. And I don't remember hiring you, so whatever game you are playing at, just drop it"
"It won't be that easy" Reborn said, and before she knew it, she was on the floor, with Reborn pinning her down with his tiny hands.
"The hell?" She asked confusedly, before crying in pain at the tight grip "Let go!"
"You don't look surprised to see a baby overpowering someone" Reborn said as he continued to twist her arms behind her back.
"That's enough!" She yelled and Reborn let her go, plopping down on the ground next to her. She grunted and sat down, glaring at him "Just who are you?"
"You are slow. I just told you, I'm your home tutor" Reborn said.
"And my intuition tells me you are hiding something big. So talk." Tsuna stood up and crossed her arms to glare down at the baby who was now smirking at her choice of words.
"Your intuition works right" He jumped high, landing on the wall beside her, an action that made his sunburns bounce as he turned to face her "My name is Reborn, and I am the strongest Hitman in the world"
"And what brings the mafia at my house?" She asked, looking at him warily.
"I have a better question" Reborn said and grabbed his chameleon "Do you have any regrets?"
"I do..." Tsuna said after listing down a few in her head.
"But are they strong enough?" Reborn questioned as he petted his chameleon. Why was it green?
"What's with that question?" Tsuna asked in confusion but a shiver ran down her spine when she saw the glint in the baby's eyes.
"Guess we will have to find out" He murmured and with a flash, the chameleon shifted into a green gun.
"F-Find out what?" Tsuna took a step back as soon as the weapon appeared, and her shocked eyes were met with obsidian black as he aimed the gun at her head.
"Die now" He said calmly.
"Wait! What are you-
Time seemed to stop for her as the gun fired and the bullet hit her square on the forehead. Her body started to fall, her eyes began to close but deep inside of her, she could feel something snap. A hot searing sensation crawled through all of her body as she started to lose conscience. It felt good, but bad in a horrible way that left her breathless.
She couldn't think as a pull dragged her down into oblivion, but as her mind started to fade away, something inside of her started to wake up. Her emotions were jumping fiercely inside of her. There was anger, sadness, confusion, but between all of that, there was also regret.
Regret for not being able to fulfil her promises.
Promises?
A flash of orange appeared before her eyes. Ah, that's right, she made a promise to Kyoko, and now, it seems like she wouldn't be able to fulfil any of them. What a waste.
Her body went limp as she hit the ground.
Reborn remained still with his gun in hand, waiting for something to happen. The wind blew, making him frown a little. Why was it taking so long? Did he make a mistake on firing too soon? He had to wonder when nothing happened to the fallen girl.
And when the brunette didn't move for the next minutes, he felt something stir inside of him. He jumped down and walked towards the body of the brunette and poked her cheek with his finger.
Nothing, not even a stir. He frowned. Has he failed his mission?
No, it wasn't possible, but still... he gave the girl another look and a feeling of unease started to form inside of him, but it soon disappeared when he saw something flicker on the girl's forehead. Something pure and warm.
An orange flame.
"It's dying will time" He smirked and stepped back.
Suddenly, Tsuna opened her eyes to reveal furious orange orbs, and in one swift movement, her body stood from the ground, leaving behind what appeared to be the shell of her old body.
"Reborn!" She exclaimed and took a deep breath, apparently not caring or noticing that she was only wearing an orange sports bra and some black spandex shorts "I will fulfill my promise to Kyoko-chan! I'm gonna jump from an aeroplane and no one will stop me!"
Reborn froze after the declaration and watched the brunette run at full speed towards probably, the airport.
"Oi, dame-tsuna, what kind of regret is that?" He yelled and chased after her "Did I use the wrong bullet?" He murmured to himself, the chameleon shrugging in response.
Tsuna ran like a madwoman around the streets, not caring about the stares or yells people were giving her. Reborn was still chasing her, trying to stop her, but he knew it was useless in that state. He could only wait for the effect of the bullet to run down. The brunette suddenly came to halt and her orange eyes blinked to look around her.
"Where's Kyoko? We should jump together" Tsuna yelled to herself and changed directions, this time to look for the orange-haired girl. Reborn had to bite down a sigh, but he had to admit, this was really funny.
The brunette flew from here to there, crashing against walls and almost getting run over by a car, but nothing seemed to stop her. And it was only when she spotted a familiar orange-haired girl a couple of streets away from school that her speed slowed down.
"Kyoko!" Tsuna exclaimed and jumped in front of the girl, creating a cloud of dust around them.
"Tsuna-chan, how did you get here so fast?" Kyoko wondered in amazement, apparently not caring that the brunette suddenly fell from the sky. But as the dust around them disappeared, Tsuna blinked slowly, knees wobbling and looking around in confusion. There was no flame on her forehead anymore, though it was throbbing painfully.
"Eh?" She blinked at Kyoko, who was looking funnily at her "What happened?"
"Why are you wearing that?" She pointed towards her lack of clothes. Tsuna blushed and opened her mouth to answer, but she couldn't think of anything. She couldn't understand what just happened.
"I have no idea" She confessed in distress, which made Kyoko pat her in the shoulders.
"Well, you can't go like that to school" The orange-haired girl said and took off her school blazer before handing it to the shivering brunette "Here, put this on. Tsuna-chan, you could get sick"
"Kyoya will bite me to death this time for sure" Tsuna shivered at that thought, accepting the piece of cloth gratefully and quickly putting it on.
"If only I had an extra uniform," Kyoko said with a little frown.
"I-It's alright, we have Home Economics at first, so I guess I will skip to go home and get changed" Tsuna smiled at her, trying to to make her worry and trying to keep a panic attack from happening "Y-You better go, I'd see you in a bit"
"Okay" Kyoko nodded, though a bit worry at the state of her friend "Be careful"
"Yeah..." Tsuna watched her go, it was only until she doubled the corner that she let out a heavy breath and leaned heavily against the wall, her body feeling suddenly tired and sore. She swallowed dryly, before turning to glare at the baby "You have some answers for me"
Reborn hid his eyes with his fedora and jumped on the brunette's head. She was tempted to grab him and kick him far away, but first, she needed to change. She almost wanted to scream, after all that morning trouble to just skip the first period. She was jittery and twitchy as she walked back home, striking to walls and hiding whenever a student rushed past. It was so embarrassing to be seen this way, and though the jacket and shorts covered her body, the thought that she was almost naked made her want to curl down in shame.
Luckily, Nana had gone out to the market, so Tsuna was able to sneak inside the house and went to her room to get change.
Reborn took his chance to look around the place while Tsuna changed while mumbling things like 'devil's child' , 'I thought I died' and 'So embarrassing'.
The room was messy, with clothes, books and papers lying on the floor. But apart from that, it didn't have many things. There was her bed just across the window, giving her the perfect view of the sky from outside. Her desk was full of painting materials, he noted. Seemed like she was on the artistic side. There was colourful paint, paintbrushes, pencils and a few sketches here and there.
There was also a painting of the sunset sky hanging on the wall, along with a big clock. A small TV, shelves full of books and mangas, a coffee table in the middle of the room and her closet in the back completed the room. It was plain, yet not boring. It had a charm to it.
"Alright, first of all," Tsuna stood in front of him in her spare school uniform "What just happened? Why did I lose control over my body? And why was I in underwear?"
"You call that underwear?" Reborn raised an eyebrow.
"Answer my question" Tsuna glared at him.
"It's thanks to the dying will bullet," He said and jumped to sit on her bed. Comfy, he noted. And with his hand, he took out a red bullet and showed it to the brunette. "This bullet here is the dying will bullet. A person shot in the head with this bullet will be resurrected"
"What?" Tsuna looked at the baby in disbelief.
"It's quite simple, if you have any regrets when dying, you will resurrect to fulfil that regret. The dying will time is only five minutes, which is why I let you run around" He said calmly.
"Then what if I wasn't regretting anything?" Tsuna demanded.
"You die"
"And you still shot me!" She exclaimed in horror.
"I'm a Hitman" Reborn said with a glint in his eyes.
"That's not comforting!"
"Dying will means that all your safety switches are turned off," Reborn told the angry brunette "So in exchange for risking your life to the limit, you can earn amazing strength"
"You mean, I can't be dame anymore?" She asked with a hopeful smile.
"So you do are clumsy" Reborn looked at the brunette with narrowed eyes.
"It happens sometimes" She murmured and crossed her arms "That aside, are you going to tell me why you are here now?"
"Under orders of Timoteo, Vongola's Nono, I shall train you to become a great mafia boss" Reborn said, expecting for the girl to scream or some reaction, but all he got was a dry laugh.
"Me? Boss? Yeah right" She said with a smile "Sorry little guy, I think you got the wrong person"
"Tsunayuuki Sawada, daughter of Iemitsu Sawada, leader of the CEDEF association, and Sawada Nana. Average girl, big brown caramel eyes, chestnut messy hair, a loner and a dame-girl. I'm never mistaken." He said while reading some paper he mysteriously took out.
"What are you, a stalker?" she murmured a bit creeped out by his information, although anyone could know that. As if knowing her thoughts, he pointed the green gun at her again, only this time, it was in a threatening manner.
"I'm not a patient man, so let's go to business, shall we?" He said with a smirk.
"Why should I become a boss? I'm just a schoolgirl, nothing special" Tsuna moved around the room until she was facing the window.
"You are wrong," Reborn said and showed her what appeared to be an old family tree. "The first boss of the family retired and went to Japan. He settled in and had a family on his own. He is your great, great, great grandfather. In other words, since you inherit his blood, you are the legitimate heir to become the next Vongola boss"
"W-What?!" Tsuna exclaimed in shock "Vongola… No, there has to be someone else"
"All the previous candidates were unfortunately killed," Reborn said with a raised eyebrow at the expression of the brunette "The Ninth sent me here to train the future boss, much to my annoyance, I never expected a moody girl"
"I refuse" Tsuna glared at the baby and crossed her arms.
"You can't" He crossed his arms too.
"But why the boss of the mafia, can't you train me to become a hitman instead?" Tsuna tried to persuade him, but Reborn merely pointed with his gun at her, again.
"Here's the thing," He said with a stern face "I'm here under orders to turn you into a boss, no matter the methods. So if you don't cooperate with me, I'll shoot"
"Never raise your gun at me, is that clear baby?" She glared at him with a dark aura suddenly coming out from her body. One would be worried that an innocent girl like her could release such murderous aura. But this is Reborn we are talking about.
Such killing intent ... how interesting. He thought with a smirk behind his fedora.
"You know what," Tsuna murmured in exhaustion "Whatever, I'm heading to school"
She walked out of the house and made her way towards Nami-chuu, a short name for Namimori middle, for the second time in that morning. People who crossed her way scattered away immediately by the aura that was emitting the girl. Reborn followed her close, but gave her some space, knowing that the murderous aura was most likely directed towards him. It intrigued him that she could release such aura and wondered if she was even aware of it. Seems like he had a lot of material for experiments.
She arrived at school, sighing in relief when the gates were still opened and that she wasn't found by any teacher or the disciplinary committee. Changing into her indoor shoes, she went to class while taking long deep breaths to calm down her beating heart. She opened the door quietly and poked her head. What a stroke of luck! There was no teacher.
With a relieved sigh, she walked inside and towards her chair. Kyoko immediately went towards her in worry and relief that she made it, and Tsuna handed her her blazer with a thank you. They engaged in a conversation in which Hana somehow also joined. Tsuna liked Hana's attitude because she was a girl that wasn't afraid to speak up her mind, she was blunt and confident, something the brunette really admired. And she found it amusing on how she treated the boys in the classroom as if they were stupid monkeys.
The teacher arrived a few minutes later, and thankfully it was history class, so Tsuna could spend the whole class staring at nothing without being worried about being called out. When she went to sleep last night, she didn't imagine she would wake up with the devil knocking at her door. She couldn't even grasp the idea that a hitman had come to her house and proclaimed to train her to become a mafia boss. Her? It seemed like a bad joke.
Her thoughts had drifted for hours, even when lunchtime had arrived, she couldn't seem to get the idea out of her head. It sounded crazy and absurd, but there was a part of her that found it thrilling, and that scared her because ever since she woke up for the second time in the day, she couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was something twisting inside of her.
Whatever it was that the baby shot her with, she could still feel it in her body. There was a tingling in her fingertips and echo in her thoughts, it seems to be saying something but she couldn't understand what it was. She felt like she was losing her mind.
Seeing as she was too busy in her own world, Kyoko dragged her outside to eat lunch, and she was grateful. Maybe some air will help clear her head.
As she let herself be dragged, she ignored whatever gossip the girls in her class were brewing and the stares from the boys that felt more piercing than before. For a moment she felt panic that someone saw her running in her undergarments or that they heard whatever Reborn was saying, but as they made their way out and a sudden breeze of air blew past her, she relaxed. It felt like it was soothing her worry in a reassuring way.
It was creepy.
"You seem restless, Sawada" Hana said as she finished chewing, having been watching the brunette since she walked into the classroom.
"I'm fine" Tsuna reassured her as she played with the rice in her bento, not feeling hungry despite not having enough for breakfast but trying to play along as she knew that the raven-haired girl was observant as a hawk. And smart too. "Why do you still call me by my surname? We've shared lunch many times"
"Sawada, Tsuna, Tsunayuuki, it sounds the same to me"
"I like my name" She mumbled, giving up in her lunch and closing the lid despite Hana's stern face.
"I like Tsuna-chan too" Kyoko added with a smile, making Hana sigh and stand up. She dusted her skirt from any crumbs and gave them a hard look.
"I have to return a book to the library, don't be late for class. Kyoko, you're in charge" With that, she turned to walk away.
"Rude!"
Hana really was a strict woman, it really surprised her how she hadn't run for student president in all the years she had known her.
"She is right to worry, Tsuna-chan. You have been spacing out" Kyoko said with a worried face.
"I'm fine" That excuse appeared to be running out, it seems. Because Kyoko gave her a pout which meant she knew the brunette was not okay but wasn't going to press for answers. Tsuna sometimes wondered how they became friends.
"Just make sure to take a break if you're feeling tired, alright?"
"Alright" She gave her a little smile.
It wasn't long for the bell to sound and signal the end of lunch. And Tsuna was just really, really, really thankful her class didn't have Math today or else she was sure she would cry. She could always skip, but that wouldn't save her from Nedzu's wrath, sometimes it was like he signalled her out on purpose.
With a sigh, Tsuna stood up to walk back inside but had to stop at a peculiar sight in front of her. It seemed like in her self-pity time, Kyoko had walked farther ahead, and she looked troubled. There was a spiky-haired boy flirting with her, and it was clear that Kyoko didn't want to be there but was too gentle to walk away.
Where was Hana when you needed her? She would have slapped the boy before he even dared to touch Kyoko. The brunette didn't realize she was walking until they both turned to see her at the sound of her voice.
"Mochida-senpai, you asked me out yesterday and now you're asking my best friend? That's low, even for you" Tsuna stood next to the girl, making Kyoko smile in gratitude and for Mochida to frown.
"Tsunayuuki," He said with a tiny glare at her, obviously displeased by her interference "That's it! I had enough of your snarky comments and attitude, you dare refuse a date with me, yet you push the other girls away!"
"It's not my fault you don't notice that they don't want to go out with you" Tsuna grabbed hold of one of Kyoko's arms to steer her away and to hide her sudden trembling by the unexpected sprout of bravery that made her pull that stunt. "L-Let's go inside, Kyoko"
"Yes" The orange-haired girl nodded and hooked their arms as a sign of female unity. They were barely inside before a hand on her shoulder made her jump and stopped her.
"Wait," Mochida said from behind them. "Stop running away from me, are you that scared to face me? Tsunayuuki, you know how to fight but I'm not asking for a duel. One date wouldn't hurt''
"Alright, let's do it" Tsuna bit her tongue as the words came out from her mouth. She stared at Mochida in shock, who was looking back at her surprise. Even Kyoko was looking at her in confusion at her sudden admission.
"R-Really?" Mochida asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, let's fight" She did not know where the courage to do something stupid was coming from but she needed to stop in case she did something foolish.
It took a few seconds for her words to settle in, and by that time she realized what she just agreed to, whispers were starting to run like a mill as students around them were looking in anticipation and jibes.
"Alright. After school, me and you. If I win, then you will go on a date with me" Mochida said with arrogance, as if foreseeing his triumph "I will see you at the gym"
With one last smirk, he turned around to walk away, laughing with his friends as they started making jokes about the recent situation with him.
"What the hell?" She whispered in shock, and if it weren't for Kyoko still holding her arm, she would have collapsed on the ground. "Kyoko, what did I just do?"
"You agreed to fight him. You must be hanging out a lot with Hibari-san"
Tsuna grimaced loudly at that.
What the hell was happening to her?
.
.
.
"I leave for a minute and you get into a fight like a brainless monkey" Hana growled at her as she and Koko walked the brunette to her doom.
"It wasn't my fault!"
As soon as they had returned to their classroom, it seemed like the whole school had found out her stupid dare. The girls from her class hadn't been quiet in their mean gossip, and even some boys were starting to make bets on her. Hana was furious, even more, when Kyoko explained what actually happened and how the fight came to be.
It was really strange for the brunette to do something like that, usually, she would just ignore the guys bothering her, but for her to challenge a stupid monkey on her own volition was something really stupid. Or admirable, as Kyoko kept saying.
Tsuna kept lamenting her fate even after classes were over, and all thoughts of the Mafia and Rebron were forgotten as a sudden wave of anxiety wrapped around her when the school bell rang loudly. Because word of the fight had run wild, she knew half the school - if not more - will go to watch. And that only added to her nerves, because she didn't want to give them a show. She could easily get hit or trip on her own and then everyone will laugh and tease her for days.
And she really didn't want that.
She did consider not showing up, even going as far as thinking of hiding in the disciplinary committee office. But when she tried to run away at her first chance, her exit was blocked by howler students making their way to the gym to watch the duel. It's not like they hadn't seen Tsuna fight before, though most of the time she was being bitten to death by their demon prefect. So this must be something exciting for them.
The sight of the gym doors made her swallow.
"Okay. Just don't lose your focus and ignore all the monkeys screeching" And that was the kindest piece of support she could ever get from Hana. Really appreciated.
"Don't think too much, Tsuna-chan. Remember the moves that my brother taught you, it might help"
They probably wouldn't, because as they walked inside, Tsuna was able to see Mochida standing in the middle of the court, wearing his kendo gear and holding a wooden sword with perfect ease. Tsuna didn't even know how to hold a bat.
Of course, with the boy being the kendo captain, he was going to pull whatever it was to guarantee his win, after all, they didn't accord how they were going to fight. So he clearly knew what he was doing and was not taking any chances.
When Mochida saw her, he smirked with confidence. But Tsuna ignored him in favour of stretching and trying to buy time to think of a plan. She didn't like kendo so she didn't know the rules, but it shouldn't be that hard, right? All she needed to do was hit him or something and then she could go home and pretend that this day never happened. That seemed like a plan.
"Alright, let's start," Mochida said as he walked closer to her "Since you are a beginner of kendo, I'll let you win if you can get two points from me. If you can't, then I win"
It was too easy. He clearly had something planned, his smirk told her that. He wouldn't fall too low as to bribe the game to his favour, could he? And when Tsuna didn't move or rise to his bait, the kendo player pointed his sword towards the orange-haired girl.
"And the bonus prize is Sasagawa Kyoko"
"What a jerk" Hana sighed annoyed and Kyoko wrinkled her nose at being treated like an object.
"Now this is personal" Tsuna murmured and finally stepped towards the centre of the court.
She ignored all the screams and yells from around her, as she tried to focus on her own mind and body. She needed to be fast at dodging, that was probably going to be her ace. If she could hit the boy while she dodged his heavy attack, then maybe she could grab some easy points. Nodding to herself, she breathed out and shook her hands to try to calm her nerves. It would be more embarrassing if she puked before the fight really started.
That mental image did not help at all soothe her down, and as she stood there under the artificial lights from the gym, she could only pray that her bad luck wouldn't appear and make her fall in the worst possible moment.
'Just calm down and remember what you know.' She thought to herself 'If I win this, then Mochida and probably many guys will leave Kyoko alone. Just channel your inner Hibari and it will be fine… will it be fine?'
Above them, sitting on one of the light platforms at the ceiling was Reborn with a bag of popcorn and an opened notebook at his side. Leon, his trusted chameleon companion who could morph into millions of objects, was acting as some binoculars to help him spy better. It did surprise him how easily the girl threw herself to a fight when moments before, she was a ball of nerves.
He was tempted to shoot the girl with the dying will bullet to see the outcome, but when he saw the resolve to protect Kyoko flash in her eyes, he decided to test her. To see what was hidden in her.
"Just like a lioness. You're protective of your cubs. Good, let's see what you can do" he said, interested in what was to come.
"Fighters, start!" The one who was acting as a judge, yelled as he waved a small flag to signal them to move.
"Let's go!" Mochida yelled and ran towards her, raising his kendo sword in the process and not giving her any chance to at least grab the proper equipment to defend herself.
"Hey!-
She tried to yell at him to stop, but his sword was suddenly descending on her fast. She did the first thing her body could think off, she jumped to the side and rolled on the floor to evade the falling attack. And she was so glad that Hana made her change into her P.E. uniform, or else this would have turned into a more embarrassing show, even if she was wearing spandex shorts beneath her skirt.
She quickly stood up and looked at him with anger, he was totally playing dirty and no one was going to stop him. She couldn't exactly wrestle him to grab his own kendo sword for herself, that would disqualify her for sure, so how the hell was she supposed to win?
"Tsuna!" Someone called her from the sidelines with urgency and she quickly turned to see a boy with short black hair throwing her a kendo stick. She stumbled a little as she caught it, but at least she now had a weapon.
"Thanks" She smiled at the boy and turned just in time to block one of Mochida's attacks.
And so it began, Mochida started attacking her while all Tsuna did was dodge and block the sword with her own. Her arms might not look like it, but fighting with an energetic boxer and a violent metal tonfa's wielder had made her arms more resilient for withstanding impacts such as stopping a heavy strike of a sword.
By this point, she was sure they weren't abiding by the Kendo rules, but again, no one was stopping them. Quite the contrary, everyone seemed more riled up as the duel continued.
After a few minutes, Mochida was getting restless for not being able to land one single point and started to attack her fast, his movements not coordinated to try and make her lose her focus and balance. But Tsuna read his intentions and once she saw the perfect opening, she stepped aside and lashed the sword forwards, aiming towards his chest when he raised both of his hands to try and strike her down from above. It clearly backfired for him and the hit in his chest made him stumble backwards in shock.
"Point for me" She said with a pant that echoed as the whole gym went silent. Clearly not expecting the first point to go for her. However, no one else moved, not even the judge who should have called her point.
"Oi, you stupid monkey, didn't you see or are you blind? She made the point" Hana said harshly as she stepped towards him with a glare. The judge, intimidated by the angry look of the girl, shrunk back and raised a tiny red flag with a shaking arm.
"P-point for the red"
"What?" Mochida exclaimed and turned to face the brunette, who shrugged in response. That pulled the trigger, and Mochida went on a rampage, trying to land a hit on the brunette, but she simply dodged with ungainly agility and a tiny bit of grace.
From his place, Reborn was taking note of the brunette's movements. His information didn't say that she knew how to fight or even defend herself, if anything, it said that she was a clumsy good for nothing girl. But after seeing her put that stunt in the stairs and her ability to dodge the sword from the kendo captain, it made him feel curious. Because either the information regarding the girl was wrong or the brunette was hiding something.
However, a squeak halted his thoughts and made him look down. Everyone was looking with pity and sick amusement at the brunette sprawled on the floor, who apparently stumbled over nothing and fell, thus making Mochida finally mark a point for himself. Well, he can checkmark 'clumsy' from his notes then.
Groaning, Tsuna stood up and glared at the floor while cursing her bad luck for making her be dame in such a crucial moment. It was like a curse that was there to torment her and acted whenever it pleased. It didn't matter how careful or concentrated she was, her body sometimes just betrayed her, it felt like a glitch or something.
"Tsuna-chan!" Kyoko's voice rang out across the gym and the brunette quickly looked up to see Mochida running towards her with no intention of giving her a moment to breathe. With aching legs, she barely jumped to the side and was able to dodge the incoming attack from the guy. She didn't know how much she could last, so she needed to win this fast, whatever it takes.
Seeing the brunette falter made him reach towards Leon with the intent to shoot her with the dying will bullet to give her the extra boost she needed, but once again, he was stopped when he saw a sudden flicker of light flashing in her eyes. Ah, there it was again, that resolve.
He was pleased to know that she has potential from what he had seen so far, so they could skip introductory training and start with the fun part.
Tsuna almost stumbled once again when she was forced to step back rapidly, but managed to regain her footing when Mochida wasted some seconds laughing, thinking he clearly had a good shot and taking the opportunity to aim for the brunette's head. But Tsuna ducked just in time and rolled to the side.
Standing up, she locked her sword with Mochida's once more. Both of them kept pushing each other, but neither of them was giving up. At least he wasn't playing dirtier by kicking her or stepping on her feet on purpose, she thought with slight difficulty as her arms started to hurt by the strain she was forcing on them.
Yells of excitement were flowing around them, the students cheering and howling for the match to end. She knew none of those yells were for her, even if Kyoko was cheering, her soft voice was swallowed down by the loud roar in the gym. It was fine though, she didn't need to hear the cheers to know that there was someone who supported her.
And that thought fired her up.
There was a tingle at the back of her head that tore a gasp out of her, and her body moved on its own, jumping back when the kendo captain did a spin and tried to surprise her with a strike from below.
She stared at him with open eyes, surprised by her own reaction for she was sure she did not see that last stunt coming. She tightened the grip in her sword to shake away the humming at the back of her mind. Everything felt so clear and different, it was like she had fallen into a dream and woke up there in control.
It was like she knew what she needed to do.
Three steps.
That's how long it will take for the fight to come to an end.
Frowning slightly at the discomfort in her head, she narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. Mochida smirked, thinking she had let her guard down and moved towards her with the intent to finish the duel by striking his sword diagonally.
'One, two..' Tsuna raised her kendo sword and in one flawless movement, she slapped the sword out of Mochida's hand as it came down and before everyone knew it, she was aiming her own sword to his neck.
He stared at her in surprise, not processing what had happened or even realizing he had lost his weapon. And he wasn't the only one, everyone had hushed into quiet and stared in equal shock at the outcome. However, they didn't wait to make their displeasure known. There were yells and jibes of outrage, with some voicing their hostility for the brunette.
"Two points. I win, so you'll leave Kyoko alone" Tsuna said quietly, lowering the kendo sword with a shaky arm and ignoring all the bad words being aimed at her. The kendo captain frowned at her, but Tsuna didn't want to stick around for a potential round two or hear whatever argument he might say.
At the lack of discipline, Hana, who had remained standing next to the student acting as a judge in case he tried to cheat, cleared her throat to snap his attention and make him end this circus, so at her glare, he raised the red flag with a shaky hand.
"W-Winner is, S-Sawada Tsunayuuki" He announced before running from Mochida's and Hana's.
"I don't accept this!" Mochida exclaimed and made a move to stop the brunette from walking away, but a tan-skinned boy with short whitish hair stopped him by wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
"Don't be an extremely sore loser, Mochida!" He said in a loud voice, making Kyoko giggle, for it was her brothers as she made her way towards the brunette.
"Don't go for girls all day Mochida-senpai, find someone and get to know her" Tsuna said softly before turning to make her way back to Kyoko so that she could hide and escape all this.
"Wait, I want a rematch! That wasn't even Kendo!" Mochida tried to get out of the grasp of Ryohei and glared at the brunette but the grip was too strong. "You-
He stopped whatever he was going to say but he wasn't the only one. Everyone in the gym shut up when a dark aura surrounded the gym and when the presence made himself known, walking calmly and wielding two metal tonfas, they all shivered in fear for not only were they staying after school without permission, they were loitering around creating a ruckus.
"For creating a crowd, not letting me enjoy my nap, disturbing Namimori's peace and skipping classes." The monotone voice listed, making them all gulp "Sawada Tsunayuuki, I will bite you to death"
Of course, when the little brunette was signalled out everyone ran out from the gym like fire was at their feet. Everyone was pushing and pulling others to escape, not caring who was being left behind. Kyoko didn't want to leave her friend alone, but Hana simply sighed and tugged her to walk along while muttering about stupid monkeys, besides, now that Hibari-san was here, maybe Tsuna could calm down, she thought.
Of course, her thoughts weren't mirrored by her brunette friend.
"Kyoya, hello" Tsuna brought the kendo sword closer to her chest as a made-up shield and tried to smile at the grumpy boy who was glaring at her.
It seemed like her luck had run out, because the next thing she knew, she was running for her life around the gym as she tried to evade and dodge Hibari's crazy attacks despite her yells and cries.
"I'm hurt! I can't fight!"
"Don't be a herbivore"
Reborn smirked in amusement when he saw the boy beat the daylights out of the brunette, who at least tried to fight back, but it seems as if her dame-mode was on, thus making her stumble every time she tried to run away or weakly block the attacks. Knowing that she was going to be busy for some time, he went outside to make an important call.
10 minutes later, Tsuna was laying on the floor gasping for air. Her body was aching and full of bruises, it felt heavy and tired, and every time she tried to get up, her arms shook in protest and made her fall to the ground with a weak groan.
"That's enough" Hibari said as he finally lowered his weapons.
"W-Wait" Tsuna tried to stand, but her arms buckled at having no energy left.
"You can barely stand up" Hibari pointed with a raised eyebrow. Not mocking, just observant.
"And whose fault is that!?"
She, however, accepted the peace offering and remained on the ground with no intention to move for a while. She hadn't been exercising and it showed by the pain in her muscles. Bringing an arm to shield her eyes, she stayed there and pondered why she suddenly felt as if exercising and training were going to become hell for her.
"You are still a little animal" Hibari sighed and went to sit next to her. He checked his watch as he had nothing else to do for the day. By this time the school should be empty of any students and he was sure that his subordinates who were in patrol duty would herd away any lingering herbivores. Maybe tomorrow he can bite to death the other herbivore who fought the brunette for arranging a clandestine fight without your consent.
"What am I gonna do now, Kyoya?" Tsuna's dull voice made him turn to see her with a silent question and as if feeling his gaze, she sighed heavily. "I'm in a huge mess right now"
"Keep fighting," Hibari said while closing his eyes "That's what carnivores do"
"But I'm not a carnivore" She turned her head and removed her arm from her eyes so that she could see him.
"Yet" He smirked, which made her roll her eyes and turn her head away from him.
"I don't know if I want to be one" She murmured and closed her eyes.
"Then don't"
His answer was too simple, yet it was enough for her.
"Thank you"
With a tired smile, Tsuna succumbed into a peaceful nap, ignoring the aches in her body and the mysterious echo in her thoughts.
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School was finally over for her.
The moment she woke from her nap and walked out of the gates with no souls around her to bother her on her walk home made her finally reflect about today's events.
She hadn't seen Reborn since midday, but she was sure he was near, plotting something against her, maybe. And that was all that has plagued her mind. For a hitman to come knocking at her door and proclaiming she was the heir for the title of becoming boss of Vongola... It made her frown and put a bitter taste in her mouth.
Was this the stupid feeling of dread she had been feeling? Was it anticipating a hitman holding her life sentence in his hands? It sounds absurd and impossible, but there was something, a feeling or an inexplicable sensation deep within her that was making her feel as if everything the hitman had claimed was the truth.
There was no way she was going to join the mafia. It took her years for her to build up her little life here, and even though it wasn't perfect, she quite liked having afternoon tea and baking cookies with her mother. She liked hanging out with Kyoko and Hana and even spending time with Kyoya. She wasn't just going to accept someone's else's wishes and endanger the people closest to her just because someone thought she could be a mafia boss.
It's not like they were going to force her, right?
She looked up at the sky as if expecting someone to answer, but all she got was the harsh rays of the sun shining down on her.
Whatever it was, joke or not, she couldn't just stand still and do nothing. There was a lot at stake and if she wasn't careful... everything she knew could crumb to the ground with or without her. It's not what she wanted, but maybe if she played her cards right, maybe something good could come out of this.
"I'm home!" She said once she opened the door to her house and walked inside.
"Welcome home, Tsuna-chan" Nana exclaimed from the kitchen.
Tsuna was removing her shoes when the sudden urge to scream took hold of her. She froze up and looked up towards the stairs with horror sinking inside of her. . . With an angry snarl, she dashed upstairs towards her room and opened the door with a loud bang.
"Ciaossu" Reborn greeted her, not turning to see her as he was busy folding some of his clothes in one of her drawers.
"Get out!"
Were his simple words as he closed the drawer and jumped over a side of a wall where he had apparently installed a hammock as his resting place.
"As your tutor, I have to keep an eye on you 24/7. Didn't you read my flyer?" He asked innocently, not bothered by her loud voice.
"Y-You can't just, No! You can't sleep in my room!" She yelled in frustration. It was one thing to have the baby living in her house, it was another one have him sleeping in her room with her.
"Deal with it"
Were his simple words as he closed the drawer and jumped over a side of a wall where he had apparently installed a hammock as his resting place.
"My life sucks" She murmured in distress as she fell on her bed, cursing all the years of bad luck that had joined to ruin her life.
"Speaking of life. Who are you, really?"
"Hm?" Tsuna turned to look at him in confusion. Hadn't he already stalked her?
"Where did you learn to fight?" He asked with narrowed eyes "Those reflexes are not common, obviously you had training before"
"I trained here and there, no big deal" The hitman frowned at the lack of information, but that only meant that he was going to have to find out the bad way.
Tsuna, for her part, stood up from her bed and went towards the window, if only to get away from his black stare. Today had been crazy, it felt almost surreal. But she knew it was real, because her nerves had been tingling whenever she thought or stared at Reborn to remind her that she was awake. It wasn't painful, but the sudden urge to curl up and cry was almost overwhelming. It somehow felt like she was giving up on something important to gain something else.
And the scariest thing was that she didn't know the reason why.
"Reborn"
The baby hitman turned to see his new student who was gazing at the sky beyond the window where the sun was starting to set and paint the world in tones of orange. He couldn't see her eyes, for her back was turned to him, but he could feel the determination in her voice as she talked.
"I will follow your game, for now," Tsuna said quietly "But once I say it's over, I'm done"
The baby hitman raised an eyebrow at her sudden acceptance, for the girl was in denial and close to having a panic fit when he told her the news so for her to change her mind was curious. But he couldn't help but feel excited. The brunette had shown raw potential and he knew he will have a lot of fun torturing -well-, teaching her in the ways of the underground and moulding her to be a rightful Mafiosi. And he will make sure to groom her into a strong Mafia Boss.
Little did he know that Tsuna had her own reasons for accepting and that things weren't going to be as simple as they all thought they'd be. Nevertheless, Reborn smirked just as Tsuna closed her eyes as if to seal their fates.
Let the game begin
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And there goes the first chapter, I'm so happy I finished it! :D
What did you guys think? Was it good? Horrible?
Thanks for reading!
