Chapter 7:The Sky,Mists,and the Cloud
Tsuna sighed fondly(but at the same time exasperatedly)as he watched his two male guardians clash their weapons with each other.
Meanwhile,Chrome sat beside him with a basket between them and a picnic blanket spread out underneath them.
The brunet knew that he was supposed to stop the two from trying to kill each other(since they started calling each other rude names again),but he eventually gave up and let them be.
It's not like they'd actually kill each other.
The two were old enough to not have him "motherhenning"(Chrome's words,not his)them around like they were little kids:they're mature enough to know when to put a stop to it and when not to.
Okay,maybe they're still having trouble in doing so.
Tsuna sighed yet again,shaking his head at the two.
"Mukuro,Kyoya.Would you please stop fighting now?We still have something important to discuss,you know?" His tone was semi-serious by then as he ignored the fact that the centipede had followed him like a loyal animal--er,insect...whatever it is.
(By dropping the usual honorific of '-kun' that Tsuna uses whenever he addresses Kyoya--or any of his guardians other than Mukuro--,he is hinting that he needs to say something important or he wants to talk about something serious.)
Chrome gave the centipede a weirded out look,but shrugged it off as she's not even surprised that even a centipede had deemed Bossu as worthy of being followed around.
She does have a question as to why it is following her boss and friend though...
"Bossu...why is a centipede following you?It's even...acting like a dog and at the same time a horse.Maybe even a cat,what with the...purring." She hesitantly stated.
Tsuna turned a little to look behind him at where she was looking at,before he deadpanned.
"So it's still following me,huh?" He muttered,mostly to himself.
Well...he usualy doesn't mind if animals or weird insects like this one followed him around.
Most of them were just drawn in by his flame's Harmony factor and the "Sky attraction" going on.
But damn...he really should have killed the centipede instead of letting it live.
...As if he can even kill such a wonderful creature who only acted out because of its instincts!He dare not hurt them,it just feels a bit wrong in doing so since it didn't even hurt him, so why kill it?
He IS a bit worried that it might hurt other people(like civilians)here in Konoha.
But he suppose he need not worry too much...there were shinobi everywhere, ready to protect its civilians and all that.
Really though,this centipede was too weird,and he didn't even know if he could bring it back to Suna or what.
N-not like he was thinking of doing so!Yeah,he wasn't...
...Wait,should he even go back to Suna?Cozart--ehem,Rasa did tell him that if he wanted to leave and not be their shinobi anymore,he could grant it.
But then,he couldn't just leave,could he?What of the children there that he had made a promise that he would come back?
There was still that mysterious one-tailed jinjuuriki to think of...
Tsuna was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't notice two of his guardians approaching.
Kyoya walked over in their direction to get closer to them and approached the centipede,curiously poking it with one end of his tonfa.
While Mukuro did the same thing,except he used his trident's blunt end.
"Kufufufu~.As expected...Tsunayoshi always attracts the strangest and weirdest things in life.Its like you're a trouble magnet,always attracting trouble and chaos~!" Mukuro chuckled.
Tsuna shook his head exasperatedly and in denial.
"No,I don't! It's not my fault that trouble still follows me around!" He pouted at the end.
Chrome giggled at what their boss and friend declared,while Mukuro snorted in disbelief;Kyoya rolled his eyes at both what the illusionist pointed out and at what the brunet said.
"Hn.Pineapple-head.(You're one of those 'weird and strange things' that you're saying,Pineapple-head.)" Kyoya commented as he voiced out his thoughts.
A tick mark popped on the indigonet's temple,while his closed his eyes:his closed right eye twitched as well as the corner of his ever present smirk.
"Oya?Are you starting a fight again,Skylark-kun?Must I remind you that I was the one who brought YOU--the mighty and proud Skylark--DOWN." Mukuro returned with a scoff.
A tick mark on the ravenet's head as he smirked back darkly,his narrowed eyes twitching in annoyance.
"...How low of you,Pineapple.Who was the one who got caught and played like a toy by a certain marshmallow loving Sky?Hah.You even lost to the Omnivore when you first met him." Was Kyoya's retort
(...He was basically rubbing it in the fact that Tsuna was not able to defeat him in like,the first meeting:until he had reached 16 which was after the Representative Battle for the Arcobalenos.)
As if he had been slapped,Mukuro winced before he glared at the ex-prefect and brought up his trident threateningly.
To which the man gladly returned the glare,as he also hefted up his tonfas,ready to fight him.
Lightning like glares met as sparks crackled when it collided.
Chrome sighed tiredly,ignoring the two arguing males for a minute:she was more worried on what a certain male would do.
And she was right to be worried!
Tsuna now has his bangs shadowing his eyes as his aura darkened even further while the two bickered on.
"Rokudo Nara Mukuro and Hibari Uchiha Kyoya...if you don't stop this instant and behave,I will bring hell upon you and then freeze you for eternity." Tsuna pleasantly smiled in a dark tone,his eyes closed to join his smile.
Then when he opened his darkened sunset orange orbs,they both shivered in fear and flinched as they quickly hid their weapons.
Chrome smiled comfortingly(and apologetically)at the brunet as she rubbed his back:to which he returned the smile with his tired and exasperated ones.
"Gomene,Bossu..."
Tsuna sighed as he shook his head,before waving it off.
"Ah,its alright,Chrome-chan...I'm already used to it anyway.I just wish they act less like children though..." He laughed,before muttering darkly under his breath at the end.
Chrome smiled sweetly as she nodded in understanding,handing him a sandwhich as he seemed hungry.
The brunet nodded back and thanked her as he took the offered food with a quirk of his lips.
Grumbling,Kyoya took a sit beside them by settling himself beside Chrome's right,while Tsuna sat across the purplette.
As for Mukuro,he also sat beside Chrome:but this time,he sat towards her left side.
"Kufufu~!You dare sit beside my Nagi?" The illusionist glared at the ravenet.
And oh boy, Tsuna wanted to facepalm:it seems like in this world,Tsuna's guardians would argue over the smallest and most irrelevant things for no reason at all--wait,no...it was not a 'for no reason at all' type of argument...
They were arguing over the smallest things just so they could pick a fight with each other.
Kyoya glared back.
"Hn.Problem?(Whatever.You've got a problem with that?)"
By this point,Chrome was already facepalming herself as well as Tsuna:the brunet especially began massaging his temples out of irritation and a mild headache.
"Yes!As a matter of fact,I do!You're too close to my Nagi!" The indigonet snapped.
"Hn.She's my wife.(Of course I'm close to her.She's my wife back in our old world--and she still is.)" Kyoya sassed,rolling his eyes at the upset,and overprotective brother-figure of his wife.
As for Chrome,well...she sweatdropped at their interactions.
"My Nagi was your wife when WE were still alive back in our old life and world.She's NOT your wife anymore,so back off and don't even try to attempt to defile and corrupt her with those dirty hands of yours!" Mukuro glared.
'Mukuro/Mukuro-nii is so overprotective...' Tsuna and Chrome thought with a sweatdrop.
"Oh~?As if your hands were clean to begin with...I'm sure you've done a lot of...pure things with your hands then?" Kyoya 'inoccently' asked,low-key being sarcastic.
When they still continued to bicker--which eventually,led to a brawl of sorts that involved their usual mocking and weapon clashing--the two gave another sign of resignation.
Chrome turned her gaze skyward,as if to ask the gods(if they exist)to shut up the insufferable idiots--a.k.a.,Kyoya and Mukuro--to save her the headachea and trouble that they would bring.
Of course,being the gentle soul that she was,she wouldn't even be able to voice out to the two strongest guardians to shut up:instead,she would just ask anyone capable of making them stop this ridiculous bickering and to also make those idiots behave.
Tsuna also heaved a heavy sigh of exasperation(How many times has he done that?)as he tiredly watched them repeatedly clash.
'They're either retards for not being able to find in in themselves to listen,or they just really want to fight.In this case,its a bit of both--then again,calling them as retards is a bit much and would be an insult to retarded people.' His mind seem to sarcastically comment.
He then raised a hand up to silence them:a spark of warning through their newly formed bond made the two pause for a bit.
"Will you two please just shut up and stop fighting for a week or what?I'd appreciate it if you'd behave for once and spare me the horrors of being the one in the future to explain to the Hokage why some big disaster is happening whenever it involves the two of you?" The Decimo snapped,glaring sharply at the two.
(Then again,he wouldn't exactly be shocked if the Hokage was used to their antics--apparently,there were a couple of people who were almost as destructive as his guardians were...not to mention,they were kind of disaster magnets as well.)
The two immediately snapped their mouths shut,and stiffly sat back down on the picnic blanket.
"Grazíe.Now...let's see what you guys have gathered all those years that you've been living here.How about we start with a bit of some basic reports of your clans?" He smiled in a sickly sweet way, as if warning the two male guardians not to do anything stupid.
Then he turned to the only female in the group.
"Chrome?" He prompted with a gentle smile.
The purplette smiled back,coughing softly to clear her throat:in a swirl of indigo and black,she pulled a file from said small portal and handed it to her boss.
"The full report and other details are there--I will give a bit of a summary instead,so that you can check the rest when you have the time." She nodded at the file in Tsuna's hands as he placed it on his lap.
He didn't open it,but turned his attention to his other half-Mist guardian.
"Bossu,from what I gathered from the Nara Clan--the clan that Mukuro-nii and I were reborn in--they mostly speciallized in strategy and information gathering.The Nara Clan works with two other clans,and they are basically the Ino-Shika-Cho Alliance which was rumored to have formed through the friendships of the current clan heads." She shortly explained.
Then she added,her expression of worry and concern showing on her face.
"...It also seems like there is some sort of oni?Or a fox child?I don't know how to explain this,but Kyoya-kun and I--" Chrome started to say,but was interrupted.
Mukuro cleared his throat loudly,shooting her a look;which made her give a sheepish smile before continuing.
"My apologies..." Chrome continued,not looking at all apologetic,before adding,
"...What I meant was we--Mukuro-nii,Kyoya-kun and I--have been rescuing a certain child on the day that Konoha celebrates the death of the Kyuubi.It seems like this very same child is the so called oni fox child.People have assumed that he is the Kyuubi incarnate just because he was born on the same day of when the Kyuubi got out of the seal.We are still investigating the matter,but so far,we have found out that he is a jinjuuriki,a holder of a Tailed Beasts.There are eight other known jinjuuriki and Tailed Beasts and I am sure that you know that you have one in Suna as of now,which is the Ichibi...will this information suffice?" Chrome seems to frown for a moment when she remembered the events of helping out the blond jinjuuriki,before shaking her head and smiling slightly.
Tsuna,noticing the subtle drop in her mood,smiled warmly at her,as if he was comforting her about something.
"It's fine,you did well,Chrome-chan.Mukuro?" He replied,before turning to the illusionist as he called out said man's name.
Mukuro smirked as he slowly stood up and twirled his trident,Kyoya rolled his eyes as the other made dramatic opening of some sorts.
"Kufufufu~!I guess its my turn now~..." The indigonet muttered.
With a stamp of the butt end of his trident,his Mist flames burst forth and started forming illusions:inwardly,
Tsuna wondered what exactly is the need for such theatrics.
"We have three clans here as showed in my illusions--as you already know,Tsunayoshi-kun,these are the infamous clans:Nara Clan,Akamichi Clan,and Yamanaka Clan.Personally,I would really want to investigate the Yamanaka Clan Head and said clan as I hear they specialized in some sort of mind arts or something similar--that Yamanaka clan head reminds me of someone I hated,and he really acts suspicious."
Kyoya and Chrome both seemed to look interested,and the illusionist smirked:Tsuna hummed,before motioning for the other to continue.
"Anyway,this particular alliance naturally work well with each other...their clan heads are also friends and each other's former teammates.I heard that nowadays,they also plan to put future descendants of each clan in one team--currently,the clan heads' heirs and a heiress are in said team and will be participating in the Chuunin Exams...not to mention,they just recently graduated into being genins." Mukuro informed.
Tsuna gave him an approving smile and was about to speak,when Mukuro decided to say something else.
Yet again,he commented on the Yamanaka clan.
"...There really is a certain vibe that I particularly dislike,which is coming from the clan head--Kufufufu~I badly want to dissect his mind and investigate him." He chuckled darkly.
The smile on Tsuna's face quickly turned into a frown of slight disapproval and an air of exasperation as he sighed:he then gave praise to Mukuro as it would be unfair if he only did it with his other guardians,before nodding his head at his Cloud guardian.
"Umaku,Mukuro.Kyoya-kun?"
Said skylark whipped out a file folder and tossed it in front of his Omnivore's lap before he began.
"I have reports of the whole Konoha village:that includes the comings and goings of trade merchandise,tourists, and missions that the Daimyo might send to our village.(You can look at the full details in my report later,while I do my main report.)" Kyoya smirked,a little bit smugly as he looked at the illusionist with another smirk.
Rolling his eyes,the illusionist didn't take him up on his taunt,muttering lowly.
"Show off."
Chrome giggled at that,before Kyoya continued as he took a deep breath--there really was no choice but for him to speak longer than usual.
...Perhaps he could speak quickly so as not to talk for too long.
"The clan that I'm currently investigating is the Uchiha Clan--known for their fighting prowess and most especially their dojutsu,the Sharingan.
They were powerful shinobi and they came from the eldest son of Hagoromo Otsotsuki,Ashura Otsotsuki.Said to be on par with the Senju as they were rivals back in the Warring States period--there were countless wars happening between these two clans,until Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara managed to come to a treaty and build a village together...which is now known as Konohagakure no Sato,as named by Uchiha Madara.However,the peace did not last long,and the two former friends clashed at the Valley of the End,thus ending with the Shodaime Hokage's win.This would have been a chance for the Senjus to recover since the Uchihas had lost a valuable leader and clan member,but for some unfortunate turn of events,the Senju had began to diminish,and only one known Senju remains until...and that is Senju Tsunade.The Uchiha clan would have been one of the oldest clan existing along Senju:if only the Senju didn't dwindle down in numbers,and if only the Uchiha did not get massacred." Kyoya elaborated in a cool and unemotional tone.
In fact,if Tsuna was to comment on his way of speaking,his Cloud even sounded a bit...bored.
...Or maybe that was just his imagination.\_(ツ)/
"Massacred...I may sound like I'm a bit clueless here,but--who massacred them?Last I heard,their heir had just entered ANBU,and everyone was very much alive." Tsuna asked in a mildly confused tone.
He was concerned on the fact that his father's--er,this world's Tsuna's father anyway--family was massacred:he really wanted to meet them though,and he though he should at least check in on them.
His other self must have been really busy with missions,as he didn't see any information in his memories or news about the Uchiha clan.
...He ignored the fact that the usually quiet skylark had spoken in a more lengthy report than Chrome's and Mukuro's--although it wasn't necessarily as long as the two Mists' reports if those were combined.
Since he was busy most of the time accepting every available missions(his parallel self,not him anyway)he didn't have the time or the luxury to listen to any gossip or rumor.
"...Uchiha Itachi." His Cloud grunted in reply,making him give the skylark a look of disbelief.
"The heir itself?!What?How is that even--why did that even happen?Weren't they famed for their fighting prowess and their powerful dojutsu?For them to end up like that seems...a bit farfetched." Tsuna furrowed his brows as he turned to look at all three of his guardians.
The brunet felt a headache coming in,as he observed them a lot more closely:he felt as if something was wrong and there was something he was missing.
"Don't tell me...you guys were involved--did you help him?You had a hand in it as well,didn't you?" He sighed tiredly.
Mukuro's smirk turned sharp,and he chuckled in a dark manner.
"Kufufufu~!It was necessary--we had to take action or they'd cause more trouble like the pests usually do.Besides...some of the not-so-inoccent ones were doing such nefarious means."
Chrome nodded in agreement,as she explained.
"We couldn't refuse anyway,Bossu.Our parallel selves are part of the mafia of this world,and the one who ordered the suppression of the Uchiha Clan had specifically hired us from Vongola."
Tsuna sighed heavily as he began to think of the possibilities of what happened,who was involved,and how exactly did things end up like this.
Kyoya seemed to noticed where his line of thinking was heading,and nodded in confirmation.
"Hn.To the public,it was revealed that Itachi has gone rouge and massacred the entire clan because he wanted to test his strength.As Omnivore has already guessed,I am his elder brother--I had left the clan three years ago before rumors of the coup began circulating to the higher ups." He explained,as Chrome also spoke up.
"...Back then,we knew of this future events from Lambo-chan--we used to watch the Naruto series with him,so we at least had an idea on what to do and what events would unfold.And that was why all three of us pretended to be in a few years long mission to avoid the Uchiha Clan Massacre.That was also the reason why all three of us left our respective clans and erased some of the memories that our parents and clan had of us,reclaimed our past lives' names,and used that as a new identity."
Tsuna nodded,and gestured for them to continue:this time,it was Mukuro who spoke up.
"Ah,but of course...not all memories are fully wiped out.If one is strong enough to resist the blocks that Nagi and I had created in everyone's memories,then they can.The old monkey's the only one aware of our original identity--in other words,he knew that we left our clans and did something to the memories of those around us...fufufu~I applaude him for that~!" Mukuro chuckled in an entirely amused manner as Tsuna smiled wryly.
Kyoya then spoke up once again,revealing more of the info that he has found.
"Hn.I know it was bound to happen--but I cannot accept that the massacre was still carried out.Especially if I could have stopped it.Furthermore,that we had to stain our hands with the small animal--it's fortunate that I am used to bloodshed due to my past life and this life's experience...most of the ones I took out deserved to be ended as they did not deserve the chance to live."
Tsuna nodded at that,his expression dark as he pondered over their reports,their side stories,and whatever they had to say,etc.
Then he looked up at them,and asked,
"And the inoccent?(You did managed to save them somehow from Itachi and Madara,right?)"
"Hai/Hn./Kufufu,of course~."
"And what became of your observance of both the Shinobi and Civilian Council?" Tsuna questioned,looking his Cloud in the eyes.
"...Normally,I would have said that its fine--since we know the anime and all,but we're not sure to what extent Danzo's deed are,since this is now our reality." He explained,worried as he slightly bit his lip.
"...Kufufu~!Don't bother mentioning his name,your mouth will be sullied by the filth's name...he doesn't even deserve to be called by his name--is what I'd say,but we mustn't underestimate our enemies." Mukuro hummed.
"Hn.Omnivore...you need not worry.The events are still the same--that Fake Carnivore still ordered my kin and one of my small animals to massacre their own clan.Those RooT better stay where they are,so that I can hunt more of their bases." Kyoya spat,his eyes glinting with a promise of murder to those who dare hurt his beloved pack.
Chrome blinked in surprise at the mentioned name,while Mukuro himself merely raised his eyebrows up to his hairline.
"'RooT'?Surely you jest?They have been inactive for years now and had even disbanded recently...I heard from Nara Shikaku that they had." He murmered,still feeling mildly surprised.
Unknowingly to him,Chrome shot him a look of understanding,as she gently patted his shoulders in comfort.
'...He's still having trouble calling him "Tou-san".But then again,I also find it a bit hard to call this Nagi's father as my own father.' Chrome mused to herself.
Kyoya snorted in response,before he glared at the ground before him.
If the ground was alive,it would have been already dead or at least close to such state.
"They hadn't...(They just made it seem like they did...)" He growled.
Then he added in a snappy tone,
"And you believed that?You should know better than to believe such words without evidence--"
Mukuro interrupted him,huffing as he did so.
"No,but I did hope.Things would be less troublesome if it did disband."
"What now?What do we do?" Chrome asked in a worried tone.
Silence.
A heavy silence settled in:Mukuro idly picking on his salad before eating it while Chrome looked uncertainly from her boss to her husband.
Tsuna looked up at the glowering former Uchiha heir,his face and words calm,but his eyes held a dark glint.
"...So what will you do,Kyoya?" He questioned,prompting the other to respond.
"..." Who gave him no answer at first and shot him a look that basically said 'did-you-really-have-to-ask-such-ridiculous-question?'.
"Hn.I'll bite him to death." Was Kyoya's bloodthirsty reply.
Chrome shook her head,smiling fondly at his reply,while Tsuna gave an amused smile.
"Ah,the expected reply..." He sighed,before he chuckled softly.
Mukuro shrugged.
"Kufufu~...you sound lame whenever you say that,Skylark-kun." He mocked,smirking.
A ticked off Kyoya shot him a death glare,glowering at him with his gaze alone.
"Stai' zitto,Ananas.(Shut up,Pineapple.)" He shot back,looking at the indigonet's hairstyle and pointedly looking at the spiky part.
An irk mark popped in the illusionist's temple,while he struggled to maintain his mocking smirk:it honestly looked strained,to the point that Mukuro looked a bit constipated.
...Well,more than constipated,it looked like he was angry,but at the same time he's keeping his emotions in check by hiding it--and ended up having a complicated looking expression on his face.
Tsuna's face honestly hurts just by looking at his Mist' guardians facial expression,and that's saying something.
As the two began bickering yet again,Tsuna and Chrome sweatdropped.
'Here they go again...' The two thought as they mushroom sighed.
Although they all died a tragic death back in their past life,they were happy to see each other again:especially when they were all starting to gather one by one.
Each guardian were being reborned in this world,and Tsuna was excited to meet them all again.
A new life,a new beginning:and this time,they would plan and do everything within their power to keep their loved ones alive until the end of their loved ones' time.
Tsuna breathed in deeply in a slow motion,smiling in nostalgia as his guardians' argueing faded as backround noise:he looked up briefly at the skies,but was entranced by the view of the said skies turning a sunset orang color hue.
Even if his guardians were noisy,destructive,and chaotic as hell,he didn't mind and loved them all the same.
So long as they were together,all will be well...
...After all,a Sky is not a Sky without it's Elements:and the Elements is nothing without a Sky to be there and guide them.
With another fond smile full of longing and nostalgia,Tsuna looked upon his three guardians--the one he was able to gather.
For now,he would be content with the guardians that he currently had with him...
But one day,all will be gathered once again,and they would be whole once more.
'Minna...let's see each other as soon as we can' The brunet grinned to the skies.