"Enrico's been assassinated." Lal put down the phone, "His Rain took a page from your book and put him into a coma, so he's alive, but only just, so with Massimo ineligible due to house arrest, the Vongola need a new Heir."

I whirled on the spot, boomerang flying up to deflect the bullet coming for my head.

"Excellent reflexes, Basilicum." Said Reborn, who was within the heart of the CEDEF, uninvited. No point worrying about him having infiltrated security, the World's Greatest was no empty title, "Iemitsu has been summoned by Timoteo, and I have already been contracted to train the new Heir."

My Flames answered my distress, Rain flaring warped cold tranquility in an instant, all but strangling emotion. Oregano was putting down a human trafficking ring while Turmeric was assisting her in liaising with Interpol, and with their absence there was a reason that Reborn had come directly to Lal and I.

"This one will finally cease to be required to be the decoy, this one presumes." I inclined my head towards Reborn, "Unless you have other plans, mister Reborn?"

I had been trying out different honorifics for different languages, various little indicators to test their subjects and see their reactions, to lull the proud into arrogant complacency and move the kind to pity, but Reborn had been rather less than pleased to be manipulated thusly and perfectly willing to make his point, so I stuck to the basics for him—not none, obviously, that was more unthinkable than letting weapons rust, but it was perfectly acceptable to only use the less obsequious ones.

"I will be announcing that I'm going to travel to Namimori and train the Vongola heir presumptive there." He told us trollishly, "You might want to start vetting potential attackers."

"Explain." Lal growled.

My hand tightened on my weapon.

Reborn snorted, "You know that I prefer trial by fire, and it's not as if there's any other method of bringing a Flame Active to their full potential, Lal."

"Dino was trained using manufactured challenges." Lal crossed her arms, "Controlled stress, like I use on my recruits, not sending hitmen after them."

"Developing Hyper Intuition requires being confronted by actual malice." Reborn countered, "Dino could be cultivated with simple threats to his life, but the boy can only grow into his own if there is a steady stream of opponents coming at him with intent to kill. The alternative would be to hire assassins to go after my new student, but somehow, I think that'd give off the wrong impression."

I coughed. "Would allowing select individuals to slip through our net be better? That this one doubts, for what face would remain to the CEDEF, should we permit second-rate chumps to penetrate our defenses?"

Reborn turned to me, "Would you prefer me to take a page from Iemitsu's book and send the boy into danger instead of bringing it to him on his home ground?"

"This one." I said flatly, "Would that the Young Master live a life free of destiny and burdensome duty forced upon him."

"The Ninth has made his decision, however." Reborn countered easily, testing, probing, trying to get a reaction, "And the Vongola needs an Heir, lest it crumble, and take the Alliance with it."

He did not care about the Alliance, not really, cared no more for the denizens of the cosa nostra than any great jungle cat for the creatures that shared its habitat—merely as prey, as amusement, as providers of conveniences—but he did hold attachment to the Vongola.

Lal's eyes narrowed behind her goggles, because there was a reason that the Arcobaleno orbited the Vongola, no matter their origins. This Family was old, it had existed before they had been born, and it had remained with them through the years in a changing world even as their old acquaintances departed. For people cast adrift, unmoored from time in their eternal infancy, it was a precious constant. (that infancy would end soon, swift and brutal. My research had uncovered that much).

I did not hold constancy as dear personally, but the Vongola provided stability, some rule of law to the underworld, and I shuddered at the prospect of it being lost. The Family needed an Heir, or else blood would be spilt like water, and while I only bore responsibility for the External Consultancy, there was only so much suffering that I could ignore.

Reborn knew that.

I couldn't stop him, but he at least had the decency not to smirk, although my pride had me putting on the sincerest, most open expression I could muster, and nod. "This one understands."

"Well then." He tipped his hat over shadowed eyes, "I take your leave. You might want to start brushing up on your Japanese, Basil-kun."

"That, this clumsy one shall, Reborn-san." I replied, the san incongruous against perfect, albeit aggressively archaic kenjougo.

"Well." Lal crossed her arms, "It's about time that we looked to East Asia."

I ran through the world map in my head, "This one could first investigate Australia." I tried.

She shook her head, hand going to her grey Pacifier, "How long do you still have?"

"A year and change."

I had combed through Europe between my work, found ruins and deciphered runes, made inquiries to the Vestal Virgins and their Cervello, even learned a bit of ancient Sumerian to find clues in their records. But those were only traces, tracks gone long cold, and despite our very much increased understanding of the the Foundations of the World, we still could not find the one who was behind the Curse of the Rainbow.

My other teacher shook her head, "Don't be a fucking idiot, we know that Checkerface will always lurk around the greatest uncertainty of the Tri-ni-sette. Right now, with the Giglio Nero secure and still a couple of years left in us, it's the Vongola Inheritance. There's no point chasing down leads anymore, they just confirm what we've already learned. It was always going to be Sawada the younger."

That was true.

"Going now to Namimori would simply confirm the Young Master's presence." I pointed out.

"Well," Lal gave me an unimpressed look, "That doesn't give you any excuse to shirk anything else, does it? False trails, border surveillance, get together with your boyfriend and thin out the freelancers and whoever is working for our enemies."

"Understood." I nodded, "Any particular targets?"

"You're old enough to figure them out yourself—apart from one." Lal grimaced, "Verde."

"The Lightning?" I confirmed.

"Yes. He's..."

"Inspired by scientific passions?" I asked euphemistically, recalling Orochimaru as well as his right hand and my terrible kouhai.

"The sort to test people and inventions indiscriminately. He'll probably send assassins to see just how the Heir Apparent measures up against his creations."

"This one's sympathies."

"No thanks. You're going to be the one dealing with him."