Chapter 2:Encounter with the 4th Kazekage's Firstborn
Tsuna aimlessly walked on the neverending seas of sand,whistling the Tri-Ni-Sette song as a past time;his only lead being his intuition.
"Wake up,Nuts!We're nearing our destination!" He anounced cheerfully,waking the cub up from his sleep.
"Gao...?" Was the sleepy/questioning reply of the feline,yawning.
"Yup.We're nearly there,based on my intuition...though I really have no idea why I'm heading in this direction instead of heading straight to Suna." The brunet sighed,shaking his head in bewilderment.
Even though he wasn't sure why his intuition was urging him to head to a location which he didn't know of,he still listened;Tsuna then beamed when he felt his HI tell him that he was nearing his 'destination'.
Although he was beaming,he couldn't help but sweatdrop and think about the series of "The Final Destination".
It was a bit spooky and it was guaranteed to make an average person paranoid;what with the characters dying off from the supposed to be natural deaths,who wouldn't be?
'...This better not be a final destination thing!' He shivered.
...The brunet wasn't scared,nor did he get scared by the said series...he was just being cautious.
As he got nearer,he felt his intuition begin to tingle;his Lightning barrier dissolved as he didn't want anyone to view him as a potential enemy...especially if they might be his fellow Suna shinobi!
Still,even as he was on high alert,he felt that something bad was going to happen:he couldn't exactly put a finger on it,but...
Natsu growled,as if he could also feel what master was feeling.
When Tsuna finally got there,that was when it happened.
...His intuition went haywire.
Tsuna swiftly jumped back in a smooth motion,avoiding a horde of kunais from turning him into a human porcupine;instead of hitting him,it had struck the spot on the sand where he previously stood.
"Phew,that was a close call...thanks to my intuition,I had avoided it!" He breath a sigh of relief,before he then sweatdropped.
'...If Reborn had been here,he would have killed me himself for not paying attention to my surroundings and almost getting myself killed or what.'
Tsuna carefully crouched down and shot his head up...only to widen his eyes in shock and surprise at what he saw.
It was a kunoichi.Probably no more than 12-16 years old,more or less;then again,Tsuna wasn't that good at these stuff so he's more than likely to get her age wrong,even with the help of his Hyper Intuition...it was a bad habit of his.
Anyway,that wasn't exactly what surprised and had shocked him.
What shocked him was that the girl before him was none other than Sabaku no Temari,or in other words,the 4th Kazekage's daughter and firstborn.
...And she was fighting off a small group of shinobi;Tsuna noted that the blonde seemed to be holding herself well against them considering that it was six against one.
And the weapon that she was using was a giant tessen(metal fan)to knock them of their feet or deflect their attacks as fury burned in her eyes.
'She's strong...for someone her age.' He mused to himself,observing quietly and ready to intervene if need be.
As Tsuna was wondering whether to help out or not--well,because she seemed capable enough to take care of herself--a rouge shinobi sneaked in from behind.
...He had intended to strike her while she was occupied at the moment.
When the brunet saw this,he immediately jumped into battle and took out a kunai of his own by blocking the enemy's own kunai,parrying it off.
Clang!
The sound of metal against metal rang:sparks came to life as the two kunais clashed.
"Maa,maa...that isn't very nice of you:attacking someone from behind when they're unaware.Especially if they're a girl!Where has the sense of being a gentleman go?" Tsuna tutted,shaking his head in mock disappointment.
The enemy's eyes widened in surprise and shock at the intervention:before he clicked his tongue,hurriedly jumping back and eyeing him warily.
"Ha!Are you stupid?This is the shinobi world!There's no such thing as being a gentleman in battle:there is only the kill or be killed!" He sneered.
'Hm...so I really am right.'Shinobi world',huh?So I really am in a parallel world...' He thought,observing the movements of his opponents.
They finally noticed him--which really disappointed him since they were really slow to notice--and were also wary of him,their guard up and their forms tense.
Tsuna hummed,taking a defensive stance and ready to make a move if need be,shifting his weight to have a better adjustment in order to be able to instantly attack.
Temari noticed a flash of brown and black at the corner of her eye and glanced at who it was,only to widen her seafoam-green eyes in shock.
This man who had just appeared,was the rumored Jounin who was at the top of all jounins,and the only one to recieve numerous offers to be the Kazekage's ANBU/personal bodyguard...but he also kept turning it down.
Some say that the man had turned the offers down because he liked all the attention or that he wanted to be famous...others say that he turned the Kazekage's offers because he had an issue or grudge against ANBU positions.
But the most commonly heard,was that he was a man who killed only when necessary and managed to make his enemies into allies and was a kind-hearted man,willing to accept all...he was a man fighting each day to stop children from becoming a war orphan like him so that they could come home with a mom or dad waiting for them.
...He was a mysterious man who seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders:and he walked a lonely path,with barely anyone by his side.
He was called 'Lion' within the shinobi ranks and had the 'flee-on-sight' to his name in the bingo book,but most of all...he was called 'Cielo' in the 'Underworld'.
"Maa,that's not entirely impossible,you know?Maybe so,for some of you...but what has she done to you?I can tell that you attacked her out of nowhere when she hasn't even done anything to you." He pointed out.
"Urusei,teme!You have no right to speak like you know something!You're just a stranger barging into someone else's business!" Another spat as he cursed the brunet.
Tsuna's face looked blank on the outside,but on the inside he wanted to retort and sarcastically reply to them that--yes,he knew something and that they were just incredibly(probably)too stupid to noticed that he knew something.
Meanwhile,Temari looked horrified that they were cursing one of the legendary shinobis of Suna and of the world.
Did they not know who they were cursing or fighting with?Did they have a death wish?
Temari wanted to just leave and bolt out of the fight:even if the man was a saint,Kami knows what might happen if he gets mad!
No,she wasn't going to leave;she has to get rid of this rouge shinobis first,common sense be damned.
"Like hell you know anything!That girl's bastard of a father killed our comrades when they even begged for mercy!The Kazekage has no right to do such a thing!" Another spat and swore.
At this,Tsuna deadpanned at them silently,sighing inwardly.
Tsuna didn't even blinked when the man swore:he was already used to his famiglia cursing up a storm.
'Who's fault was it to have started this all anyway?Even if you begged for mercy and the Kazekage had granted it,you weren't even sincere and you were only looking for a chance to attack or something...plus this is a hidden village and he IS a Kazekage.Kages are meant to be a dictator,so they can do what they want according to shinobi rules or law.'
The blonde kunoichi glowered at what they all said.
"How dare you speak of my father like that--!" She started,her tessen glinting menacingly under the sun.
The brunet's eyes widened slightly in recognition,remembering that the girl before him was the firstborn and the child of the 4th Kazekage.
"--Especially a Kazekage!Have you no shame?!You were all traitors!You were selling top secret information to our enemies and you aren't even ashamed?!" She snarled at them.
Tsuna knew without a doubt that she was telling the truth...and so were the so-called 'enemies'.
'So...they were once on the same side.' He inwardly sighed,his mouth turning down into a slight frown.
'Even in this world,there will never be true peace:not until everyone has loweres down their pride and decided to work together by talking things over instead.This is why peace cannot be achieved so easily...nobody wants to let go of their pride.If only people placed their differences aside...' He sorrowfully observed as the once-allied people glared at each other.
Tsuna sighed.
Even when he was transferred and sort of reborn to another world,he saw that there will always be hatred,war, and killing.
...Nothing and no one is perfect after all.
The brunet continued to mull over his thoughts on how to deal with the situation.
Now that he thinks about it,it seems that he will never be free of that world;a world of hatred,war, and killing.
"Maa,why don't we try to talk and sort this out?This doesn't have to be this way,you know?There's always a way..." He almost pleaded,just for the sake and purpose of no violence or bloodshed.
"NO!" The kunoichi and the shinobi group shouted angrily.
The brunet couldn't help but to sweatdrop at their reaction,since they suddenly yelled at him out of nowhere.
'...Well...they seem to agree on one thing though.And it's about not talking things through...' He sighed.
Tsuna shooked his head at them,disappointed at their lack of understanding.
"...I guess I'll have to step in as the only reasonable one here..." He muttered.
In order to stop them,Tsuna was about to release 000.000.001%(an exaggeration,really,but it was Lambo who pointed this out)of his KI,when suddenly,one of them spotted his shining headband;which was tied around the brunet's backpack strap.
"Y-you...!Y-you're...you're one of them!" One of the men shakily exclaimed,pointing at his Vongola headband.
Tsuna stared blankly at him,tilting his head a bit to the side as a question mark appeared on top of his head.
'Huh?What the heck is he talking about...?It couldn't be the headband with the Vongola insignia,is it...?' He sweatdropped.
The one who spoke and pointed at him seemed to whisper something to the other(possibly the leader)man beside him.
And when he finished,the man whom he whispered to looked fearfully at him.
"W-we'll retreat for the time being!U-until we've gathered enough strength,we'll come back to kill the Kazekage!" The leader finally proclaimed as he trembled in fear,and Tsuna couldn't really help but wonder if he'll really return.
Then they did some hand signs--hand seals for jutsus...whatever it's called--before some sand rose up in a whirlwind to form a temporary tornado,before the rouge ninja were gone.
Tsuna and the blonde kunoichi--Temari--lifted up an arm to shield their eyes from it:and by the time that they removed it,there was no sight of the enemy group...what was left were the signs of the clash,or battle.
The blonde kunoichi was then heard cursing under her breath,angry that she allowed them to escape.
She was about to walk away from the brunet(who she forgot about due to her anger)when suddenly,she began to cough up blood.
Cough,cough!
"W-what the--!?W-what's this?!Why am I coughing up b-blood!?" She gasped,terrified as she stared with widened eyes at the blood in her hand.
Hearing this made the brunet alarmed,and he immediately rushed to her side and caught her before she fell.
"Let me see!" Tsuna urgently began to slowly lay her down,but was being --though weakly--pushed away by the defiant girl.
The kunoichi distrustingly glared at him,resisting his attempts to help her.
"Like hell I will!Who knows what you might do to me?You might even be an enemy--you might even be one of those traitors!" She hissed,snarling at him,and he backed up a bit with his two hands raised in an 'I surrender'.
Tsuna sighed exasperatedly.
"Are you mad?!This is urgent!If I were an enemy and was one of them--which I tell you,I'm not--why would I waste my time trying to help you?Why not just slip past you--maybe even get rid of you and attack your father while you're--and quite possibly,there might be other enemy groups out there fighting off your allies and fellow shinobi--busy?" He summed up,raising an eyebrow at her.
...Though secretly he wished that she should just listen to him already--why was she so hostile with him when obviously he's a Suna shinobi like her too?
It was totally a must that one should keep their guard up whenever they could,but he was an ally!A fellow shinobi!
...But then again,there were cases that fellow shinobi of the same village attack each other and then went rouge after.
Meanwhile,Temari was absorbed in her thoughts and at what he said.
...He was right.Why waste time helping an enemy,when you could just kill them right away and head straight to the main objective?
The kunoichi hesitated for a moment,before relaxing.
"A-alright then!Do what you must!" She finally gave up.
The brunet gave a sigh of relief at this,before he began the treatment:he quickly checked up on her abdomen and roamed his hands,prodding here and there where he suspected she was wounded.
The blonde flushed a bright red.
A hand came up and almost slapped him,and he evaded it with minimal movement and gave her a small glare.
"W-what are you d-doing?!That's not what you're supposed to do!Y-you maniac!Pervert!" She angrily screamed,embarrassed.
Tsuna sighed in slight annoyance when she squirmed.
"And pray tell who are you to tell a medic what they're supposed to do?Hush,now.I'm not going to rape you or anything...you're wounded here,see?It seems like they managed to do a sneak attack and managed to swipe at you." He retorted at first,before explaining and lifting her shirt a little higher up for her to see.
...He obviously avoided looking at her chest or her lower region.
That would definitely be perverse and and ungentlemanly!And Tsuna is a getnleman!
Honestly,he was offended by the comment of being called a pervert just for roaming his hands--in a medical check up for her--on her body!
(Inner Me:...You only said that Tsuna is a gentleman.So does that mean that he's a pervert?*sweatdrops*Me*shrugs*Meh.You can say that.He did peek on Kyoko-chan in his teenage years when a strong wind blew and lifted up her skirt,thus revealing her underwear.He managed to take a look and had a nosebleed too.You know,in the Shimon Arc?If you know what I mean,that is...{If you don't,then read the manga!}Tsuna*blushes*W-what?!But that was an accident!Reborn:You still peeked in,Dame-Tsuna.*smirks*Tsuna:B-but I didn't mean to!*embarrassed*And in my defence,I'm a guy!I can't help but instinctively look and get a nosebleed at that!Reborn:Nice defence,but I'll only give you 10 points--minus 10,so that makes it a negative 10.*smirks then points a gun*And you're doing it again.A mafia boss shouldn't stutter,Dame-Tsuna.I'll double your training and paperwork for that...Tsuna:What?!Why?!I didn't even to anything that bad--*protests*Reborn*smirks sadistically*Scratch thay,make that quadruple for complaining and protesting.Me:...Uh...Inner Me:Welp.Let's leave 'em at that.Onto the story~!)
The blonde blushed in embarrassment for accusing him.
She bashfully turned to look at him to voice out an apology,when she saw his eyes filled with seriousness;she wanted to know why.
"W-what is it?Why do you look...serious?" She finally asked.
Sunset-orange eyes met sea-foam green ones.
"...You've been poisoned.Your body is taking in a poison that causes your organs to slowly detoriate...and you don't even feel it due to a numbing medicine that they mixed in." Tsuna grimly said,pulling down his face mask.
'This detoriation...its sort of like the Sky Arcobaleno's curse...' He mused deeply,his eyes turning a bit sorrowful as he was reminded of Aria and Yuni before he got rid of the curse.
...It was said that while the other Arcobalenos were cursed to have the body of an infant and wasn't allowed to age;the Sky Arcobaleno on the other hand...was very special.
Their curse was to have shorter lifespans,via slow detoriation of the body and the organs,which is very painful.
As he was absorbed in his thoughts,a certain blonde's panicking caused him to snap out of his trance.
"N-no...no,I can't die yet!Can't you do something?Please!Don't let me die--no,I don't want to die!I still haven't made it up with my brother,Gaara!I still want to live!" She pleaded as she cried.
Tsuna's gentle sunset-orange orbs widended,a memory replaying in his mind at her words.
Flashback:
"...Please...please tell me that I didn't win this war for nothing...!Please tell me my friends death meant something!Anything!That it was to save the world from chaos and destruction!Please!Somebody!If there's a god up there...!Let me meet them again!Let me see them again!Please...!Don't let me die like this...I can accept dying,but if I were to die-please let me die beside my friends!If there's a god up there,please I beg of you!"
Flashback End:
Tsuna shook his head at the short memory,willing himself to go back to reality.
He remembered the words he said...how he wanted not to die yet because he still wanted to try and wake up his friends:he was in denial...he didn't believe that they were dead even if they did die in front of him.
He didn't want to believe that they were dead because they promised to live through their lives until they were of ripe old age and to retire together,watching their over their families and famiglia as it grew bigger and as they have grandchildren or great grandchildren.
...But fate was a cruel thing.
Nevertheless,even if he did die at the age of forty and his guardians went before him,he hoped that he'd be able to see them...or at least their parallel counterparts,even if its not really them.
Maybe if he healed them or repaires their body and sent a jolt of electricity to shock the heart to start beating again he could--
'NO!I'm here now and that is all that's needed;my mission here right now is more important!' He decided that he should be trying to get over his past and focus on the present.
If his guardians knew how he was being like this...he was sure that they would want him to appreciate the life that he has now and to cherish it.
...Reborn would never let him live it down if he got stuck in the past like this.
Tsuna turned his eyes up to glance at the kunoichi...and saw the determination to fight the poison no matter how painful,and the will to live.
'...What a strong resolve she has...I like the look of determination in her eyes.'
"Maa,maa...ochitsuke.(Now,now...calm down.)Panicking will do you no good." He placated with his hands held up.
Then he gave a warm smile,a determined gleam in his eyes.
"-Because I won't let you die.Not on my watch." He firmly stated.
The teen blushed(1) warm smile,wondering how could someone like him be kind and accepting to this extent.
'W-what...?This smile--?!It's so warm and comforting...' She absentmindely mused,dazed by his kindness.
She was drawn to this man's warm personality...how could she not have noticed this before?
Tsuna took a deep breath,speaking in a gentle and reassuring voice as he placed his hands on her shoulder.
"I'll have to knock you out or put you to sleep:it's the only way.If I try to extract the poison out of you now,it will be too painful since you are concious." He informed in a slightly grave tone.
The girl shakily nodded.
If she were to be honest,she was starting to feel the effects of the poison and it felt like there was a slow,burning pain within her.
"D-o it then!"
Tsuna nodded in confirmation,his hand moving towards her forhead with his pointer finger extended:a blue flame lit up on it as it danced sluggishly.
The blonde gazed at it with awe and wonder lighting up her face as she saw the beautiful and enchanting flame.
"...Will it hurt me?" She could help but to ask.
"No.Though extracting the poison by using this flame(2)may cause you a temporary discomfort while you're unconcious." He explained.
The blonde kunoichi numbly nodded,wincing as the finger drew closer...but as the finger made contact with her forehead,her eyes began to flutter close.
The last thing that she saw was that he was gently lowered her down...and then she was out like a light.
Tsuna--who had swiftly caught her before she fell--immediately created a bed mattress underneath her with Mist flames...his Lighting flames still sparking actively around them as he kept up a dome like barrier around them.
...This might take a while.
Crackle,crackle!
A groan was heard from beneath the covers of blankets on the mattress right next to the brunet.
This alerted him that she was awake now,thus he approached her with a cup of water.
Rustle,rustle.
The shuffling of clothes was heard as Tsuna knelt down by her side,helping her sit up slowly as she groan drowsily.
"Hey...how are you feeling?" He gently questioned the recently awaked girl.
She blinked her eyes slowly,turning her head to look around her and to observe,before she returned her attention to him.
"I'm...I feel better.How long was I out?" The Suna sibling rasped out,before coughing harshly.
"Ah!Gomen,gomen!Hora,mizu!(Ah!Sorry,sorry!Here,water!)" He hurriedly offered,pushing the cup in her hands.
She thanked him,before emptying the cup of its contents,letting out a content sigh.
The brunet then took the cup away from her,placing it on the ground.
"...Anyway,you were out for at least two days.All better now?"
The blonde's eyes widened in slight shock,sighing as she slumped down slightly.
'Two days?!I was out for two days?I hope that they're not worried...' She thought in disbelief,before she answered.
"...Yeah.A bit dizzy and disoriented,but other than that,I'm fine.I should be able to get back to the village by tomorrow--"
"Woah,woah,woah.Hold your horses there--you're planning to travel tomorrow?You haven't recovered that much yet!That poison has a very fatal effect against those who are its' victim!I can't allow you to go there:we should wait until you're all better...I plan to report in Suna too.I was hoping to do a couple of more missions before I kind of retire."
"--What?I feel fine and well enough!And besides,why are you retiring already?You're our village's top shinobi!"
"Maa,I can't allow the risk of a sick person to hurt themselves.And besides...I have another family business that I have to solve--which is more important than Suna,forgive my saying so."
"What could be more important than your loyalty and duty to the Kazekage?" The blonde couldn't help but to curiously question.
"...Apparently,my line of work." Tsuna firmly stated,refusing to speak or reveal anything as he avoided directly answering.
She frowned at that,crossing her arms before she sighed as she gave up.
"Alright,alright!I give up.You can go do what you want for all I care--its not like it's my business to know.I DO owe you for saving my life..."
"Haha~,arigatou!By the way,may I have the name?Although we both know that we're allies and we're both Suna shinobi,I'm afraid I haven't caught your name yet.We've been having a pleasant talk here like we're close friends when we don't even know each other's name..." Tsuna sheepishly pointed out.
The girl gasped,before blushing in embarrassment as she bowed.
"Sumimasen!I forgot to introduce myself!How rude of me...!" She exclaimed,ashamed as she bowed repeatedly.
(Hibari Shikaru:Ah,just a reminder?If a character from either KHR or Naruto acts OOC,please bear in mind that this is called fanfiction for a reason;we can all do what we like an anime/manga character would do!)
Tsuna sweatdropped,shaking his head.
'For some reason,she reminds me of Hayato-kun in his teenage years...' He thought,sweatdropping further.
"A-ah!It's fine!Please don't do that!It's fine,really!And it was kind of a mistake in my part as well,you see?" Tsuna tried to make and plead for her to stop.
When she didn't seem to hear him,he took hold of her shoulders and held her still in place there.
"Maa,otsutsuke.(Now,calm down)Why don't we start with an introduction?I'll introduce myself,then you go next..." He suggested to the girl.
Who all but stared at him,before she hesitantly nodded.
Tsuna smiled brightly,placing a hand on his chest and bowing his head.
"Ore wa Sawada Tsunayoshi desu...hajimemashite~.(I'm Tsunayoshi Sawada...nice to meet you~.)Just call me 'Tsuna' though!'Tsunayoshi' is quite a mouthful,and 'Sawada' is too formal;so it's fine if you call me by my nickname instead.Ah,no honorifcs either." He grinned at her.
The girl nodded and gave a small,slightly shy smile.
"...Well,I know who you are.You're pretty much a famous legend of sorts in Suna,so I know your name,plus...you're a bachelor,age is of 23.A lot of women and girls gossip a lot about you and dream of being your,uhm...wife.A-and I was k-kinda one of them too...ANYWAY!Temari--Sabaku no Temari!" She coughed,turning her head to the side,embarrassed.
Tsuna blinked in surprise at first,before he laughed so hard that he sprawled on the ground.
"Mio dio!This is amazing,I knew I was a bit famous,but I never knew that it was to this extent!"
'No wonder that my parallel self usually worked with guys only or took missions a lot!He wanted to avoid the fangirls!' Tsuna shivered,understanding the pain of being chased by fangirls.
The brunet coughed again,the two shaking hands after his momentary episode.
Then he paused,as if in thought.
"Ah,I almost forgot!I also have to introduce someone..." Tsuna finally declared,snapping his fingers.
Then he brought down his hood,and when he did,she saw a lion cub that was...on fire?
(Btw,I almost forgot to mention again that he had removed his face mask by then.{People don't do this when outside as you might catch the virus.Stay safe,everyone!})
"W-what the--?!What's with the cub?!" She gaped,shocked.
Tsuna let out a chuckled,glancing at his companion.
"Oh,this?You must be shocked someone like my companion that is on fire...this is Natsu.He's been with me ever since my teenage years." Tsuna explained,scratching his partner's jaw.
Then he went on to explain the flames(3) and showed all his flame attribute.
Temari nodded,eagerly absorbing the information like that of a sponge.
After that,she started asking questions to which he easily answered.
In return for the answers, he asked for updates on what's going around their village and such for the years that he'd been away.
"So...does that mean that I also have these...flames?" She finally asked after the two of them processed the answers that they received from each other.
Tsuna hummed for a moment,mulling the questions in his thoughts over.
"Well,I don't know for sure...there are some people who have it,and there are some who don't.I'm not sure about you yet..." He finally replied with a shrug.
"Meh.Anyways,you should get some rest...the journey might be long."
"Eh?You finally decided to allow me to travel tomorrow?!"
"Well,yes,it's not like there's much harm in it;I can just carry you on my back as we travel~!"
"But--!"
"No 'buts'.This is final."
"*sigh*"
Temari chose to just nod,before she burrowed herself deeper in the covers.
"...Thank you for caring again.Oyasuminasai,Tsuna-san."
"Oyasumi~."
Soft breathing followed after a few minutes of silence.
"Well~!We better get some rest too,Nuts.I'm sure that you're tired as well..." Tsuna smiled warmly.
Then he cleaned up the pot of soup and other necessary cleaning ups needed and set up traps;an invisible but thin,strong barrier of Lightning flames was set up to protect them from harm with a little bit of Mist flames was mixed in to help hide them.
Then he made a bedroll of his own using his Mist flames and settled down,his companion joining him on the other side of the campfire,just across Temari.
"...Oyasuminasai,Natsu." Tsuna sleepily yawned,before shutting his eyes.
"Gao~..."
And with that,they were out like a light.
A/N:!Sorry for the long wait,and I hoped that you enjoyed it~!
[1]Temari wasn't used to Tsuna's (surprise attack) warm smile,since she never really saw others give her one and rarely saw it:even her father never bothers to give her one,and only her uncle usually does this.
[2]The curious looking flame was very odd in color and something tells her that it's no ordinary flame.It looked too mesmerizing to be too ordinary.
[3]She never knew that there were varieties of flames!It's quite a curious sight to see Tsuna-san use a lot of beautiful,different colored flames that released different auras!