Collision 06
"You gave me false information."
Iemitsu had been uncertain as to why he had been called by the Ninth Vongola boss. Normally, he would not have been able to come as being a CEDEF leader takes a lot of time and he needed to be there all the time to check what's been happening to the famiglias around the world. Thankfully, everything was currently fine and he could take one or two days of leave.
Only to see that Nono seemed to look worried and told him that Reborn wanted him there as he was coming back right from Japan.
Reborn looked deceptively calm but his flames are eerily still. It's giving him a bad feeling and was backed by his intuition. His uneasiness revealed to be founded with the first sentence the hitman revealed upon settling down inside the protected office of Nono.
The Ninth Vongola boss' eyes narrowed in confusion. "False?"
"How could it be false?" Iemitsu incredulously asked. "I gave out truthful details!"
"If that's true, then you are even more of an idiot than I originally thought." Reborn looked at him scathingly. Iemitsu felt something in him snap at that look.
Though the hitman didn't say, he could clearly see what Reborn thought of him.
The other had always seen him as an idiot who isn't anything special even when he became the CEDEF's leader. Though he did not even care what he thought of him as even he did not have a good impression of the hitman - too violent, too assertive, too arrogant, thinking that everything should be followed in accordance with his plans just because he held the title of Greatest Hitman and is one of the strongest Arcobaleno - this time is different.
He is questioning how well he knew his family.
Although he wasn't always there with them, he cares about them. He hid this part of his life for their protection. He provided for them and even put some time to hear from them even if he couldn't get away.
That's more than what others who were also in his position had done to their families.
He knew them!
"Do you?" Reborn suddenly said, pulling his attention away from his thoughts. He scowled. He hadn't even managed to say anything yet. He had always found it annoying how Reborn seemed to have the ability to read his thoughts.
"Just speak clearly!"
It's as if they had forgotten that they are not alone and in fact is inside the office of the Ninth Vongola Boss. They were only staring at each other, each of them releasing an aggressive aura. Nono though didn't say anything about the hostility in his office, already used to it as both Iemitsu and Reborn never got along since the very first day they met. He just watched them with his forehead narrowing.
"Sawada Nana is indeed naive and has a probable slight problem with her mind. But she's sharp and protective when it comes to her son. Everything that looks to be threatening her son's welfare and life never escapes her eyes. She takes his safety very seriously. She's not just empty headed as you so clearly implied. She will become aggressive for her son."
Reborn looked at Iemitsu intently, each word slowly spoken as if he wanted to clearly ram his words into the other's brain.
"Your son might be called a Dame in his school but no one ever bullies him. All his schoolmates mostly ignore him and never dares to lift a hand to him, not to mention that his teachers all keep a close eye on him. Why do you think that is? That's certainly not because of you," Reborn continued with a sneer.
"N-Nana is..." Iemitsu's eyes were a little wide as he mumbled the words, though it wasn't as wide as his eyes had gotten when Reborn finally went to talk about his son.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi is an even more of a surprise. At least the information about Sawada Nana is correct, albeit incomplete." Reborn, as if dismissing Iemitsu turned to look at Timoteo, eyes completely serious. "Training your heir will be incredibly challenging."
"Why? What's wrong with young Tsunayoshi?" Timoteo's eyes were tinged with concern. Reborn surprisingly snorted.
"There is nothing wrong with that brat." Reborn looked to be disgruntled as he said this, making Timoteo and Iemitsu look at him blankly in confusion.
"You said his flame is sealed?" When Nono nodded, a scowl appeared on his face. "It isn't. It's free. It appeared as if either someone took off that seal or he himself did it, without even the side effects we were prepared to see."
They're jaws were slacked with surprise.
That seal came directly from the Vongola vault, originating from Primo's time even. There are no other records in the whole mafia about how to seal a flame. If there were, it would have been a rampant problem. Even the ones they had were half destroyed, making some information on it completely inaccessible.
Taking off the seal without repercussion was also one of the records that were lost. So it is understandable for that knowledge to be a surprise as no one in the group knew how to take off that seal without certain effects.
Don't get him wrong. Nono wasn't stupid, and Iemitsu certainly do not want any harm to come upon his only child. But they had both agreed that Tsunayoshi should live a quiet, civilian life. Such a bright child should not belong to the underworld. With that thought, they both equally decided that sealing his quite strong sky flames would be for the best since they didn't see any harm coming from it. And they had both also did it with the knowledge thought that they would have no need to unseal it as he isn't a part of the mafia anyway.
That backfired on them. Badly. Still...
"Do you know for certain..." Reborn shook his head, not even letting Timoteo finish his sentence. He already know what he wanted to know anyway.
"I've been in that place for a week but the closest I got to him was riding his shoulder, and that was only even allowed as he was observing me as I was observing him."
Reborn has noticed that Tsunayoshi is an especially cautious child. He is the type of person who, based on the intelligence he had displayed that very first day, a curious child, and that alone makes him dangerous.
A curious person likes and wants to know things that capture his attention regardless of the danger it possesses. With him being also cautious means that he would be extremely careful while seeking answers for things he could not understand.
He is invested with his safety and health and usually, he would not have risked his life if things really looked dangerous. He already deduced that when he saw how the teen's mind was working trying to think of ways to get out of that sudden appointment.
But Reborn had already stirred his curiosity, not to mention he wasn't exactly Tsunayoshi's favorite person when he insisted he had to accept the appointed position without taking his refusal in consideration. He had further infuriated him by looking like he is targeting his friends.
That was a miscalculation on his part. He had no intention of pulling the trigger. He just wanted to assess what the teen's reaction would be.
How could he know that brat already had his flames unsealed?
"We haven't talked much for that week as he was ignoring me. He is completely different from the shy and skittish boy described to me," Reborn's lips curled at that. "He's cautious and decisive. I am uncertain how to get him to act. He didn't even give any opportunity for me to use the dying-will bullet." Reborn thought back to the teen's attitude along with his very much unsealed and active flames and shook his head. "Not that I would now if given the chance. I don't know what it's effect on him will be. It might kill him if the dying-will bullet couldn't find any regret in his heart that very instant he would be hit."
Nono only blinked, astonishment clear on his face. Iemitsu looked to be in a seizure though, missing his lips as he could practically see how his mind is running rather rapidly.
"Not only is his flame unsealed, he could also use it freely." He still couldn't believe it. It's not new to him to see teens in Tsunayoshi's age knowing how to use their flames, but that was because they've been trained by instructors who already know how to control theirs.
In that town, there are a few who could use their flames, like Yamamoto Tsuyoshi and De Luca Isabella now carrying the surname of Sasagawa. But despite them living a civilian life, they are still subject to the rule of silence as they are a flame user, even if they clearly do not use it much anymore. And besides, they have to find one who is flame active anyway.
And the two seem to very much like their civilian-ish life. The boring one.
"I am still in the dark at how that flame came to be unbound," he scowled. A week of observation is usually enough for someone like him. And it was even just watching a civilian sky brat. But not only does he still not know pertinent information, he did not even realize the brat had his own circle of friends. Tight-knit even.
Reborn turned back to look at Iemitsu, a sneer visible on his lips. "You gave me false information, especially with your son."
"An outstanding heir," Timoteo smiled happily, making Reborn snap grumpily.
"He doesn't want to be an heir. He wanted you to make Iemitsu resign and train him as your successor." Timoteo immediately grimaced. He and Iemitsu looked at each other.
"You know that's not going to be applicable." There was a certain note of regret in that tone. Reborn wanted to scoff. There is no need for regrets. Iemitsu certainly do not fit the role of Vongola Don despite having the Primo's direct blood running his veins. Timoteo should even be happy he does not have that man as his successor. Too violent for the current type of power the Vongola holds.
His current position suits him more.
"I told him that. He won't accept it. He also didn't seem to think much about you when I told him about your sons." There is certain smugness at his tone when he said that. It was ever the only thing that came out of that brat's mouth that he actually likes.
"This is about?" Timoteo's eyebrow raised.
"Xanxus. I told him you froze him." Reborn actually felt refreshed when he saw these two powerful men looking burdened. "If you think pulling this particular teen in would be easy, you're wrong."
"I am reluctant to pull a civilian into this but he is the only option we have. We already smoothed things out with Vindice too."
"It's still salvageable, right?" Iemitsu's voice was weak as he asked. he looked ready to collapse. Reborn resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Probably. I'm going to modify my plans for him." He does think that things could still be smoothened out. If he take things into consideration. What a hassle.
Too bad Sawada Tsunayoshi is really not your average intelligent teen.
"He also wanted to talk to you," Reborn passed Tsunayoshi's message to Nono, seeing it as something too trivial to be hidden. It might be a different matter altogether if a normal person said that in both worlds as he wouldn't have bothered passing that message.
Timoteo Vongola wasn't only the Ninth boss of the Vongola Famiglia, he is also the head of the Vongola Inc., a famous and internationally known company in the business of security and firearm manufacturer. Both titles are important and are also attached to one man. One could see the worth of this person if one only knew.
But Tsunayoshi is the heir. Just that title alone already gave him huge privilege that not many have so despite him just being a teen. His request will be seen as an order by others.
Though not with Reborn. No one would ever have the nerve to order him around, not even Timoteo. They're friends though that's why he accepted the request. Still, it's not as if letting Timoteo know Tsunayoshi's desire to talk to him would bring any harm.
Timoteo's grim face tightened before he sighed. "I'll make time."
Reborn then made his exit, thinking that he had done what he came here to do. He won't return to Japan yet. He'll stay in Italy for a bit. He needed a bit of time, not only to release the tension he couldn't really release in that town seeing as he couldn't start any commotion to preserve the life of the heir.
Despite Namimori having flame-active users settling in the area, it is still very much a civilian town. With not much of a connection to the underworld.
Sawada Tsunayoshi, still a thirteen-year-old boy but already giving him more trouble in a week than the months, years he stayed tutoring the Cavallone heir. He couldn't even leave to take a hit to avoid anyone from pinpointing where exactly he was.
Though it wasn't broadcasted that he'd be tutoring the Vongola heir, they all knew that every mafia has their full attention on the matters of Vongola right now considering that Nono's sons were killed, the youngest frozen and leaving the seat of the most powerful mafia family for the next generation empty.
There was no doubt that it had probably already spread out that he was the one asked to tutor the apparently next Head.
This assignment is more annoying than taking a hit, no matter how challenging.
. . . . .
Iemitsu is still in a disbelief from what Reborn had said in Nono's office earlier even as time already passed.
Here he is, supposed to be working back in his own office, only he couldn't concentrate much. He pushed his swivel chair away from his desk before he stood up and walked around the room with agitation.
"She's not just empty headed as you so clearly implied."
"She's sharp and protective when it comes to her son."
"It appeared as if either someone took off that seal or he himself did it, without even the side effects we were prepared to see."
"He's cautious and decisive."
"Not only is his flames unsealed, he could also use it freely."
The words he heard earlier created a loop inside his brain, making him remember every single second of that report.
How could he have not noticed Nana's apparent sharpness? How could he have a completely different impression of his son? Is he really not as good a father as he had thought? But how to be even a good father? He provided for his family, made sure they won't starve, calls when he has time, checks up on them even if he could only squeeze those calls in between his busy work. Surely that is enough?
He didn't know who his father is, nor even his mother. He grew up relying on himself, unable to trust anyone simply because he had been betrayed whenever he did. He had to delve deeper into the mafia just to survive. He had learned early on that the strongest gets to survive and is respected. His safety is guaranteed if he is strong. Everyone will think carefully whether to betray him or not. The rules of the jungle are pretty much carved right into his soul.
That's why despite being a Sky, he has no guardians. Because he couldn't trust that much. He had already given up acquiring his set especially when he accidentally discorded someone when his sky flames attracted a pretty powerful cloud flame user and having to kill him to keep himself alive.
He married Nana for convenience sake. He wanted to have an heir just in case he'll need one in the future. Choosing her was a calculated move. Not only was she pretty, she's kind-hearted, understanding, knows how to cook, naive and a bit of an airhead. She's often oblivious to her surroundings and it isn't hard to distract her.
It also wasn't that hard to love her along with their tiny and cute son.
But he couldn't afford to be with them all the time. Even just staying with them for a while is dangerous. Not only does Nana not know anything about his real job, he also has no intention of telling his family, ever. And despite the risk, he decided not to employ guards as they would have been sniffed out faster than he could go to them and protect them. Not to mention he didn't trust the protection of his family to just anyone.
He hadn't intended to tell about his ancestry to Nono. He wanted his son to live peacefully in the legal world for protection. Because despite being a part of it, it can't be denied that the underworld is a dangerous place. But considering that Vongola is in a turmoil, he couldn't afford to be secretive.
Vongola's existence is important in the underworld. They hold the largest power and is the most stable when it comes to it. They are like the central authority of the underworld. They might even be called Royalty. If the Famiglia crumbles, everything will fall apart. There would be a war that will undoubtedly spill on the legal part of the world. Though only a few seem to have realize this fact. Even the Vindice stepped in to stop any assaults for the moment in the name of neutrality, at least temporarily, giving enough time for the Famiglia to stabilize themselves once more.
He sat up on the sofa at the corner of his room, feeling exhaustion, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He didn't know what to do.
He pulled his wallet out and took two pictures he had hidden inside it. One was the wedding photo of him and Nana and the other is the shy smile of his son. It was still okay despite the fold lines in it, looking like it had been handled carefully a couple of times. His chest ached. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart out painfully.
He wanted to see them.
TBC.
A/N:
I included the POV of Iemitsu. What do you think?
Oh, btw. I know there will be mistakes in regards to the genuine legal side in this story. Please tolerate it. I am an amateur and really lazy researching unless it is absolutely needed for the plot to proceed further. I am sorry in advance.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you for supporting me despite it all. :)
Edited: 01/01/2022
