A/N:

Here is the update. A little busy this week since I had to finish some academic stuffs. Thank you for the reviews though. I'm so sorry I can't reply you atm.

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Anyway, go on.

Chapter Seven

Tsuna can't help himself from sighing as he adjusted his collar before pushing his tie upward. He took his headphones and gloves before going with the others.

So far, the costume he wanted to have with specifications are on point. He tested his flames on the material, and it didn't burn. When he tried tearing it apart, it didn't break. They were comfy too. He hasn't tested his gloves and earphones, but his contacts needs some adjustments. Maybe he should request something? He hadn't tried it on X-burner and XX-burner anyway. But given his gloves right now, he won't be able to fire the latter.

"Sawada, what kind of hero costume is that?" Iida asked to him as they entered the tunnel, garnering some of their classmates' attentions.

"Woah." Kirishima exclaimed. The redhead gave him an overall. "You look good, Tsuna."

Tsuna put on his headphones. "It's black suit."

"That's rather... Unusual." Yaoyorozu commented, inspecting his costume. "It looks like a normal suit."

"At least it's more formal than Kaminari's." Mina teased, earning a pout from their mentioned classmate.

"It's heat resistant." He supplied while putting the gloves on. Instead of giving the original design of his original gloves, he went for black ones with silver fingers and circular plates on the back of the hands with 'X' on them, and flexible silver bands on the wrists. He clenched his hands for a test. "Huh. This won't really accumulate them."

"You're a fire quirk, ribbit?" Asui queried, walking beside him.

"I'm more of a flame type." He answered, earning curious looks. "Well, fire is known to be a product of combustion. The flame is the glowing part. Like while Katsuki blasts, I blaze. He explodes, I glow."

"Oh!" Others exclaimed.

"Those are different?" Kaminari inquired, a little confused.

"They sometimes co-relate. Like if there is no fire, there is no flame. For example, the TV won't lit up if there is no electricity." Yaoyorosu backed up before eyeing him with expectation. "But what makes yours different, Sawada?"

"I can light mine without any sources." He chirped as they exited the tunnel. "You'll see later."

"Now let's see what you're made up, you embryos!" All Might greeted them at the end of the tunnel. "It's time for the trial of battles!"

As All Might started to explain to them what the trial is, Tsuna was able to grasp everything. In summary, the trial of battles is a battle between a pair of heroes and a pair of villains inside a five storey building. The villains have this nuclear weapon that they have to guard before they will deploy it. The job of the heroes is to subdue the villains or touch the nuclear weapon before the time runs out.

And since he's the odd one out...

"Maybe we should draw again for Sawada." Yaoyorozu suggested.

"Or maybe if someone is willing to go second." Shouji offered.

"Or I can do it alone?" Tsuna offered, which got negated.

"It will be unfair." Ojiro dismissed with a shake of his head.

"But it will be unfair for the second try too." He pointed out. "It will be fine. Plus ultra." And he raised a peace sign.

The others sighed in defeat.

"But, the fastest pair to win will be your enemy." Yaoyorozu finalized.

The brunet gave a salute. "Got it, Ma'am!"

All Might gave them a thumbs up. "Good decisiveness! And the first two pairs to go combat will be the following!" Then he put his hands on two different boxes: a white box for heroes and red box for villains, and pulled out one ball each. "Pair A will be heroes! Pair D will villains!"

Tsuna's eyes went to Katsuki and Midoriya before he nervously breathed a laugh. "Oh boy."

As the two pairs went for their designated places, the rest of them were ushered to a monitoring room. Tsuna sat himself at the very front, intending to watch the match with his own eyes.

For the past months, after his explosive fit that day by defending Midoriya and standing up on Katsuki, he won't deny that he got to know the two more than he expected for the months that followed. He doesn't know if it was his intuition acting, or his matured and aged brain working. He noticed that Katsuki has some unknown insecurities towards Midoriya, while the latter hates and admires the former. It's like both of them have their own insecurities to each other that they couldn't settle just yet. Maybe it will take a lot of fight. Huh. He should probably leave it to his Dad. Shouta is a good educator to boot.

Like what Tsuna predicted, the fight between the two was explosive. Everyone can hear what they were saying, all eyes are on the two. There's even a time that Kirishima wanted the battle to stop with how much Midoriya was getting beaten up. But before All Might could stop the fight, Midoriya and Uraraka were able to win with a plausible team work but careless approach.

But Tsuna was proud for the greenet. The latter was able to find his strength from his nickname. Instead of sticking to the original meaning of Deku, which was useless, Midoriya turned it meaningful and put his own connotation to it. Midoriya is a deku who never gives up. From zero to hero indeed.

After the fight and they assembled again, Katsuki was in shock with how Midoriya was able to beat him, to the point that he was unable to say anything on the scoldings to the three of them (because the greenet was wheeled to the infirmary) got. All Tsuna could do for the blond was sit beside him while the others get paired up. And no. He didn't try to converse with the other. Why would he if Katsuki isn't saying anything too?

"He was reading my moves." The blond mumbled when the last pairs were fighting their ways.

"Maybe because you're predictable?" He queried before patting the other's shoulder.

"He said so." Another mumble.

"It can't be helped. Moves can be predictable when we use them all the time. Try changing them, Katsuki. Improvise." He glanced at Bakugou. "You've asked him, right? Give him time. He'll tell you something sometime soon."

The blond scoffed. "I don't care about that!"

Tsuna chuckled. "You're too old to be cute, Katsuki."

"Wha-"

"But if you need someone to talk to, I'm here, yeah? We aren't really friends. Maybe classmates, but I'll probably understand you." He smiled as he ruffled the baffled teen's hair. Sometimes, Tsuna forgets that he's older than them too. That, as someone older, he should understand them. "Everything will be alright, Katsuki."

"Young Sawada! You're up!" All Might called out to him.

He snappily stood up to escape the surprised blond. "Yes, Sir."

"Let's see!" The hero dipped his hands to the boxing and pulled them out. "Your letter is K, and you're asked to be a villain! The team B will be heroes once again!"

Caramel eyes flitted to Todoroki and Shouji. The brunet smiled disarmingly. "Please take care of me."

The two nodded.

"Hey hey! They're starting!"

Katsuki looked up to see what's happening. The monitor focused on this half ice guy and that tentacle man while the other monitor went to focus on Tsuna who looked lax, sitting on the floor with his back on the egg-like capsule. It's like the brunet is not a villain that is going to be attacked by heroes any seconds.

Red eyes kept on watching, unable to drift his eyes away as All Might said 'start'. The moment that Todoroki entered the building, he made the building get engulfed with ice. All, except for the room Tsuna was in. As Shouji and Todoroki started to ascend the stairs, all of them watched Todoroki's ice starts to melt.

"Wait." The redhead among them voiced. "Tsuna-"

"He's in flames." Yaoyorozu uttered, eyes still on the monitor. "I don't know how hot it is in there, but to keep Todoroki's ice from coming in. He's not even melting the weapon."

"Damn. Is it just me or he's the most laid back villain I'm seeing?" Kaminari cursed as Todoroki's ice turned to water completely, and they can see sweats forming on the two's forehead as they ascend, they're not even at the fourth floor.

"Unbelievable." He heard Mineta mumbled. "It most be scorching there!"

"Hey! Tsuna's standing up!" Kirishima shouted.

Katsuki blinked when he saw an orange flame manifesting between the brunet's brows. Tsuna's gloves donned the same orange flames, and before they knew it, flames erupted. All eyes were on the monitor, watching as Shouji went for the nearest window and jumped out there, while Todoroki tried to make some ice. The ice in the whole fourth floor melted and evaporated before they even became water.

Before long, the flames retracted until only Tsuna's eyes were orange. The flame between his brows and hands were gone. It looks like his gloves evaporated because of the high density of flames he let out. The temperature went low, enough for Todoroki to come up, and try to make the whole room get covered in ice, but it never reached. They slowly melts.

"It won't work." The brunet in suit commented, leaning on the egg. "You're in my domain."

"I can still touch the weapon." Todoroki informed.

The brunet smirked and waved off a hand. "Sure. Go on. Be warned though,"

Katsuki felt shiver went down his spine when those orange eyes went half lidded, almost challenging even though so cold and express this insane look. He suddenly remembered that time in their room. But this time, far scarier.

"before your hand can touch my weapon, your hand will break into five pieces. I hate it when the things I like get touched." Tsuna continued, patting the weapon. "I get a little creative and imaginative when provoked."

Todoroki just stood there, eyes wide.

"Shit." The blond heard some cursed.

"How can you move with a threat like that?!" Mineta shouted, eyes wide with what's happening inside the building.

"Should I say Thanks God for making Sawada a hero and not a villain?" Kaminari voiced in uncertainty.

"Time's up!" All Might called out on the mic. "Villain wins!"

They watched as the brunet's eyes went back to caramel before raising a peace sign to Todoroki with a cheery smile. "Do I pass as a villain? I mean I can go for a recon and disguise as one of them if needed."

Katsuki can't help the small grin from forming on his lips. He can't dismiss the fact that getting to know Tsuna became interesting. The brunet may look unapproachable all the time with his headset on, but once he talks and socialize, he has this different vibe. So outgoing, always cheery and optimistic, and understanding. Yet, he's also realistic, decisive and rational. He's never annoying regardless of how much he teases the blond. And to think he offered a shoulder to lean on.

Seeing those results yesterday and today, he can say that the brunet is much more powerful than he is. But he swore to surpass All Might, so why not surpass Tsuna too? To Katsuki, he respects the brunet like how he respects his Mother. There's just this something Tsuna that demands respects, and forces you to pay respect.

"How was the battle trial?" Shouta questioned to his son who is scribbling something on some papers while listening to the TV.

"It was fine."

Shouta peered from his position by the kitchen and raised a brow. "Fine?"

"Yeah. Nothing I couldn't handle." The brunet answered in a distracted voice. "How do you integrate a chain rule again?"

Eraserhead felt the sides of his lips quirk up in fondness as he hears the teen groan in frustration again. In whatever age, Math will always be the enemy of his kid. Even at kindergarten, when they came home from the school, the first he heard from the child was a groan of how he hates Math. Shouta couldn't understand why the kid hates Math that much, but seeing the kid go frustrated over it makes him chuckle.

Aizawa went back to his work, which was making dinner just for the heck of it, while thinking about the papers All Might gave him after the trial of battles. Of course, the first evaluation he searched was his son's. And to say he was intrigued with the evaluation was not something unusual, but still worth the frown.

Tsuna's remarks were great, although for a villain. According to All Might, the brunet is dangerous to be a villain. Although he acted as one, he got what a criminal should act. Determined, challenging, menacing, cold and heartless. Most of all, insane and ambitious. The brunet's threat on Todoroki sounded earnest. Like Tsuna means every words he said. In terms of quirk, not even Todoroki's amazing ice quirk control can beat the 'flame' of his son. All Might specifically underlined the word 'scorch' to describe how the dying will was able to evaporate all ice in the fourth floor of the building.

Maybe he's thinking too much, but Aizawa entertained the thought that came to him when he read the word 'scorch'. He remembered the day he responded for the Sawada family. How the walls of the room were scorched like they were licked by fires. Or maybe flames. He didn't really consider Hizashi's theory at that time because it was impossible, but maybe it did happen. That at the tender of age of just turning four, Tsuna got his quirk? Young Lion has a fire quirk that was on par with Endeavor's, but it would've been impossible for the hero to singe the room if he was unconscious with his head injury, right?

His eyes snapped to his side when he felt a hand on his wrist. Expressive caramel eyes stared at him with worry as their owner took the knife away from his hand and placed it aside. Aizawa breathed a sigh and smiled to convince the other that he's okay.

"Not assuring." Tsuna deadpanned, causing him to chuckle. "You could've gotten yourself hurt, Dad."

"I wasn't." He denied.

"You won't know." The brunet retorted back, looking over to his hands. "Your forefinger would've have a bleeding wound right now if I didn't stop you."

"It won't matter." He dismissed.

"Small cuts hurt the most, Dad." Tsuna sighed, caressing his hands. "Like how thorns have the everlasting pain. Sometimes, big wounds numb so fast while small ones don't."

"I know." He patted the fluffy head as he sighed. "You worry too much."

"Just don't want to see you get hurt."

'Again.' Aizawa heard the unsaid word. "How will you fulfill your promise to me if I don't?"

"I still will." His son huffed before smirking. "No one can touch my family while I'm around. Remember that, Dad."

Shouta rolled his eyes before putting his hands on the teen's shoulders and turned him around. "Go do your Maths, Kid. I'm not falling for your tricks."

"Argh! No! Not Math!" The other groaned before both of them perked up when they heard some Italian lullaby resounding in the apartment. "Oh. That's mine."

Shouta watched his son jog for the living room. The hero shook his head before turning to the things he was cutting. He did everything in a fast manner while listening to Tsuna greet the other side of the line. He was about to turn on the stove when he heard a doorbell and the brunet's light steps approach the door.

"Yes- Katsuki? But you were-"

"He... told me." A gruff voice, Shouta recognizes as Bakugou's, said between pants.

"Go on." Tsuna urges patiently.

Shouta turned the fire on under the skillet.

"Deku told me that he will tell me everything when the time comes and that he will make his power his." Bakugou clarified. "Just like what you said, he told me something."

"See. I told you it will be alright." Tsuna cheered as Shouta put oil in the pan. "But that's not all you wanted to tell me, is it?"

"No. I'm going to tell you that I'll be the number one hero and I'll surpass All Might like I said so. You said I shouldn't make you laugh because I want to be a hero with this personality of mine. Let me tell you that I will become a hero as me. I'll beat Deku. I'll achieve greater than you. Then I'll surpass All Might. Remember that."

Aizawa put the ingredients as he heard Tsuna's soft laughter. "Okay."

"And I'm not cute!" Then some stomping was heard.

"Be careful on the way home, Katsuki!" Tsuna yelled by the hallway, earning a yell that sounded like a mix of response and some profanities. "Man. Katsuki is such a tsundere." The brunet snickered while closing the door.

"Well, aren't you close." He can't help commenting while mixing the ingredients.

"Hm? Not at all, Dad." He glanced back to see the brunet clicking away on his phone with a soft smile on his lips. "Katsuki respects me. I don't even think he sees me a friend. Just pure respect."

"Huh." He uttered as he continued what he was doing.

Shouta secretly smiled. He's not really the type to meddle with Tsuna's business, after the brunet turned nine and started to insist that he goes alone to the hospital so Aizawa can sleep all he wants. But since the day Shouta discovered that Tsuna doesn't like socialing with the kids in his age, and always prefers to be alone in class, he can't help getting worried. He knew he can't come to some of school events. Sometimes, it will take Hizashi to inform him because Tsuna rather had him sleeping and resting than attend some irrelevant event.

So he decided to find some ways for the brunet to enter UA after they discovered Tsuna's quirk. Although, he didn't expect for his son to interact nicely with Bakugou and Midoriya, at least it was a start. Then voila. Who knew Tsuna was the hero vigilante they were trying to get a hold of for four years? Shouta's plan went smoother than he expected and faster than he anticipated.

When he saw how Tsuna interacted with his classmates the day he made them do a quirk apprehension test, he felt relieved. Now hearing him have a conversation with Bakugou, he knew all he has to do is push more to make them bond. He wonders how he will do that.

Heh. He's finding himself wondering everytime it's about Tsuna. Really, he wonders...

"Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have aspirin?"

Shouta turned half way to see Tsuna wincing and has his right eye closed in pain. "What hurts?"

"My head does." The teen answered. "I feel like something bad will happen later or tomorrow."

"Like years ago?" He queried, turning off the stove to get the aspirin he keeps in the kitchen.

"Yeah. Like years ago." Tsuna sighed, taking his usual seat at the dining table.

The hero suddenly remembered that night Tsuna vowed to protect him once he's able.

That night, before he went to work, Tsuna was having a headache that was unusual for a child at his age. Well, except if he was getting sick and nauseous. But Tsuna denied everything he asked about some hidden symptoms. All the child warned him that time is to be careful. The worry, anxiousness, and protective gaze that kept on haunting him even after he left the house were evident that he promised to Tsuna that he'll be careful.

He couldn't keep his promise, eventually.

While on duty, he encountered a villain and got injured greatly before he was able to subdue the latter with some back ups' help. It was seriously his fault, coming home when he should've taken his fellow heroes' advices to go to the hospital. Maybe due to exhaustion that he forgot he has a eight years old in his home, distressed for his safety.

He remembered staggering inside the apartment and staring down to a worried brunet who's eyes were warm orange instead of usual caramel. He remembered how those tears formed and how they fell, breaking his heart in million pieces before he can even utter a string of apology for shocking Tsuna that way. He remembered those small hands clutching his bloody shirt with strong grips, dirtying themselves in the process as he hugged the child to his heart. What hurts the most was the fact that it was his first time seeing Tsuna cry.

He honestly felt like a chastised child after though. Tsuna was the one who stitched the long gashes and bandaged them with steady hands. The cold treatment, serious atmosphere and awkward silence were so uncomfortable. But he was truly amazed at how precise the brunet's work was. Tsuna did forgive him. Well, after sleeping beside him and taking care of him.

"Once I get older and grow more, I'll be your back's protector." Orange eyes stared at him with sincerity. "Wherever you are, I'll come to you. I'll be there to save you before they can even take you away from me. Okay, Shouta? You're my family, and no one will take my family from me."

If Aizawa was just a normal human by then, he won't really take those words seriously. But with how Tsuna worded them and how his tone sounded so determine, confident and honest. So so honest that he could only stare in awe and nod in understanding. He just knew that Tsuna will keep his promise by then.

Since then, he never doubted his son's headaches. The painful it is, the greater the disaster.

"Here." He offered the aspirin he found and the glass of water he prepared. "How bad is it?"

"A little mild." The brunet answered before putting the med inside his mouth and gulping the water. "It's like there's this brewing storm? Like someone is planning something."

"Alright." He stated. "I'll keep that in mind. Tell me if it gets worse, alright?"

He got rewarded with bright smile. "Yes, Sir."

He smiled back.

Shouta doesn't remember how bad it was.

No.

He doesn't remember seeing Tsuna this angry. Those molten amber look murderous and powerful. With how his aura flare dangerously, accompanied with his flames that flickers with higher and higher intensity. Tsuna looks so different from the cheery child he remembered raising.

This is another version of Tsuna he doesn't know.

"Who fucking died and gave you a bullshit permission to touch my family?" Tsuna said coldly, voice dripping with demand.

Aizawa smiled. Well, good luck to those who pissed his son.