Collision 05

Reborn first went back to the Sawada's house to leave Tsuna's wallet that he used as an excuse to leave earlier and find the teen. He also went to tell Sawada Nana that he had to leave and won't be back for a few days due to important things he had to do.

Nana looked a little skeptical at that as she suspiciously looked him up and down. Reborn didn't know why she suddenly had that reaction since he figured the heir brat might not have any ideas about telling his mother anything about the mafia.

Nana had latent flames, that much he could sense. But it wouldn't activate without serious effort. Also, since she is already an adult, with a child even, activating her flames would be twice harder.

He actually would not have known she had latent flames if he hadn't been suspicious of her air-headedness after that sharp gleam in her eyes the first day they met and he asked to see Tsuna. Her flames are so well-hidden, almost like intentionally hiding that it was quite hard to detect unless someone really looked. He couldn't even clearly determine what flame it is.

He doubted Iemitsu even knows.

He wonders how he found Nana, courted, and even married her. Nana is a civilian with absolutely no connection to the underworld while Iemitsu is so far deep in it that majority of his life is in the mafia.

Despite his idiocy and irritating attitude, Iemitsu is certainly dedicated to the mafia even before he was a teen. He was this sharp-thinker who excelled in on-the-spot plans which always works out brilliantly. His reputation rose quickly, especially when it was found out he had Sky flames.

Why did he even marry Nana? As he said, Iemitsu is dedicated to this world. If he really badly wanted a wife, he could find any woman who is connected to the mafia and could have understood him and his commitment.

Though Nana also gave him that understanding, too much even that it looks like she doesn't mind his long absences, at the end of the day, she is still a civilian.

Of course, as the wife of the CEDEF leader, she could have been told about the existence of the mafia, especially as he is in close contact with the Vindice. They could have given him permission while making sure she couldn't betray their existence. That is a privilege given to a few of them.

But he didn't. That meant he wanted his wife and probable children to remain ignorant and unknowing of the other side of the world he was involved in.

Did he actually love his wife or was she just a convenience he picked up?

Reborn decided not to think about it. After all, what is his business about Iemitsu's reasons anyway? Unless it proves to be dangerous, he would leave it alone.

Anyway, he thinks that even without activating her flames, it has given her a sort of warning about things so she could protect herself. After all, her mind isn't that sharp when it comes to things not involving Tsuna. It wasn't a slight, just an honest observation. It was almost like an intuition with some of its characteristics but really isn't.

She eventually let him go with a promise from him to take care and get back soon.

He did not wait for Tsunayoshi to return as he left earlier with tension still in between them.

He hasn't even contemplated yet on how to dissolve that tension.

He was outside of the town when he saw the car that he called earlier to fetch him.

. . . . .

"Are you secure?" Tsuna asked once the video call connected.

"Yes. What about on your side?"

"We are." Not only is the room soundproof, courtesy of Kyoya's violent demand, it's also currently closed and is covered with an illusion seal.

The illusion seal might not seem to be effective as Reborn did manage to shatter it, but at least they would know someone is listening. The only way to stop the illusion is to deactivate the seal from the inside, and even with it a flame signature is needed, or to shatter it like what Reborn had done.

The only way that could bypass the seal without them knowing is by a mist flame user. But Reborn did say that there are no mist flame users in the town, even a latent one so he felt secure.

And even without that information, he could trust the feelings that were telling him everything is safe.

"What do you mean by a baby hitman?" Fujimaru immediately asked when the inquiries about the safeties of the conversation were done.

This line is secured by both Fujimaru and Shoichi. Not to mention that this communication device they are using was invented by Shoichi himself.

As the appointed leader and the person who always communicate with people they needed, anonymously or not, they let him be the one to speak and initiate this talk.

Tsuna took his phone scrolled through his photos before holding it close to the monitor. It was a picture that he had taken before of Reborn during that isolation week.

"This is Reborn."

Fujimaru's face was slacked as he stared bug-eyed at the photo. He pulled his phone back and away from the monitor before giving it to Shoichi, letting their resident hacker and inventor to pass that photo digitally to the two on the other side of the monitor.

Both Fujimaru and Otoya stared at the photos passed to them intently.

"Are you actually serious?" Fujimaru asked in disbelief. Both him, Takeshi and Shoichi nodded while Byakuran seemed to be preoccupied with eating his marshmallows like the addict that he was. Kyoya is still napping and not even bothering to join in.

Though Tsuna is sure he is listening.

"How is that possible? An infant has a rather delicate body. He wouldn't be able to lift objects larger and heavier than him. Much less a gun. It's just not possible," the puzzlement in Otoya's voice could be heard clearly.

"And if he is a hitman, he had to be strong, and babies aren't. Not to mention he had to be agile and his dexterity and body control had to be topnotch. In a body like that, it's already a miracle he could walk without any difficulty." Fujimaru muttered, still in a state of disbelief.

"He's actually light. I didn't feel burdened when he used my shoulder or head as a sort of stand. And believe me that he can lift objects that looked and feel heavier than him. He might look like a child but he can do what any adults can." They all as one turned to look at him, eyes not blinking. "Yes?"

"You allowed him to ride your head or shoulders?" Shoichi asked with wide eyes.

"It's not as if I had a choice. I was clueless about him until he came. I have limited information. I can't talk to you during the week he was staying. I stayed away, remember? And that name he is carrying does not actually help if ever I tried to do any hacking on my own, and that is out of the question since he is staying with me and watching me 24 hours. Not to mention I am not that good at it. I had to observe him the old-fashioned way, on my own, just like how a normal teenager should about a stranger."

All of them scowled at the reminder. He had to send a mass text message to them not to contact, approach, or talk to him until he came to them himself. And it took a whole week for the opportunity to come.

That was the longest they had to be MIA with him ever since they all met and became close friends.

"Yeah. Who names their kids Reborn? That's sad," Takeshi quipped, obviously trying to get back to the topic. Both Fujimaru and Otoya looked at them with obvious questions on their faces. Tsuna didn't bother telling that since it has already gone and passed. No harm done.

"Anyway, that is Reborn. He is one of the core members of the underworld. I would hazard a guess that he is an elite simply because he is the Greatest Hitman in the world and is apparently at the very top."

"It's true?" Otoya asked. Tsuna nodded.

"It is." Though he didn't have any proof, he does know that Reborn is telling the truth. For this thing, his instinct is the only thing they can rely on currently.

They are just starting after all. This is practically the very first lead and genuine information they have on the deeper members of the underworld. It's like the cliff they had been seeing for a long time, the one they believed to have been a dead-end, actually has stairs hidden below.

He was sure their connection would spread further in the future. For now, all they can do is to plan and wait.

"He is the very definition of something... unique. Something that defies logic," Tsuna decided to ignore how the existence of a magic-like flame is also something that defies logic, and that all of the members of Thallium just so happens to have it. And anyway, Reborn is already enough of a confirmation that something weird is in the deeper waters of the underworld.

But if it really is needed, he would reveal the existence of flames. Though that thought is currently making a huge alarm inside his head. He did not have to wonder why.

The unknown was always feared by everyone.

"I'll try to look for information about him. Though you're right Tsuna. It'll be hard. With that kind of abnormality, I'm pretty sure he's a secret and the elite members keep a tight lid on his existence."Fujimaru remarked.

"How does he excuse himself from others when they ask about his size whenever he is in a civilian area?"Otoya asked curiously. They all attentively looked at Tsuna. His lips twitched.

"Dwarfism," he wryly answered.

"And they believed it?" Fujimaru inserted, still completely in disbelief. He nodded. People would sometimes accept any reason to explain anything they couldn't understand.

Many might not actively say so but a lot of people do unconsciously believe that ignorance is bliss.

"You said names. That's plural. There are others?" Otoya got their attention back to the information they have to further know.

"Currently, we only have two names and some key organization that seems necessary for the underworld."

"First is Reborn. I'll get back to you on that. The last?" Tsuna's expression turned cold when he heard Fujimaru's question, his eyes almost completely robbed of warmth.

"Sawada Iemitsu." There was silence at that before the people on the other side scrambled.

"Your father?!" Otoya asked, his eyes wide. He nodded tightly.

"Holy-!" Fujimaru incredulously exclaimed. Yeah. Exactly like his own first reaction.

His own father is a core member. What a joke.

"I know that you've never liked your father. I can't believe he is a part of the mafia. A core member!"

"My instincts are always accurate."

Someone suddenly hugged him from behind and messy white hair rested on his cheek.

"Don't worry Tsu-chan, you clearly do not have to bother with that man. He only holds the title of father, nothing more," Byakuran comforted him. Tsuna's cold expression broke as he smiled a little.

Although what his friend said is a little disrespectful - because no matter his faults, that person is still his father - he knows Byakuran means well. He chose to see it that way. Byakuran is his first and childhood friend. He could even call him his savior. He had seen everything there was to be seen in their household. So, despite his occasional callousness, he knows he cares.

Anyway, his father has always been his number one disliked person ever since he realize how to dislike someone. The first place just got safer under his feet.

He got back to business as he looked at Fujimaru and Otoya seriously.

"Sawada Iemitsu is the leader of CEDEF, though I currently don't know what the letters mean as I think it's only an abbreviation." He narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the information he got from Reborn the first time they met. "CEDEF seemed to be a very important organization. It oversees the various mafia family around the world. It seems to be a neutral party. Since Iemitsu is close to the current boss of one of the families, named as Vongola, the organization, and that particular family might also be close."

"Vongola? Does that mafia family have any connection to Vongola Inc., that influential company?"Otoya asked, his mind running almost immediately at that information.

"Yes. Vongola Inc. is the legal company of the family. It's probably also a cover." They ask grimly looking at each other.

It really seemed as if the mafia has dug their hands tightly into the legal world. It would be difficult to uproot them.

It took some time before he continued. "We already know that omerta is a serious rule, especially for the core members. What we don't know is why. I found the reason."

"What is it?" Otoya asked seriously.

Since they have been friends and are also working closely with each other, not to mention the two teens on the other side of the monitor had connections with the government, they knew about the struggles with having acquired information on the underworld.

Besides, he trusts them quite a lot. Even his instincts are calm.

"They have their own law enforcer. They are called Vindice. There's also a prison. I was given the impression that it is impenetrable and the enforcers are effective and brutal."

"Do you know their laws?"

"I don't. I'm still in the dark about some things as I only knew this information a week ago.

Fujimaru got too close to the screen, his worry evident in his eye. "You have to be careful Tsuna. Just this information is enough to tell us that the underworld is more dangerous than we all thought."

You have no idea. I haven't even told you about the flames yet.

"I know." Fujimaru sat back down in his chair with a sigh.

"How did you come to know this information?"Otoya looked confused, a frown evident on his forehead.

Tsuna sighed. Otoya always knew how to ask intelligent questions. "I've been appointed as the heir of the Vongola family. The tenth boss."

Fujimaru and Otoya's eyes went wide and their surprise look remained as he continued.

"The supposed heirs apparently died and they themselves froze the youngest. I'm a descendant of the first Don, they said. Since there's no heir and succession must be followed, they appointed me as the heir."

"You mean... You yourself will infiltrate the mafia?!"Fujimaru yelped. "Are you kidding? I thought you found a pretty reliable spy inside and reeled them in! That's extremely dangerous!"

"You're one to talk. You got 'caught' by the government because of your recklessness." Though Fujimaru wasn't really technically caught.

He found some sensitive information that is extremely dangerous while hacking some sites for 'challenge' after getting bored hacking the supposed to be secure computers of the various government organization including the place where his own father worked.

With his still functioning morals, hacking addiction notwithstanding, he told his father about what he found out and had to reveal that he is the hacker FALCON that the government has been wanting to catch. That they had been itching to catch.

The reckless idiot.

"We agreed not to talk about it!" Fujimaru whined. He chuckled before turning serious again.

"Don't worry so much. I can handle it and unlike you, I am extremely careful and can think on my feet instead of being impulsive," he reassured his friends, even the ones sitting around him. They might not say but he could feel that they are worried, especially when they're too quiet and had grim faces.

"That sounds like an insult to me Tsuna,"he heard Fujimaru mutter in a sulk. He heard some of his friends snicker for a bit and ignored it at the moment. He didn't want Fujimaru to get stuck in that supposed insult.

Even though he was only telling the truth. Fujimaru is brilliant, but it was obvious Otoya is the one who is more sensible out of the two.

"Besides," he started, choosing to ignore his friend's words. "We have no other available option. We need information and this is the only chance we got to infiltrate the deeper parts of the underworld. The most reliable."

"What about the Vindice, Tsuna?" Takeshi finally spoke. He knew that he is talking about the ability of the mafia enforcers.

The night flames. They still do not know anything about its properties. They don't even know how they know if a core member violated their laws. They are extremely mysterious and even Reborn seemed to be uneasy with them.

"We'll just have to be careful and trust no one other than us," he grimly said.

"Alright. I'll start digging around. I assume Shoichi has something to do as you delegated this task to me?"Fujimaru said.

"Shoichi might be brilliant at hacking but it really isn't his field. This is yours and you are more familiar with it. With this kind of sensitive digging, I'm pretty sure it'll be extremely difficult."

"I'm also going to create some more stuff for Tsuna-kun to help him with his spying," Shoichi inserted. Tsuna sighed but his lips twitched upwards in a smile.

"Pass some of those creations to us Shoichi! We will pay!"

"You're doing something dangerous?" Takeshi inquired. The teens on the other side of the monitor looked at each other before Fujimaru spoke.

"Just a precaution. The new project given to me looks to be more than what it seems, though I still haven't started on it yet."

"Oh." Tsuna suddenly felt a little guilty for giving his friend further work.

"Don't worry about it Tsuna. I'll work on yours first as you need it more. You are the one infiltrating in a dangerous place after all."

"Thank you," he said with a relieved sigh. But his intuition acted up again though, and it looked to be concentrating on the two across the monitor. He looked at them with narrowed eyes. "You two be extremely careful. I don't like the feeling I am getting from the both of you." Otoya and Fujimaru looked at him in silence before nodding grimly.

"We will," Fujimaru promised solemnly.

TBC.


A/N:

To those who checked out "Bloody Monday", did you like it? I hope you did coz I really enjoyed that manga.


Edited: 12/31/2021