Chapter Fifty-Two
Katsuki watched those dexterous hands make a knot with his necktie. They're precise with no single movement wasted. Now that he thinks about, Tsuna never wasted any moments when he's in action.
The brunet and the... Hitman have explained things to him. From how Tsuna became a candidate to be a mafia boss, who they fought, what kind of troubles they had encountered, and why they disbanded. How Tsuna went from a major villain to a vigilante then a hero in training. He was given a run down of how things work, what Tsuna's 'flames' really were and their role in mafia, and how everything will turn out later.
But he knew something is missing in the picture. Everytime the two look at each other, it's like they have this small agreement about keeping something as a secret. However, he didn't mind. He thinks that's a story for another time. Given how Tsuna is adamant on protecting him from those mummies who were calling him a civilian. He somehow feels relieved too that Tsuna trusted him enough to share him this secret, albeit reluctant.
It was a good thing he took some sleep awhile ago. He didn't know that the time difference of Italy and Japan was eight hours. He'll look like some zombie walking around Italy if he didn't. That, and it was good he went on high alert on Tsuna's movements. He was one sneaky person with soundless footsteps. It took time for him to get used to hearing the brunet's almost unnoticeable sounds.
"Sorry about the suit." Tsuna mumbled while tugging the tie a little to ease it then opened a button for him. "It's for formality."
"You're not fond of formality." He mentioned as he took the coat that was being handed. He has a bulletproof vest on for protection, in case he gets attacked for being with them.
"I am not. It's one of the things I hated in mafia and parties." The other cringed before smiling wistfully. "You know, this is partly the reason why Dad and I had a misunderstanding this summer."
"You told him all this and he reacted badly?" He gawked.
"A little. But as I've said, I understand his reason." Tsuna stepped back and put a gun at his back. "He had known me for twelve years, yet I didn't have the courage to tell him about... This. He was hurt." Caramel eyes looked at him. "He felt the same as you. He had seen me get upset, cry and all the negative and depressing things I could do, and it frustrated him that he didn't know the reason. However, thank you for taking this in a stride. I honestly didn't consider that you'll catch me or even come along."
"If I'm impulsive, you're careless." He pulled in the coat. "I rather have you safe than be sorry."
Tsuna hummed as he let his headphones dangle. "You also took All Might-san and Izuku's secret in a stride." Then he got flashed with a grateful smile. "You're a great friend, Katsuki. Too bad we didn't get to know each other that early."
He gulped and looked away as he fixed his collars. He wonders if Deku thinks the same thing. He's trying to find ways on how to gain his childhood friend's forgiveness. But first, he needed to find a way to thank Tsuna for all the things he had done to him.
Thinking back, the brunet saved him from being shunned after saying those 'things' to Deku. If Deku really did his stupid 'advice', what will be the end of him? It's not only the greenet who was saved, he was as well. The Slime incident made him even guiltier, unable to say 'thank you' to the brunet without his pride. Tsuna made his life a little bearable since he apologized (only to have a condition), and gained a companion every once in a while. When he's alone, he'll get someone who will toss him a candy to munch on and just stand there with him to wait. When he's about to think about what to do with the greenet, he'll back down at the sight of caramel eyes. He became a little 'tame', as what others framed it.
When he's angry, all he needed to see is Tsuna, and he'll calm down. The only reason he got angry that one time they went to the arcade is because he couldn't erase that melancholy look on the brunet and parted with a bad end. It's like Tsuna was pushing him away with how he asked him of what he thinks about their classmates. He doesn't know how relieved he was when he noticed how the brunet slowly socialize with the others though. Add on the summer events: the lodge, the kidnapping, and the brunet running away from his own home. That time, when he saw Tsuna with his Mom and looked so down, he knew he has to do something. The last time gave him a shock, but that moment, he knew what he needed to do. He was ready. (Although he got comforted, again, with his thoughts about All Might and all the fucked up secrets.)
Maybe he wanted to come now, because he wanted to at least give the brunet a reason to come back to them. He might come back for Aizawa-sensei, but that doesn't mean he has a reason to go back to UA. UA won't be as bearable as it is without Tsuna in it.
He turned to see Reborn when the latter showed up and gestured them to come. Tsuna beckoned him to come, so he did. He followed them out of the room until to the hotel lobby. It was already dark when they went out where a limousine was waiting. Tsuna went in before he did then Reborn climbed in. There was a lady in a formal female suit inside, with her hair down and very foreigner-like. He watched as his classmate reached out and kissed the woman's cheek, who gave a pleased smile. Now that he thinks about it, Tsuna did say something about Italy's customs that differ from Japan's.
"Good evening, Aunt Nadia." Tsuna greeted. "Good to see you again."
"It should have been nicer if in a good circumstances." Nadia sighed before gazing at him and Reborn, and gave a nod. "Good evening."
He gave a nod as a greeting.
"She's my aunt from my Tousan's side." Tsuna informed to him as Reborn talked with the lady. "They were one of those who tried to take my custody from Dad. But she opposed after seeing how adamant I am on staying."
"His family was part of mafia?"
A nod. "Yup. It's how I became a candidate." Then he earned a shoulder bump. "Lighten up, will you? Be as arrogant as you want to. Scowl even. I rather have an explosive Katsuki on my side than a frightened one."
"Fuck you." He cursed, glaring at the brunet who beamed at him. How ironic. "I'm not damn scared."
"There. That's better." The other nodded in approval. "If they ask you who you are, tell them you're my element. Harmonized? Not yet. Flame type, rain. Got it?"
Wait. Rain is tranquil, right? "Why would I get a rain?"
Caramel eyes flickered to where Reborn is before they went back to him. "Because he said so. I'm not gonna harmonize with anyone. It brings a lot of trouble."
'I bring a lot of trouble.' Katsuki's mind translated. "Like this one?"
"Like this one." Tsuna nodded with an amused smile. "I didn't even harmonize with anyone, but here I am."
"Bakugou." He turned to Reborn. "You stand beside me later. Whatever happens, you don't stray. Tsuna can handle himself well enough, especially when he does something he likes."
"I'm thinking of hundred things I can do tonight." Tsuna hummed with a small scary smirk on his lips. "I have six hours to do it."
"It's dangerous to be near Tsuna when he's like that later." Reborn remarked. "Right now, he's only sane because you're here." He turned to Tsuna who smiled at him. "See. He shouldn't be smiling like that."
"Don't make him think like I'm a mental who got out of my asylum." The brunet admonished.
"I thought you were." He can't help cracking, causing Reborn laughed while Tsuna gaped at him. He smirked. "What? You always act like one."
"My God." His friend lamented as if he's so over it. "It didn't even take you hours to be with Reborn, but you're already corrupted. Let's stop by the church later. I have to make some priest expel Reborn's demon energy out of you."
"You're the demon between us, Stupid. I'm only a spawn." The hitman rebutted.
"I'm human." Tsuna countered haughtily.
"I'll take the title then." He cut off, earning their attention. "To take it higher, I'll be the demon king."
He preened when Tsuna burst into laughter. Even Nadia giggled while Reborn chuckled. They talked a little more that caused him to relax further and be himself. They didn't even notice how much time passed when they arrived. He looked outside the window as they entered through a gate. Up ahead is a castle, and they have wide lawns. Instead of coming up to the castle's drive way, they stopped somewhere in middle of the compound.
Reborn opened the door and gestured him to come out. He followed then stepped aside for Tsuna to walk out. At the middle of the said lawn are people in different attires. They are seemingly divided into groups with how parted they are, and by the very middle are rope-tied three people being hissed by a giant... Lizard. When Tsuna came out, Reborn closed the door and stood beside him. They followed the brunet to those people.
However, there's this heavy pressure that slowly descends on him that he can't pinpoint who it comes from as they get near the group. If he doesn't have his pride, he would've keeled. If he doesn't have his own power, he would've given out at the sheer amount of heaviness. It's like he was being forced to submit over someone's power.
"Good. You can at least withstand it." He heard Reborn say. "This isn't the full blast though." Then black eyes gazed at him. "Tsuna's bloodlust."
"This is coming from him?" He queried and eyed the his classmate who is walking in front of them.
"Yes. It will get painful as it goes on. You'll see some of them kneel later." The man gave a challenging smirk that highly irritated him. "I hope you aren't one of them."
He scowled. "I won't be. I'm gonna beat Tsuna."
"Leon." A soft orotund voice called out. He watched as the brunet put a hand on the giant lizard's head and pet it. "It's alright."
The lizard hissed.
"I know. I too am angry. But Reborn misses you." Yellow layered eyes turned to them. "I miss you. Natsu misses you. So please? Let me handle this?"
The lizard slowly let out this yellow tendrils of flames that he remembers on Tsuna, and went smaller and smaller. Before he knew it, it's running towards Reborn and climbed its way to the man until it settled itself to the shoulder, near the neck, and nuzzled there.
"I know. I'm sorry too. But will you accept me?" Reborn whispered, leaning to the lizard. "Thank you, Leon."
Katsuki blinked and looked away. Heck, he saw Natsu, why should he be surprised?
"Let's get this over with." Tsuna voiced and eyed the three people in front of him. "Who ordered Reborn's ambush."
No one answered.
"Mammon."
"According to the info I got," A guy with hooded cape started off. "Federico made the order and discussed it with Enrico. Enrico sealed the deal."
"So Massimo and Xanxus have no idea?" Tsuna questioned.
A shake of head. "No."
"What happened to those who put bullets on my hitman?" Katsuki's body slowly went heavy as more pressure get dumped on them. "Varia?"
"Some are held captive, others turned into fertilizers" A guy with colorful hair answered.
Red eyes shifted to the ground. Fertilizers mean they got buried, right?
"They're Vongola, yes?"
"Yes."
"Torture them." His eyes widened at the order.
"Voi! Who are you to order us around, you-"
His eyes turned to Reborn who held out a hand with a fucking gun as Tsuna's pressure went incredibly heavier that caused some to stagger and kneel at the sheer power. Katsuki stood his ground. Don't fucking joke with him!
"Problem, Superbi Squalo?" Reborn challenged.
The long silver haired man fell on his knees and gasped. "Fuck!"
"Byakuran said there's a difference between the bearer and the holder." Tsuna hummed as he crouched down. He didn't mind those who kneeled because of him. "Seeing how the ring is still sealed, you failed. You aren't Vongola Decimo even if you try, Enrico de Vongola. Yours is just a title." Then he reached out and slipped this ring out of Enrico's finger. "What Primo likes is someone who protects." He slipped the ring to his left middle ring. "Someone who has the strongest resolve." Then he lit it up with his orange flames. "Someone whose pride lies to the safety of his people, not just Vongola."
Katsuki closed his eyes as the ring burst into light. The only time he opened them is when he heard gasps. The ring Tsuna took turned to a polished one.
"Like what I've told you, this form can only be achieved with the approvals of Primo, the First generation Vongola and the Arcobaleno." Then the two people beside Enrico yelled when Tsuna took the the latter's collar and dragged him nearer. The brunet's face twisted into an angry sneer. "But I didn't say kill my Reborn, you son of an asshole."
"Tsuna." The hitman beside him called out.
"How does it fucking feel kneeling in front of a teenager you threatened to kill three months ago, Enrico? Degrading? Disgusting? Embarrassing? Oh no. Fucking mortifying. Let me guess," The brunet's lips made a sick grin. "Nono was disappointed and angry on you for killing his trusted friend, wasn't he? And he expressed his thought of regretting that he picked you as his successor."
All three pair of eyes widened.
Katsuki felt his stomach drop as tears flowed from those eyes. "My sun... My Reborn... How can Vongola betray you? He was so close... I could've flown here to help him, but he didn't want to burden me. He said it was hopeless." Enrico gritted his teeth when the grip went vice as the brunet went on with his lamentation. "He was nicked, not because he is weak. No. My hitman is strong. The strongest out of all the seven strongest people my uncle gathered. Flames, combat abilities, and skills. He has everything. The Jack of all trades that mastered every single thing. He could've been a great asset. He could've been a good element. Fuck. He was my element. I wanted him to stay home. I asked him to stay, but he said he'd be home. But what did you do?"
Harsh brown eyes stared down at Enrico, swept his gaze to the two other. Katsuki flinched as the others did when flames lashed out in wild waves from the brunet. He could feel how powerful they are. Painful and sad too.
Just what can a single man do to a vigilante?
"God. I wasn't this fucking stupid when I was in this age." Tsuna let go of the man, who face planted, and stood up. "I didn't kill as long as there is no evidence. Then again, this is mafia." He pulled out the ring that turned back to its original state. "Vongola is weak. It doesn't have Reborn's idiosyncrasies, Varia's trust, Arcobaleno's wisdom, Chiavallone's brotherhood, Millefiore's million flowers, Giglio Nero's lilies, Simon's earth, Vindice's support, and the Ancient's blessing. My Vongola had it, and it lived. It's respected and known. Feared to be messed with, asked to have its protection and alliance, and loved by its people. Vongola was never a mafia, it was a vigilante group. Katsuki, head's up."
He caught the ring and raised a brow at it. "What am I gonna do with this?"
"Keep it for a while, but don't wear it. It will kill you if you do. It's notorious in killing the wearer who does not have the Vongola blood." Reborn said. "Watch how Tsuna do this mafia style."
"They said you do not mess with the sky and its guardians." The brunet said as he whipped out the gun he hid awhile back in the hotel. "Because when the sky is in danger, the guardians rampages. When the guardians are in peril, the sky avenges. You took my Reborn from me, and I'm not a saint, nor a demon. I'm a human." Then he raised it to Enrico's head, startling Katsuki. "Will your life, Federico's and your guardians' lives compensate the shine of my sun you stole from me? Because I don't think your any form of apology will bring him back."
"Oi Sawada." The guy, with scars on his face and ornaments at the end of his hair, called out. "That's my brother."
"The brother who forgot your birthday?" The guy clamped his mouth. "Family my ass. He couldn't even think straight when he signed the paper. Oh wait." His hand went to Federico. "He was the one who suggested it."
"No!" Enrico shouted. "Not Federico!"
"Did you thought of the same thing when you signed the paper, Enrico? No?" Tsuna hummed. "One question, Federico. Why did you think it was essential to kill Reborn?"
The man at gunpoint stared at the brunet with this glinting fear and anger in his eyes. "We-"
The brunet spun the gun to hold its barrel and smacked the man across the face with it. Federico went down with a groan. "You should've known better than to lie to me, Federico de Vongola. I'm a descendant of Primo. I have Vongola intuition stronger than all your bloodline combined." A smile was flashed. "Try again."
"He was allied to you." Federico picked himself up, blood dripping from his mouth, before he spat something out. A tooth probably. He was glaring at the brunet, but the latter looked unforgiving. "We know Reborn. He can be overbearingly protective. It takes a lot of persuasion from Papa to make him calm down and not attack those who threatened Papa. If he heard from you that we have threatened you or even learned from the vines that we will send hitmen and assassins in your way, he'll kill us first. And I decided to open it up to Enrico. I told him the possibility. That it's better to remove one threat that can remove him from his position. That you were lying about the Arcobaleno blessing to remove the ring's seal."
"Then it's settled."
"Wha-"
Katsuki's eyes widened when that hand spun the gun to its grip and shot too fast that their indication that it fired was when they heard a loud gunshot. Federico flinched, eyes closing tightly as red line formed on the man's right cheek.
"Whoops. Friendly shot." The brunet mocked before chuckling harmlessly and moved the gun right on the man's forehead. "This time, I won't miss. Just like what your Vongola did to my hitman."
"Tsuna!"
Molten amber eyes turned to him. They're furious and sad and regretful. "Yes, Katsuki?"
"You have to-" He courageously stepped forward and walked to get to his side. "-take a deep breath first. You're angry. You're frustrated. You're sad, but you don't want to act in anger. You're way higher than them. They're low. They're mafia. You're a vigilante. They aren't worth it."
"You want me to forgive them?"
"Heck no! They made you cry, and you're crying now, so why the fuck are you going to forgive them?" He said in disgust, remembering how Tsuna sobbed that night and how painful to see those tears now. He knows the tears now were only a thirty-sixth of what the brunet let out during that night. "I even want you to kill them. If you want, I'll kill them myself. We can both do it. But we both know you'll regret doing it later. It will also be wasteful. You're someone who will try to torture your enemy— to make them regret and feel stupid for making you angry. So be creative. You're good at that."
Slowly, those eyes turned caramel before a familiar grin appeared. "Oh."
"You dumbass." He insulted and smacked the other's head. "What will happen if I wasn't here?"
"Incinerate them?" Tsuna asked as he closed his right eye when Katsuki took the hankie from his backpocket and started to wipe the tears away. The brunet slipped it there to complete the look. Who knew they could use it for this.
"I'm the killer, you're the pacifist, asshole." He huffed, wiping the left eye.
"Say stronzo."
"Stronzo." He repeated as he stepped back.
"That's 'asshole'." Then he got a dazzling grateful smile. "Thanks, Katsuki."
"You're damn welcome." He grumbled and stepped back. He folded the hankie again and stuffed it to his pocket.
"What do you suggest, Lal?" Tsuna asked to the lady with a scars on her face, while putting on his mittens. "You are Reborn's family."
The lady's stone cold expression didn't need to say anything.
"Colonnello? Fon? Arcobaleno?"
"I want them dead, Kora." A blond in camouflage sneered, glaring in hatred at the three. "They killed Reborn."
"Dead." A man in red garb and braided long hair clipped.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." A guy in casual attire, much like a civilian like him, uttered with no emotion.
"Aria wants them dead." Byakuran, the white head who took Tsuna that one time, piped in with this big, so wrong, grin. "Yuni had been crying for hours."
"What about Uncle Kawahira?"
"He said do what you think is right." Reborn remarked.
"Natsu." The familiar lion went out of Tsuna's pinkie ring and roared at the three. He looked feral and ready to bite their head off in moment notice. "Shh. Katsuki, Dad and Reborn won't be happy if we kill them."
"Gao!" Natsu whined as Tsuna patted him.
"I am too. But let's do something fun instead." The brunet soothes as he summoned his flames again. "Natsu, ring of the sky version Vongola X, cambio forma." Natsu went back to the gloves and they turned to this red gloves that went up to Tsuna's elbows. "I would've at least learned a thing or two from my guardians' destructive natures." Then he took flight.
"You aren't the one doing the paper works!" Reborn yelled out.
A merry laugh was heard as they watched Tsuna come a little near to the castle. "I know!"
"What is he doing?!" Massimo shouted in panic.
"Won't this be nice?" Byakuran snickered while standing beside him. "The Vongola mansion will get transferred to Sicily." Then purple eyes turned to him. "Hello. I am Byakuran Gesso. Nice to meet you, Katsuki Bakugou."
He gave a nod then turned to Tsuna who has both of his hands on positioned to the direction of castle. The lighter orange flames he usually sees from the brunet whenever he uses X-burner is coming out from the elbows instead of from the usual left hand. "What is he doing?"
"Charging." Reborn answered with a vicious smirk. "This is the power of Vongola Decimo, Bakugou. Don't blink or you'll miss it."
"XX-burner." He heard Tsuna say.
His eyes widened at the twin big blasts of flames that fired from Tsuna's hands. They went directly to the castle and destroyed half of it, although a lot burned off the side lawn, creating a big crater. As if enjoying himself, Tsuna parted his arms, like the usual X-burner position. The Vongola 'brothers' shouted for him to stop, but those people surrounding them made them stay put with this dark satisfaction in their faces. Tsuna uttered 'X-burner: air' and blasted everything.
He cursed when the brunet didn't bring his hands down and exchanged the flame outputs. From X-burner, it became X-surge. As if they were kids, Reborn and Byakuran blurted 'oh's in awe and amazement. Tsuna's laughter rang out as he brought down his hands like the XX-burner, and did a XX-surge. When he went down, the castle was nowhere. It was erased from the face of the earth while those floras around it are on fire.
Tsuna started to do this happy dance and shouted how he surpassed his guardians in destroying things. He also sang out 'no paperworks for me', which made Reborn laugh. There's really something in paper works that Tsuna has a grudge on them.
"Katsuki!" Tsuna called and laid his hand. "The ring!"
He threw the ring. "Catch!"
The brunet caught it and raised it. "I'm sorry, Primo. But, your successor doesn't deserve this!" Then he clenched his hand around it and let his hand burn with hard flames.
"No!" Enrico desperately shouted. "Please! No! Not the heirloom! Not the ring!"
Tsuna gave a sweet angelic smile that put shivers to his spine. "Should've thought that before you signed the paper, Vongola." Then he opened his hand to let them see a no repairable ring. "Now, good luck asking Talbot-san a new Vongola sky ring and assuring all your allied force that you weren't attacked. This is what you get in messing with the Vongola Decimo. Kill another one of my elements, and you'll rather want to stay in Vendicare prison."
Then the familiar cold sensation entered his system as rattling chains resounded. He watched how the three brothers paled and some of them tensed up.
"Tsunayoshi Sawada." The baby, who Tsuna called Bermuda, appeared with this Jaeger guy.
"Massimo will take over the Vongola for awhile." Tsuna informed before turning to Nadia and Lal. "Any objection, CEDEF?"
"No." Both ladies answered.
"Varia?"
It took a second before the guy with hair accessories answered. "No."
"Massimo de Vongola, any objections?" Tsuna asked. "We both know you have a good head between your shoulders, kid. Don't let it go to waste like how your brothers did. Even Xanxus knew what kind of stupidity they did."
Massimo pursed his lips before bowing his head. "No objections."
"We'll sentence Federico Ferrino de Vongola and Enrico Fermi de Vongola of six months in Vendicare prison, in charge of issuing an order to kill the the strongest-"
"The world's strongest hitman." Tsuna and Reborn corrected in chorus.
"-hitman and the Sun Arcobaleno. By the creed established that no Arcobaleno must be killed, the Vongola Decimo and his accomplices have violated this rule. Is that enough?" Jaeger declared as he put chains around the two. "Do you want us to take the perpetrators?"
"I'll let Reborn and the Varia do that." Tsuna waved off. "Too bad Kyouya, Mukuro and Chrome aren't here. They love torturing people who messed with us."
He can't help smacking the brunet's head with a scowl, unknowingly exasperated. "Vigilante, Tsuna. Vigilante."
"What? I'm not the one who's doing it anyway." Tsuna defended. "I'm usually against this, but my rules are my rules."
He can't help agreeing. Even he will do it if it was his parents who got killed. Just imagining it makes him angry.
"Well, then." The Vindice bid.
They watched the two get dragged in the portal before it gets closed. Katsuki turned to see Tsuna, who had his eyes closed, as if silently praying. Everyone is quiet too. They waited until the brunet opened his eyes and smiled at them. His eyes went to Massimo and Xanxus, and his smile saddened a little.
"I won't apologize." He said. "I rather had them dead than be in prison. Everyone of us, except you, want them dead. That's how important Reborn is. But thanks to Katsuki, they didn't have the same fate as what they did to Reborn." Then he turned to those guys who said they wanted the two dead. "Colonnello."
Katsuki watched the blond come to Tsuna and hugged him tightly while sobbing his heart out. He said how much he cried when his mind registered that his best rival died. He was planning to ask him as his best man by challenging him into a fight. When Tsuna called for Fon, the braided haired guy, the man teared up a little and didn't say a thing. Lal came next before Skull, who expressed how he'll miss his sempai's bullying. Tsuna hugged Viper too, who was a bit reluctant.
It was painful. He wondered if he'll cry like that if Deku died, or went missing. He did cry in guilt to Tsuna about All Might.
"Reborn." Tsuna called out to the hitman beside him with outreached hand.
"What?" Reborn questioned as he took the hand and stood beside Tsuna.
"Everyone, I know it's hard, but this is my Reborn from my world." The brunet said slowly, eyeing all the people who are listening to him. "He maybe a little different, but they're still the same. He'll come and go, he'll be very annoying, and super unreasonable. He's like your trigger happy Reborn, but a bit older."
"Shut up."
Tsuna chuckled. "And more domesticated."
"You aren't my best rival." Reborn said to Colonnello who sported a shock look. "You are forever be my best friend. I'll gladly take on the position as your best man."
The blond laughed. "You son of-"
Katsuki blinked at the loud sound of gunshot from Reborn's gun. Colonnello dodged it with ease though. "Don't finish that, Idiot."
"As long as there is a Tsunayoshi Sawada, there is a Reborn." Byakuran chirped from beside him. "Tsu-chan is always different in every world, but Reborn will always be the same." Then purple eyes peered at him. "You are lucky to have him as your sky, Kacchan. Tsu-chan is the most encompassing sky you'll meet once in a life time. Treasure him, and you'll be loved."
"Katsuki!" Tsuna called and took his wrist with his everlasting warm smile directed to him. "Come here. I'm gonna introduce you to our family."
As he gets himself pulled, he realized how lucky he really is to have Tsuna as a friend.
(He's part of the family now.)