A/N: I would like to thank everyone that added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone that reviewed the last chapter.


I wouldn't be in this mess if that Reborn didn't shoot a bullet that made me confess to Sasagawa-san.

Tsuna wrapped his hands around the bamboo sword, his lips curled into a scowl. Blood pondered against his ears as everyone gawked and blinked their eyes at him. Standing a few meters away from him was Mochida, who just stared gob-smacked at the block that Tsuna had just made.

The brown-haired boy trembled, legs shaking and his arms struggled to continue to lift the heavy sword. Whispers broke out as the students flickered their eyes from him to the wide-eyed senior, who looked at him like he was an alien. There was a desire in Tsuna to run away, to just escape because fighting him wasn't worth it.

'Sometimes the easy way out isn't the right way, Tsuna. You can't keep running away from your bullies! You need to show them that you are the boss and they can't always bully you.'

Narumi's words echoed in his ear, reminding him of how his cousin actually did try to help him with his problem. She taught him how to punch and the importance of dodging every move. Unlike his mother, who never even complained to the parents, Narumi tried to help him. Tsuna grinded his teeth and tightened his grip on the sword.

If I can't run away then I want to fight in my terms.

He darted his eyes to the various students, body hunching as their eyes glinted with curiosity. The urge to hunch his back and to look away from them was great but then their insults flooded his mind. He is going to run to his cousin to fight his fights. Warm blue eyes and his cousin's loving smile flashed before his eyes. You are strong, Tsuna but your strength is different from them.

Even if Nana-obaachan doesn't believe in you, I do.

He dropped the bamboo sword and Mochida smirked. Black eyes flashed with cruelty and the boy raised his bamboo sword, only to falter when brown eyes flashed with determination. Tsuna took several deep breaths, trying to calm down his racing heart and trembling arms.

"Aren't you going to chicken out, Dame-Tsuna?" Silence hung throughout the gym as some of the students shook their heads at him. Their eyes flashed with disappointment but Tsuna fixated his eyes on the smiling boy in front of him.

Inhaling, Tsuna shook his head. "If you want to fight me then we will do it in equal terms."

"Dame-Tsuna isn't going to run away?"

"What does he mean equal terms?"

"Does he really believe that he can beat Mochida-senpai?"

Their words bounced off the walls, reminding him again and again of what people saw him. In all honesty, he didn't give a crap about what they thought of him. He was a failure. He was a bad student. He was a push-over. There was no way Tsuna could not deny it, but these people insulted his cousin. They blamed her for what Reborn did to him.

He wanted them to know that he could fight his own battles.

"Sawada, I challenged you to a—"

"I know," Tsuna spat the words out and flinched when black eyes narrowed him. Tsuna took a deep breath, gulped down the sudden lump in his throat and focused his brown eyes at him. "But you wanted to defend Sasagawa-san honour, didn't you? What difference would a fist fight make?"

Silence hung throughout the gym as everyone tried to process what he just told him. Mochida sweated as several people in the audience nodded, their eyebrows knitted together. Hana, Sasagawa's friend, frowned and flickered her eyes from him to Mochida. Grey eyes narrowed while Sasagawa blinked, golden eyes growing wide at his suggestion.

"I challenged you to a—"

"I'm not deaf!" Tsuna snapped. His brown eyes took in the trembling body of his senior and he narrowed his eyes slightly when he noticed the sweat building around his senior's forehead. He tilted his head. "Mochida-senpai, are you scared? Do you think you can't defend your own girlfriend's honour? If you really want to defend her then give me a real chance."

Mochida grinded his teeth. "I gave you a sword and a handicap, didn't I?"

"But it is still not a fair fight!" He roared.

Tsuna blinked his eyes and felt his whole body stilled as everyone took in what he just said. Narumi-neechan might be a bigger influence then I thought. He gulped down a lump and forced himself to straightened his back, looking everywhere but at the irritated black-haired boy in front of him.

"Give him a fair fight! Give him a fair fight!" It started with one student and it was not long before the other students chimed in, their eyes focused on the Kendo Captain. Their words chanted into one big chant and a part of Tsuna felt like yelling at them. Why now? Why were they only willing to help him get a fair chance when he fought?

Fighting never solved anything and it would only bring more trouble for him. If Mochida-senpai told his parents then his mother might find out. He loved his mother (because he has to love the woman that gave birth to him) but Nana never took his side. She was always more willing to hear the other person's side then his.

"Fine!" Mochida tossed his bamboo sword away and held his hands up as the crowds roared with delight. "I doubt you can even give me a good, solid punch anyway."

'Tsuna, I believe in you. They might call you Dame-Tsuna, but I know that you can be someone amazing. You just need to have some confidence in yourself."

For his cousin's honor, Tsuna would be willing to cast away his desire to run away. For the woman that was more like a mother and sister then a cousin, he would stop avoiding fights and defend himself. Because Narumi-neechan didn't deserve all those insults and he was sorry for putting her through this embarrassment.

Mochida lunged at him, his right arm coiled like a spring and his black eyes flashed with maniac desire. Go left. Tsuna slid to the left, brown eyes flashing with almost no emotion as his senior stumbled to the ground. The black-haired boy crashed straight to the ground, his head cutting deeply and everyone just blinked at him.

"I was taking it easy on you!" Mochida declared, pushing himself back up. Blood dribbled down the side of head and Tsuna felt his insides squirmed like it always did whenever he saw that red liquid. Don't focus on it. He chanted to himself as his senior dashed straight towards him.

"Dame-Tsuna is almost like another person." Tsuna ducked and flickered his eyes at Sasagawa. Golden eyes just stared dumbly at him as her lips parted slightly while Hana just pressed her lips into a thin line. Go to the right. He clicked his heels together and slid to the right.

"Stop ducking!"

Tsuna just blinked when Mochida lunged at him. A ferocious, irritated expression decorated his features as chatter flooded the stadium. Some of the boys looked wide-eyed while a few of the girls started to giggle at his antics. Mochida's words echoed in his ears.

I can't keep running.

Tsuna grabbed Mochida's arms, pulled him in and kneed him in the chest. Blood spat out of the boy's mouth, decorating the cleaned floors of the gym and the brown-haired boy curled his hands into a fist. This is for insuiating that what happened yesterday was because of my mother and Narumi-neechan. He uncoiled his hand, smashing it straight against Mochida's face and the boy stumbled back.

Blood leaked out of the side of Mochida's face and it was not long before his senior crashed to the ground. The boy crumbled, clutching both his stomach and face like they were his lifeline. Tsuna took a step forward, lips opening to utter an apology but then he thought of the events that happened yesterday.

'Don't think Sawada-sensei can help you out? She is the reason that you are like this."

He cleared his throat and he took a deep breath. "You can talk shit about me but never ever talk shit about my cousin ever again. Yes, she defends me and makes sure that I don't get bullied but at least she taught me how a woman should be respected. Bully me for all I care but never talk shit about Narumi-neechan ever again."

Cheers erupted from all around him and Tsuna blinked as several people rushed towards him, their hands grabbing his legs and hosting him up for all the whole world to see. Brown eyes widened when he caught sight of Narumi-neechan beaming at him, her blue eyes twinkling with joy. He smiled weakly and he just stared down at the crowds, his lips tugging down to a frown.

Weren't they supporting Mochida-senpai earlier? Why did they change their minds?

The crowds lowered him down and it was not long before more and more people crowded around him, slapping his back and acting like they never bullied him in the first place. A small part of him felt resentment while a large part of him beamed at the change of treatment from his classmates and fellow students. Maybe I should talk to Narumi-neechan about this.

Sasagawa pushed herself through the crowds and brown eyes grew large at the flushed expression of the girl. She rubbed the back of her neck, golden eyes looking everywhere but at him. Tsuna stilled, hands clenched into a fist and his whole body hunched up, waiting for her to yell at him.

Because even though Narumi-neechan understood, not everyone else did.

"I'm sorry for getting scared and running away like that," Sasagawa took a deep breath and flashed him a nervous smile. A part of him fluttered, but another part of him felt the stirring of irritation since she was the reason he was in this mess. I know what happened was wrong but it isn't like I'm a pervert. Everyone knows how Narumi-neechan feels about them.

He bit back the words and swallowed a lump. "I should be the one to apologize because t-that was not a c-comfortable situation."

Sasagawa blinked and laughed, golden eyes twinkling with mirth but the usual smile that used to brighten up Tsuna's day fell short. There was no flutter in his stomach like he used to feel whenever his classmate flashed him a smile. All he felt was just pure tiredness and weariness.

"I didn't realize that it was a joke, yesterday."

My feelings weren't a joke. The words were on the tip of his tongue but then Tsuna frowned, tilting his head. If he did not have that fluttering feeling then was his feelings real? Or had it been really just a fleeting crush? Maybe he should ask Reborn about this because there was no way he was going to take love advice from Narumi-neechan.

His mother was also an out since Nana always misunderstood everything and there was no way that Tsuna could communicate with his father. It was just impossible to talk with the dead, so he couldn't ask his father about how he knew if his feelings were real.

So Reborn it was.


"Sawada-sensei, you wanted to talk to me."

Narumi looked up from the third-year homework and forced herself to plaster a smile at the fidgeting girl that stood in front of her door. She bobbed her head, put down the sheet and gestured for Sasagawa to take the seat across her. The auburn-haired girl took a deep breath and sat down in the offered seat.

"Are you okay, Sasagawa-san?" Golden eyes widened and Narumi clasped her hands together, blue eyes focused on the girl that caused the whole mess her cousin got into. "I know what happened in the last two days was a lot for you to process."

A small part of Narumi felt the urge to hurl hurtful words to the girl and Narumi thinks that this was the part of her that solely belonged to Naruto Uzumaki. Even though she was Naruto and Naruto was her, there were aspects of her personality that belonged solely to Sawada Narumi. Sawada Narumi would be willing to not let her personal feelings cloud her judgment, Uzumaki Naruto would.

Narumi just wanted to become a great teacher like the teacher that her first life had. Iruka-sensei helped her in her darkest times, reminding her that she was human. That not everyone saw her as a monster and Narumi wanted to become that kind of role model to the kids, especially the girls.

Kyoko nodded and she nibbled her bottom lip. Golden eyes darted to the various photos that surrounded the office, from the photo of a young Tsuna and her to the graduation photo of her and her friends. Finally, those eyes landed on Narumi and the blond-haired woman frowned when she saw the way Kyoko kept opening and closing her mouth like she was afraid to ask something.

"Sawada-sensei, I felt like an idiot for thinking that Mochida-senpai cared for me," Kyoko took a deep breath as her whole body trembled. "He was just so good in acting like he cared for me but he didn't actually care for me, did he? If he wanted to defend my honor then he shouldn't protest when Sawada-kun wanted to have a fair fight."

"Boys are usually good in acting," Narumi offered her a smile and the girl blinked her eyes at the smile. Blue eyes darted to the window and Narumi pressed her lips into a thin line at the sight of Reborn watching them from the tree. "And you aren't an idiot. You are just inexperience when it comes to boys, Mochida is your first boyfriend isn't he?"

Kyoko slumped her shoulders and shook her head. "But even if he was my first boyfriend, shouldn't I have recognize the signs? I mean he was just so sweet and kind to me then he went to the gym, calling me a prize for the whole school to hear."

Oh and I'm going to give him a detention for that comment. Narumi balled her hands into a fist and grinded her teeth together as her student's words replayed in her mind, constantly reminding her of the disrespect that she felt as a woman. She took in several deep breath, forcing her hands to relax, and stared at the trembling girl who seemed ready to break down at what happened.

Before she can act as Tsuna's cousin, she must act as a teacher and teachers offered comfort. Narumi nibbled her bottom lip and pushed herself to rub the girl's arms even if her mind screamed at her to call the girl a fool for dating such a crappy boy. Even if Kyoko didn't like her cousin, she could have found anyone that would have killed for a chance to be with her. Someone, who respected her.

"Look Sasagawa-san, you and Mochida-san were in the beginning stage of a relationship and from what I know…that stage always make you blind to the fault of your boyfriend," Narumi wrinkled her nose as a pair of black eyes and green eyes flashed before her. "I have been told that love can make a person blind to the faults of the person they love."

Although I do have to question the sanity of Sakura-chan for making a confession during a war. Narumi looked at the cherry blossoms in the photo of her and Tsuna, lips curled into a tiny frown at the light pink shade of the cherry blossom that echoed the same shade of pink of Naruto's teammate. She shook her head and pushed back the memory of Naruto's past.

"Then how can I make sure that I'm not blinded by it?"

Narumi rubbed the back of her neck, blue eyes avoiding the curious eyes of her student, and took several breaths to make sure that her heart didn't just leap out of her mouth. How did people fall in love was a complete mystery to her and maybe if a man caught her attention then she would know what to tell her. She took a deep breath, ran her hand through her blond-hair.

"I don't know," Narumi slumped her shoulders and pulled out the sweets that she usually give Tsuna whenever he was licking his wounds from the bullying. Kyoko blinked and take the sweet. "Look Sasagawa-san, I can't tell you that there is a way to make sure you are not blinded with love. What I can tell you is to focus on your schoolwork and that you shouldn't focus on love."

Green eyes tearing up along with dark eyes that used to stare at Naruto with strange eyes. The eyes that used to look at her like she was a ghost, stared at Naruto with soft eyes and Narumi still felt the flutter that her previous life felt. She gulped down a lump and shook her head at the memory that made her heart ached like there was no tomorrow.

Another set of eyes flashed before Narumi along with the sobs of her high school friends echoing in her ear. Why did he cheat on me, Naru-chan? She grinded her teeth and hated how much love could hurt people. Narumi doesn't believe love was for her and had no desire for that romantic love that hurt people.

"This is a time for you to find out who you are as a person," Narumi took a deep breath and curled her lips into a soft smile. "Right now, you should focus on becoming the best version of yourself that you can be."

Sasagawa smiled and bowed down, lips curled into a hopeful smile. "Thank you, Sawada-sensei."

Narumi curled her lips and smiled as Kyoko dashed straight out of the door, leaving her alone in the room. Blue eyes darted to the trees and the woman slumped her shoulders. She flickered her eyes to the shadow and shook her head, one eyebrow raised at how she did not notice that Reborn had managed to sneak into her office.

Focus less on my student and focus more on making my office, Reborn-proof.

"So how much did you hear?" Reborn stepped out of the shadow, lips curled into a smirk and he took a seat on the empty seat that Kyoko just left. He slumped into the chair, head tilted back and kicked his feet back. He curled his lips into amusement as Narumi's eyebrows twitched at his posture.

"Everything," he tilted his hat upwards and offered her a smile. "Why didn't you tell her that you have never been in a relationship before?"

How the hell does he know about it? Narumi grinded her teeth together and narrowed her blue eyes at the man, whose black eyes glinted with amusement. She took a deep breath, hands clenched into tiny fists and flickered her eyes to the lush greens of the trees. She released her breath and forced herself to relax her body.

"And what makes you think that I have never been in a relationship before?" She spat the words out and Reborn curled his lips into a smirk. He leaned forward till their noses touch, black eyes focused on her and Narumi leaned back. Her cheeks flushed pink and blue eyes darted everywhere but at him. He smirked and leaned back.

"If you have been intimate with someone before then you wouldn't be so flushed," he drawled the words out and Narumi straightened her back. She raised her eyebrow at him and the man sighed. "And Nana informed me."

Narumi grunted, clenched her hands into a fist and wished that she could throttle her aunt for trying to meddle in her non-existent love life. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down her raging heart and the growing fury at the actions of her aunt. Why does she have to tell Reborn anything about her love life? The woman should focus more on her own son than Narumi's love life.

"She is a busybody."

Reborn bobbed his head, not bothering to tell her that she should act more polite to Nana but the woman kept pushing her to go on dates with men that brought her no interest. "She just wants what she thinks is best for you."

Narumi snorted and shook her head. "She wants to make me another copy of herself and no way in hell, I'm going to allow myself become like her and Iemitsu-ojisan."

Bile rose up to her throat and the woman grinded her teeth as she recalled the countless trips that Iemitsu and Nana took, leaving her alone to raise her cousin. It will be good practice for when you start your own family. Narumi grinded her teeth and shook her head, wishing again that her relatives saw who was the most important person in their lives.

"Don't woman want what your relatives have?"

I want what my first parents had, not what those two have.

"It feels more like lust and infatuation then actual love," Narumi sighed. "Wouldn't you want your partner to treat you like an equal? Nana and Iemitsu don't have that."

The words slipped and Narumi wondered if Reborn caught the omission of ojisan. She hoped not because it would be confusing for everyone if they realized that she does not fully acknowledge Iemitsu as her uncle. He might have taken her in when her father died, but he never fully raised her. The same goes for Nana.

Reborn eyed her but made no comment, instead he locked his eyes on the photo of Tsuna. "Dame-Tsuna is different from the boy that I spent a week observing." He leaned forward and tilted his hat downwards, not allowing her to see his emotions. "Tell me about the Dame-Tsuna that you know."

Narumi scowled and narrowed her eyes at him. "Tsuna isn't a Dame."

He raised his eyebrows and the blond-haired woman took in a deep breath, rubbing the back of her neck and stared at the smiling photo of her youngest cousin. "Look Tsuna might be gentle and yeah his grades aren't the best, but he is just a boy filled with low self-confidence. Bullying does that to a person and Nana doesn't really help."

Reborn tilted his hat and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Tsuna seems proficient in the martial arts."

"I taught him," Narumi puffed her chest and a smile broke out of her face as tiny hands curled into a fist flashed before her bright blue eyes. "I had to teach him how to defend himself since I couldn't protect him on his way back from school."

Reborn eyed her. "You wanted to protect him."

Narumi bobbed her head. "Words weren't helping so I taught him how to fight. I don't want any cousin of mine to be a pushover but that boy seems to be gentle…so I didn't push him."

I wanted at times but Hinata always appeared before my eyes and I just couldn't bring myself to say no to him. Narumi does not want to become like Hisashi Hyuga, who pushed Hinata and broke her confidence. She wanted to build Tsuna up and not break him down.

"If you can't push him then I will. No student of mine is going to be pushed around."

Narumi quirked her lips. "But if you ever humiliate him, I will make a pay."

Reborn just tilted his hat downwards, lips almost curled into a smirk and Narumi narrowed her eyes at him. He tilted his hat upwards, stood up from his seat before staring straight at her. He darted his eyes from the photo of Tsuna and her to the photo of her with her high school friends.

Finally, he said. "I won't mind getting punish by you."

Narumi flushed a bright shade of red and the man smirked at her, looking almost faintly amused at her reaction. She took a deep breath and her hands reached out for the coffee mug as her eyebrows twitched at his reaction. Taking a deep breath, the woman threw the coffee mug at him.

He ducked.


A/N: Please review and tell me what you think about this chapter.