Tsuyoshi remembers the day this all began like it was yesterday.
It had been a normal day in Namimori - he'd been preparing fish for the evening's customers, when his son came through the door, looking like his entire world had shattered. It's a look that always brings terrible things to their life, and the knife in his hand is quickly put to the side as he moves out of the kitchen and straight to his son.
"Takeshi, what's happened?" he asks. His son is quick to avert his eyes, and it's clear he'd wanted to run up the stairs without bothering him, but Tsuyoshi is quick to block him off, cupping Takeshi's head between his hands. "What is it? Baseball, something with your friends?"
"It's nothing Dad, really."
Takeshi tries to shake his head, and pastes on a fake smile. The kind he hasn't seen in months.
Tsuyoshi doesn't buy it for a second.
"Oh no, last time you walked into this house with a face like that, you ended up on the school roof. Speak."
He's always given his son space – but he nearly lost him once by ignoring what's in front of him. It's not happening again.
He leads him into their living room, and slowly, but inevitably, his son breaks. Tells him all about Tsuna, and Vongola, and every little, intricate detail of the 'Mafia game.' Most of it Tsuyoshi had already guessed – his past has a few black marks he'd always prefer his son not learn, but Takeshi has always taken more after him in that regard.
His son choosing to take up the sword when he'd never had any interest. The array of injuries, that time he'd just up and vanished for several weeks, the...miracle at the hospital.
The only ridiculous thing about it is how surprised Takeshi is at how he takes it. As if he'd somehow believe he was a good enough actor to keep it hidden from the man who'd taught him an assassin's sword style.
No, Tsuyoshi had his suspicions. He'll admit that drawing the attention of such big names is impressive, but Takeshi choosing to enter the underground wasn't exactly unexpected with his bloodline.
Unfortunately, that decision often comes with hard choices, and his 'boss' has given him an impossible one.
"They're going to leave," Takeshi explains, looking absolutely heartbroken. "Another world, another time, I'm not really sure of the specifics, but Tsuna and the others, they're not coming back. And I-"
He stops, and looks down, shame all over his face as his hands scratch the surface of the sofa.
"You want to go with them," Tsuyoshi says, filling in the gap. Takeshi looks like it causes him physical pain when he nods.
"I...I can't imagine living without them," he says. "Tsuna and Gokudera and Sasagawa and...I don't know how I could get through even a month if-even the idea of going to school and not having anyone who...I couldn't do it. Not again."
He sucks in a deep breath. "But you're my Dad . I need you too. And I...I can't…I can't lose you either."
Takeshi trails off and looks down. Tsuyoshi watches him silently, and then reaches out, pulling him close and guiding the head towards his chest in a loose hug.
"Oh kid," he says. "You never did want to make things simple for yourself, did you?"
His boy clings to the fabric like it's a lifeline.
"It's rigged," he mumbles into Tsuyoshi's shirt. "No matter what I do, I still lose."
Tsuyoshi sighs, one hand stroking his son's hair while the other stays a solid presence on his back.
Really, there's only one thing he can tell his son.
"I'll need at least a few weeks to dissolve the business," he tells him. "And make sure wherever we're going has a valid currency. No point in converting yen to diamonds or gold if they're worthless there."
In his arms, Takeshi stills. Slowly, he pulls his head up, unshed tears disappearing in the wake of confusion.
"What?"
Tsuyoshi smiles. "Takeshi, the only thing I have I can't replace is you . If you need to go with them, then we're both going."
He holds back the laugh as his son's jaw drops.
"Wait, but...really?"
To his credit, he recovers quickly.
"Dad, we can't come back," he says, his face uncharacteristically serious. "It's a one way trip."
Tsuyoshi smiles. "If that group you call friends are going off into a completely new world all on your own, you're going to need at least some adult supervision, right? From what I've seen, and what you've told me, that group can't even cross the street without getting into some-oof!"
He cuts off as his son all but rams into him, arms tightly wrapped around his chest as he bursts into tears. Tsuyoshi can just shake his head and hold him tight.
Honestly. Does his son think Sawada Tsunayoshi is the only one who knows how to take a third option?
He knows some of them were apprehensive about him joining them. Hell, Gokudera was actively against it, but Tsuyoshi suspects that he, like the rest of them, were a little relieved. Having just one adult at their backs (as far as he can tell – for the first time in most of their lives) solves far more problems that it causes. Especially when they actually made it to this world and the sheer amount of regulation made them boggle.
He may have never planned on becoming a foster parent, but he doesn't regret it. Does he care for Tsuna and the others like he does Takeshi? No, but that doesn't make them any less family . He'll bleed for each and every one of them. If he had to choose to only save one, he'd genuinely be torn – if only because there's not a single one that would be able to function without the others, Takeshi included.
Besides, they're hardly difficult to love. Fuuta is the most low maintenance child on the planet and happy to enjoy childhood experiences that Tsuyoshi enjoys providing. Tsuna takes to any physical affection or vocal approval like an abused puppy – so utterly delighted every time, as if it's something alien to him. Both Sasagawa's light up at the most basic 'how was your day?' and Chrome is both sweet and viciously protective in a way that reminds him of his late wife sometimes. He suspects if Mrs Yamamoto had ever met Chrome, she'd have been adopted a whole lot quicker. Gokudera on the other hand, is actively not looking for a father figure, but accepts Tsuyoshi's no-nonsense-but-still-fairly-lax rules pretty well once he realises Tsuyoshi isn't interested in the position unless he is.
And new family dynamics aside, everyone settles pretty comfortably once they've got a roof over their heads and gone through a crash course of alternative history.
This world...suits them, in a way that home never had. All of them were unique individuals, in a world where that could only lead them one way. Here, they're a face in the crowd – and while some people would be upset at losing their 'special' status, Tsuna was practically walking on air, and that made everyone else happy. Takeshi could still play baseball, Ryohei could still fight, Gokudera and Chrome and Fuuta could forge a future that wasn't guaranteed to be illegal, and Kyoko can pursue whatever she wants, surrounded by family who want to see her succeed.
Unfortunately, Vongola luck breeds true. It didn't even take six months before eyes they couldn't afford to have on them started turning their way.
And now, with Takeshi one new revelation away from a panic attack, multiple heroes and police swarming his restaurant again , and one of his kids missing, he suspects their happy, peaceful life is over.
Nezu had taken Takeshi's words seriously, immediately calling Detective Tsukauchi and the nearby authorities, who arrived in a matter of minutes, accompanied by All Might. By the time an ambulance has arrived at the door, all the other kids are now back and subconsciously forming a wall around Takeshi. He's point blank refused to go to the hospital, but the heroes keep stopping them from going upstairs, meaning Ryohei can't use his flames without attracting more attention than they want.
Though given that the ambulance has arrived with a passenger, who storms through the door in a cloud of rage, he suspects that's going to cease to matter soon.
"Gokudera!"
Dammit...Takeshi had given him the bare bones while the heroes insisted on waiting for Tsukauchi's arrival, but the kid looks a wreck. His skin is dotted red from burns, his outfit both torn and filthy, and he's favouring his left leg in a way that suggests something in it is broken. But his eyes…
Tsuyoshi might never have seen him in action, but the hitman that earned the name 'The Smoking Bomb' is up and out right now. The first responders trailing after him clearly don't know how close to death they are. Even over by Nezu's side, Present Mic is wincing, well used to Gokudera's moods at this point.
All Might on the other hand, is clearly choosing to ignore the rage in his face.
"Young man! You should have been taken straight to the hospital!"
"Oh go preach in front of someone who gives a damn," Gokudera snarls, and then swirls to point a finger in Detective Tsukauchi's direction. "And don't even utter the word 'statement.' Fuck your statements! I do not have time to pander to you pests. Tsuna was abducted!"
"Gokudera, I know you're upset, but you need to calm down," All Might tries to soothe, quickly stepping forward to try and dispel the anger. "We're going to save him, but we need you to-"
Tsuyoshi has been in this world long enough to know that All Might is an idol of near-god levels. He's used to being in control, and for 99.9% of people in the country, his smile and confident words would have anyone deflating and complying without complaint.
But Gokudera has only one idol, and it's not him. All Might nearly stumbles when Gokudera quickly rounds straight onto him.
"Like fuck! You assholes constantly knocking on our door caused this in the first place. So butt out, and we'll finish it. Like we should have done in the first place!"
"What exactly do you intend to do?" Present Mic asks, and Tsuyoshi brings a hand up to cover his face. This isn't going to end well.
"What am I going to do?" Gokudera snaps, looking slightly manic. "I'm about to put my lawyer's kids through university, that's what I'm going to do!"
His eyes lock on Ryohei, and he staggers in the group's direction. The first responders give each other a helpless glance, and both Eraser Head glances between them.
"Gokudera, it would probably be best if you went to the hospita-"
"TURF TOP! Get to work already!"
Ryohei, ever the king of subtlety, just waves his hand at the crowd watching the interaction. "I can't, to the extreme!"
"Gokudera, it's worse than you think," Takeshi speaks up, pushing past Kyoko and Ryohei. "Heroes were here before I arrived."
He looks a little embarrassed when he continues with – "Animals with quirks need to be registered, and Uri's been visiting them. They know we have more than one."
That has the rage leaving Gokudera's face, paling as he tilts his head back.
"Oh for fucks sake. Why is this happening now? I do not have time to deal with this!"
Tsuyoshi lowers his hand to see the teen staring at him, face looking half panicked – eyes clearly trying to figure out just what Tsuyoshi has said before he gets caught in a lie. Understandable considering they hadn't thought animals could get quirks, and – given the very 'temporary' nature of the box animal's existence – would go relatively unnoticed. Uri's refusal to stay indoors has finally come back to bite them.
Tsuyoshi had been desperately wracking his brain for a viable explanation when Takeshi had burst through the door, and has even less ideas for how to solve it now than he had then.
It's not his first choice, but if Tsuna was in the room, Tsuyoshi expects he'd agree with his decision. They don't have time to dance around it – they need to utilise the only option left to them.
"Oi, Yamamoto, what is it?" Gokudera snaps, frustrated at his silence. "What did you say?"
"Nothing, yet. But I think it's time we tell them the truth," Tsuyoshi replies, and watches as the eyes of the heroes go wide – and his kids erupt into incomprehensible babbling, Gokudera and Takeshi the loudest of two.
"Dad! We haven't been lying!"
"It's hardly any of their business!"
Gokudera has reached a truly impressive pitch when Tsuyoshi snaps, slamming a hand on the counter, silencing the room.
"Enough! Everyone, calm down. They're right, and skirting the truth won't do us any good. There's been too many mistakes and incidents to cover up over too short a period. We've got no choice but full transparency."
It's a last resort, to be certain. But they've discussed this before, what their options can. Especially since the attack. At this point, there's almost nothing left to lose.
"Are you sure?" Sasagawa asks, looking torn. "That's an extreme decision."
"Fuck, no, he's right," Gokudera hisses, running a hand through his hair. Only way we can get on track quickly."
Tsuyoshi takes his words as acceptance, and takes charge. This is his idea after all. He turns to the heroes, who have not only grouped together, but have remained unnaturally silent throughout all of this. The way Nezu looks at him feels very much a reversal of the cat and mouse scenario.
"Headmaster Nezu, Detective Tsukauchi, this will be sensitive information. Can you please evacuate anyone that wouldn't have clearance if your worst suspicions ended up being correct."
"Am I to assume our worst suspicions are?" Nezu asks, and Tsuyoshi lets himself smile. The one his son still doesn't seem to realise he inherited from him, and feels pleased when they tense.
"Oh no," he says. "You didn't even come close. After all this, we'll all be needing a drink."
It takes a lot of convincing to get the paramedics and additional officers to leave. They want immediate statements regarding the kidnapping, but Tsukauchi pulls rank. The kids use the distraction to get Fuuta upstairs, and once the restaurant is cleared of everyone but the detective, a reverted Yagi, Nezu, Present Mic and Eraser Head, he runs down the stairs holding a small box.
"Here Ryohei," he says, handing it to the teen as everyone takes seats. "If we're telling everything, we don't need to hide this."
"Ah, Extremely good idea Fuuta!"
Tsuyoshi makes a point not to react when Ryohei opens the box with the ring on his finger, or when the scalpel drops into his hand and he shoves Gokudera into a nearby seat.
His kids on the other hand, are poorly hiding grins when the heroes suddenly go pale.
"Sasagawa, what are you thinking!"
"Young man, stop!"
"Woah, woah, it's not that bad!"
They all trail off when Ryohei's hand and the scalpel start glowing with his yellow flame, the blade never touching the wound.
"The hospital would do a much better job, to the Extreme," he says to Gokudera.
"I just need functional. Keep your head down Turf Top."
"My brother's flames can be used to accelerate healing in other people," Kyoko chimes to the befuddled group. "He just needs the right kind of conduit."
Nezu raises a single eyebrow, though his face is masked with a smug look.
"Fascinating. However, not the issue on the table right now. So, Yamamoto, you were going to explain to us what you have left out? Starting with box animals?"
"Might be easier to start from the very beginning," Tsuyoshi says, and stares at Tsukauchi. Given his quirk, he'll be the one to confirm what they're saying.
"We never lied," Tsuyoshi begins. "But we did leave out something critical. We're not from this world."
The group blink almost in tandem.
"...What?" Present Mic questions. Tsuyoshi starts to answer, but stops when he hears Gokudera growl and shift in his seat.
"Okay look, the detailed description will go over everyone but the giant hamster's head, so let's dumb it down to Turf Tops level. There are multiple worlds, thousands of different realities, and we basically hopped from one to the other. Got it?"
As one, the heroes turn to Tsukauchi, who looks like he's been hit over the head.
"Tsukauchi?" Yagi asks, and the man slowly nods.
"They're telling the truth," he says. "Though I'm still not sure quite how."
Oh does Tsuyoshi know that feeling.
"Well, we can put the how aside for a moment. The more vital question is why," Nezu asks. "To cross dimensions – clearly intentionally given how easily you settled here – seems like an extreme move."
"It was the only move Tsuna had," Kyoko buts in, and Tsuyoshi glances back.
"Let me handle this part," he says. "Please?"
All the kids sans Gokudera have about as much understanding about the situation as he does – and Gokudera does not have the temperament to handle this interrogation right now.
They all nod, (though he notes Sasagawa yanking on Gokudera's arm while healing to keep him distracted).
"In this world, quirks resulted in heroes and a lower crime rate," Tsuyoshi begins. "But in ours, quirk's didn't exist. Instead, we had something called dying will flames."
Silently, and united, the teens raise their hands, revealing the multi-coloured glow of flames. While still suspicious, the fact that Tsukauchi has gone very pale seems to be proof enough for them. Tsuyoshi waits a few moments to let it sink in.
"Everyone has them, but less than 2% of the planet can use them-"
"At least, not without help," Gokudera mutters, and Tsuyoshi nods.
"There are seven types, and each has a specific use, though through time and training, certain people have developed unique ways to use them. They were first recorded a few hundred years ago. However...the people who first discovered them were vigilante groups in Italy...who later evolved into Mafia families."
That gets everyone's attention.
"Mafia?" Yagi questions.
"Mafia," Tsuyoshi confirms. "Eventually, it spread to a lot of the older crime families worldwide, but it remained underground."
Eraser Head immediately shakes his head. "That's impossible. How could you hide something like that for so long?"
Before Tsuyoshi can answer, Gokudera starts laughing.
"With several hundred years of tradition, secrecy, and 'omerta,'" he says, once he's stopped snickering. "Nobody outside of the underground crime syndicates have a clue they exist, and our society goes to extraordinary lengths to keep it that way. If a civilian manages to activate them, they're indoctrinated into the first family that tracks them down."
"But I can't imagine everyone would be happy about joining an illegal society," Present Mic argues.
"Well, no," Gokudera admits. "So if they can't be won over, the abilities are either sealed away, or the user has an 'accident.' But honestly, people who activate their flames are known for extreme personalities. It lures more people in than you'd think."
Tsuyoshi gestures to the teen. "Exactly. Gokudera was born into it, and I spent a few years doing less-than-legal tasks when I was young, but the rest were lured in when Tsuna's family came calling."
"And now we are getting to the crux of the matter," Nezu says, eyes narrowing. "Tsuna was also 'born into it?'"
"Yes and no," Tsuyoshi explains. "Tsuna's father was a direct descendant of one of the first users, who created the 'Vongola' family. But up until he was fourteen, he wasn't aware of any of this."
"That's what you mean by getting his 'quirk' late," Present Mic concludes, snapping his fingers, and Tsuyoshi nods.
"I found out about most of this after the fact – Takeshi tried to keep most of it away from me – but from what I understand, he activated his flames when he was a kid, but given the inheritance issue, and that his father wanted to keep him out of the mafia, they sealed them away, so he could grow up a civilian."
"Inheritance issue?" Eraser Head questions, and Tsuyoshi sighs.
"Vongola demands that only someone of the First's bloodline can inherit the family, so sealing him up and hiding him away was considered to be for his own good. Unfortunately, by the time he turned fourteen, all three of the Ninths bio kids had been murdered. And his adopted kid didn't have strong enough blood ties."
"Which is the dumbest thing anyone's ever heard. Xanxus is pure Vongola," Gokudera mutters under his breath.
"His father had been removed from the line of succession due to taking the role of outside advisor, so the only blood heir left was Tsuna,' Tsuyoshi finishes, giving him a warning glare. "They sent a tutor to rip off the seal, informed him of his heritage, and told him his future was to lead the world's most dangerous crime syndicate as it's Tenth boss. Whether he wanted to or not."
The heroes frown.
"Surely you can't force someone to-"
"They could," Chrome interrupts Yagi. "It wouldn't even be hard to do. Not back home."
"How could he refuse?" Tsuyoshi picks up. "The police would never believe him, and even if they did, some Mist users – the kind Chrome has - can manipulate memories rather than cast illusions. And the Mafia had their own security, known as the Vindice. Try to reveal Mafia secrets or break omerta, he'd have been locked away in their prison for life. The underworld spanned the globe, there was nowhere you could go, they didn't have a reach."
"Criminals had their own prison?" Present Mic splutters.
"Well you can't really put someone with flames into normal population," Tsuyoshi continues. "Not without revealing the abilities that exist in the first place."
And hadn't that been fun to learn – that Takeshi could have been a resident of that prison if not for the fact that his spine was shattered. He doesn't even want to think about what the group hasn't thought to tell him.
"We don't have heroes," Gokudera finishes off for him. "What you'd call villains were the real world leaders. Even if nobody knew it. Once the Mafia decides to bring you in, your opinion doesn't count for shit. You join or you die."
Present Mic gives an almost desperate laugh, scratching at his hairline as he tries to process it all. Nezu however, keeps staring at the group.
"Then how did you make it here?"
Rather than Tsuyoshi, he's staring at Gokudera, clearly realising he knows more of the specifics than Tsuyoshi, regardless of his age. The teen grins in understanding, and Tsuyoshi leaves him to it. Sasagawa seems to have patched up as much as he can anyway, and has moved on to Takeshi.
"A man by the name of Byakuran," Gokudera replies, ignoring the gasp that comes from Yagi. "He had the ability to speak with every other version of himself across various dimensions – don't ask how, it's a long story. And when he found himself owing Tsuna, he came to him with an idea. You can't visit a world where you already exist – it sort of destroys your body – but if you jump to a world where you 'don't' exist…"
"How did he know it would destroy-"
"Because no version of him was entirely sane and some experiments were had," Gokudera snaps. "Just trust me when I say he'd made sure about it."
Nezu nods slowly, clearly having caught on. "If one can't escape or defeat your enemy, run to a world where they can't chase you. The perfect escape. And I'm guessing there are so many worlds, it would be next to impossible to follow."
"Even if they could, Byakuran planned ahead. Device only works one way," Gokudera explains. "We can't go back even if we wanted to. We leave, it's to a new world."
"I have to admit, I thought we were doing pretty well until the restaurant got attacked," Tsuyoshi says. "Then we had to explain things that couldn't be explained, and this happened."
Takeshi then raises his hand. "And for the record, just about everything Tsuna said about his 'quirk' was a lie. His flames can just 'do' all that. All of us had to skim the truth a bit about it, but his are so flexible we had to come up with an explanation for them. No relation to anyone."
"But wait," Yagi says. "Tsukauchi interviewed you. "He picked up nothing as a lie. Tsunayoshi explained in detail how his quirk worked."
Tsukachi immediately groans. "No. No he didn't."
"What? I was there-"
"Hypothetically" Tsukachi buts in. "Tsuna began that explanation with 'hypothetically.' As in, a quirk that might not necessarily exist. I didn't hear the lie because he wasn't talking about himself. How the hell did I not pick up on that?"
"Most likely the shock of hearing about a quirk like that caused you to get distracted," Nezu muses. "Now what about the box animals?"
Ah. He wondered if they'd managed to suitably distract from that. Tsuyoshi glances over.
"Anyone wearing- Not you Gokudera! We do not have time to chase her right now."
Gokudera scowls but drops his hand, and Takeshi raises his own.
"I'll show them Jiro."
His hand glows, and one of the rings adorning it absorbs the blue. A few moments later, the light jumps in front of him, warping into a small shiba inu – who barks before sitting at Takeshi's heels.
"Box animals are kind of hard to explain, but it's an animal formed from your own flames and will?" he says, scratching Jiro's forehead. "They're made the same way Sasagawa's scalpel is, except they're kind of alive as well?"
"Uri is a unique case. Most of them have the good sense to stay inside when they're released," Tsuyoshi explains, not even bothering to look Gokudera's way when he hears the groan. They've had that conversation more than once. "They can only exist so long as they have flames to fuel them."
"That does explain a few things regarding Uri," Eraser Head admits, and Gokudera gets to his feet.
"Okay, we've explained things. We're not from some shady villain group you've never heard of, and Tsuna isn't related to whoever you thought he is, so can you leave us the fuck alone now?" he asks, and Tsuyoshi's heart sinks when he steels the faces in front of him steel. This isn't going to go down well.
"Gokudera, while this information is somewhat relieving to hear, you are still civilians in this world," Yagi stresses. "We need to get your statements, and then put you under protective watch until we can retrieve young Tsunayoshi."
Tsuyoshi winces. Protective watch? That's not going to happen.
"Hah, we'll be doing that ourselves!" Gokudera yells back.
"Try it, and we'll have you arrested for illegal quirk use," Eraser Head warns. "None of this changes anything. You need to trust us for now."
Gokudera snarls and gets to his feet, hand reaching into his jacket.
"Trust you? Why should I-"
He stops - Chrome has grabbed Gokudera's arm, and she has a soft smile on her face.
"Gokudera, they really might know best," she says, and before he can blow up in her face, continues. "Remember when Yamamoto couldn't make it to the ceremony Timoteo wanted Tsuna to go to? Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to get anything done."
The anger leaves Gokudera's face as he stares at her...and slowly nods.
"Yeah...yeah, you're right. Don't have a choice."
Tsuyoshi sags. Dammit, they're doing it.
Gokudera yanks his arm free. "Fine, but if I'm not going anywhere, I'm doing it in comfort. Your stupid cops want a statement, they can come to me. I'm heading upstairs."
Tsukauchi starts to utter something in response, but Gokudera acts like he can't hear it, heading for the stairs and stomping up them. It sets off a chain reaction, and soon all the kids are vanishing onto the second level – and Yagi starts chasing after them.
"I'll keep them supervised until you can get your men back," he offers to the Detective, and barely waits for the nod before he's heading upwards, Tsukauchi heading for the door.
That leaves Tsuyoshi with Nezu, Eraser Head and Present Mic.
"So, do we have a precedent, or are we going to need to call a lawyer to figure out how much laws we broke by showing up here?" Tsuyoshi asks. Not that he believes it'll get that far.
"It's hard to say," Nezu replies, chuckling slightly. "I've seen quite a bit in my day, but I do believe non-temporary-dimensional-travel is a first."
"Non-temporary?" Tsuyoshi questions. "So there is precedent?"
Clearly eager to settle the mood, Present Mic starts explaining about someone who – near the start of his and Eraser Head's careers – had been popping in and out of places randomly. Apparently it's sometimes found as a spin-off of teleportation quirks, but nobody seems to have truly mastered it. Certainly not stay in one place as long as they have.
Tsuyoshi makes a point to keep him talking, and encouraging Eraser Head to join in while Nezu walks to join Tsukauchi about a plan of action. He knows his role is to keep them distracted.
Tsukauchi does eventually return, with men he knows will be discreet, but just as the police arrive – Yagi is thundering down the stairs.
"They're gone!" he yells, eyes wide as he stares at Tsuyoshi in horror. "One moment they were talking and sitting in the room, the next, they vanished into thin air!"
Present Mic gets to his feet, and Eraser Head is already scanning outside, looking for some unseen threat. Nezu however, just stares at Tsuyoshi, and the utter lack of surprise.
"What about the others?" Present Mic asks, and Yagi shakes his head.
"I checked all the rooms, and there's no sign of any of them."
"We'll look outside," Eraser Head says. "Even someone who can extract from a distance can't be too far away. We'll find them."
"I don't think we will," Nezu says, freezing all three of them in place, eyes still locked on Tsuyoshi. "It appears our host is not surprised at this."
Tsuyoshi smiles. The headmaster is clearly a sharp one.
"Let me guess, each one of them used the bathroom one after the other, starting with Chrome," Tsuyoshi asks, and sighs as they stare at him.
"Chrome used her flames to create duplicates," Tsuyoshi tells them. "Each one got replaced with a fake so you wouldn't notice them leaving. Probably jumped out the back window. You've been watching illusions for the past five minutes."
He really has to give Chrome props though. Managing to maintain so many illusions from a distance for several minutes – that's impressive even for her.
Yagi's jaw is opening and closing in abject shock – but his colleagues don't look much better. Nezu however, looks somewhat amused.
"You knew," he says, not to Tsuyoshi's surprise. "I'm guessing Chrome's last words had some hidden meaning to them?"
"But...where would they go?" Present Mic yelps. "They're injured and have no clue where Tsunayoshi is!"
"Not exactly," Tsuyoshi replies, looking at the roof. "Fuuta probably managed to rank the most likely location the League of Villains would take Tsuna before they left. They'll have a good list to run down."
He nods at Aizawa. "If you look in the bathroom, you'll probably find a copy. The number once location is where they'll be holding your student too."
"Are you not even remotely worried?" Aizawa accuses, and Tsuyoshi shrugs, walking over to a drawer in the kitchen.
"Not really. That group has handled far worse enemies," he explains. "If they no longer feel a need to hold back, they'll be home with Tsuna in a few hours."
"Yamamoto, they can't just start using their abilities in broad daylight," Present Mic insists. "Even if they're not 'quirks,' they'll be arrested and charged for their use, even if they win."
"No, they won't," Tsuyoshi says, pulling out a book and rifling through it.
"...What exactly are you doing?" Present Mic asks almost helplessly, and Tsuyoshi hides the smile.
"When we got here, I put together a list of people who might be interested in this property if we had to up and leave quickly," he explains. "I need to get my ducks in a row."
That's clearly not what they expect to hear.
"You can't just run away from the consequences of this," Eraser Head argues, and Tsuyoshi shakes his head, still not looking up.
"You don't understand. They've already written off this world. Between the attacks, your constant investigations, and the general pressure people keep putting on them, my kids are at breaking point," he explains. "We still have the device that got us here. We can jump again. Fuuta has a list of worlds we can try. Once they get Tsuna back, we'll pack up and leave."
"You think they can avoid the charges for illegal quirk use?" Nezu asks.
"Probably not, but I also don't think we'll be here long enough for you to get us to a courtroom," Tsuyoshi replies with a shrug.
He pretends to focus on the book, looking up numbers. He'd made a short list only a few weeks ago, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees everyone exchange glances, before some head upstairs to find this elusive note, while others head out the door. Nezu stares for quite some time, an unreadable expression on his face, before he too slips away.
Only Present Mic stays, walking close and leaning on the counter – and eventually, his stare becomes impossible for Tsuyoshi to ignore.
"What is it?" he asks. The smile he gets in return is tragically sad.
"Already written off this world, huh?" he asks.
Tsuyoshi doesn't quite hide the flinch.
"We did try," he says. "I even thought we were doing pretty well, but if they're ready to blatantly ignore the laws, and Tsuna's attracted this much attention, we don't have a choice."
Present Mic – no, Yamada, pulls his shades up to rest on his forehead and rubs at his eyes.
"I always figured this was a pretty great country to live in," he says. "It doesn't say a lot that people who fled from a world run by crime lords don't think it's worth staying."
Tsuyoshi shakes his head. "Tsuna is tired of people deciding who he is. All they want is to live their lives in peace, and it's becoming pretty clear this world isn't the right option for that."
It clearly doesn't make the hero feel better, as he slumps slightly on the counter.
"People aren't just going to let you up and leave," he says. "It'll be hard to escape without attention."
"Wait until Tsuna's back before you start offering me advice," Tsuyoshi says, finally looking up from his work. "You haven't seen the Vongola truly cut loose before."
Present Mic's eyebrows furrow. "I'm not sure if that's a threat, or meant to be comforting…"
Tsuyoshi barks a laugh. Oh hell, he's going to miss this idiot. He steps back a bit, and pulls out his knives. His kids are going to come back hungry, and he can't let Yamada run out on an empty stomach.
"Hey, since we're clearly not opening tonight, or possibly ever again, want some sushi to go?" he asks. "On the house. Trust me, if you're chasing after my brats, you're going to need all the energy you can get."
Yamada looks up, and his lips quirk upwards. Slowly, he sits up, and accepts the olive branch for what it is.
"Well, since it might be the last time, don't mind if I do."
Tsuyoshi returns the smile, and gets to work.
While writing this: Wait...wouldn't the tenth gen wait until everyone had left to slip away? Even with protective watch, it would be easier to avoid suspicion.
Also me: Yes...they should...but that doesn't mean they will. Tsuna IS their impulse control.
Me Again: Oh yeah...sucks to be a hero or a villain right now I guess...