Hey there! Thanks for the reading the story til now :D

StarShow, Tsuna's yandere self is still being shaped lol, flower signatures are pretty cool, but I've got something in mind- what he becomes is hinted a little in the story title. I guess the story still has plenty of wiggle room, so I guess it'll be a wild ride for all of us lol.

Lemme know what you think of the chapter. Enjoy~

Chapter 11

Paper Crown

A kid walked into the town, searching for the target that his famiglia assigned to him. It was his big chance to make a name for himself, and especially because the said target was the world-renown number one hitman- Reborn.

The townspeople had nervous looks. They had no doubt understood it in their bones about just how big of a threat he was. He was the great Lambo after all. They should be covering in their boots, ready to lick them clean from his mere presence.

There weren't many people around too and those were the ones wise enough to try and hide into their homes. Well, that made things simple for the child if they were going to look past him. He could see it right now. He'd waltz right into the hitman's hideout.

"Finally, a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary."

Then, those guys at the Bovinos wouldn't ignore him. They'd look at him with awe and respect, fawning over his each and every glance. He wouldn't find himself being left behind for their 'agendas'. If he brings Reborn's head on a silver platter, they'd never have anything more important than him. All those sneering, disgusted, disapproving or contemptuous looks would vanish.

"I'll do it. They'll see.

They'll all see. They'll regret looking down upon me when I kick Reborn's ass."

"Hmm? Boss told that brat to bring Reborn's head or to never come back?

Poor kid.

That's practically a death sentence. Oh well, that kid was far too useless to keep around. It was best to dispose of him."

His fists gripped together, but he shook it off and started running to a place where he thought the guy would be.

"If I was Reborn, where would I go?"

It was a guy who thought of himself as far beyond the rest of humanity. No one would ever refute him if he claimed it out loud. Well, he was about to change all that. He had to.

Lambo ran past the buildings. There were some people wearing black uniforms and having a severe look. They have to be the guy's grunts. He had no time to waste fighting them. Reborn might be choosing to retreat when he's stuck with them.

Since Reborn would be the boss, the hitman must be in a more isolated area. It was because if he really was the best, he'd find them a nuisance. It was the same for Lambo. They were both lone wolves- powerful and lonely at the top.

He tripped a little.

It wasn't like if he managed to succeed at this, the Bovino would be too scared to be near him… right?

'The view in front of him was in a rich green. The trees swayed with the wind as he found himself in the clearance. Amongst that greenery, there was a shrine that seemed like the plants grew over. The structure itself was supposed to host a god.

Thinking that he was on to something, Lambo rammed into the door at full strength, his hands reaching into his afro for a grenade.

"Reborn! It is I, the great Lambo. Look upon my splendour ye mighty and despair!"

There was a no-one but a scrawny guy in the room. He looked at the child like a gaping fish.

"Who're you? Are you his servant? Then become mine."

Seeing the other open and close his mouth, Lambo thought he had no choice but to do it. He reached for a water bottle from his afro and threw it at the brunette.

"There. Now I've watered you." Yet, the child threw the whole thing right at his forehead. Spluttering in that water might have been a better way to do that, but getting bonked in the head was better.

The bottle rolled over a little ways away from the brunette and when he tried reaching out to it, his centre of gravity collapsed making him face plant on the tatami.

Lambo looked wholly unimpressed as his future assistant tried scrambling to a crawling position. Given that Tsuna had to put his entire body weight on his scrawny arms to get anywhere, especially with his ankles smarting horribly… it went just as well as anyone could expect.

"You're… pretty useless, aren't you? Anyway, what's your name?"

Even if Tsuna was unhappy with their first impressions, he wheezed and answered "Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Hmm. Then, you'll be Dame-Tsuna! We've got no time to waste here, so follow me."

Tsuna looked at the child in exasperation as he just managed to prop himself on his elbows, his pose like that of a seal in aquarium shows.

"It's impossible. I can't move from here. I can't drag myself towards the exit." He popped open the bottle and took a swig from it to clear his parched throat. Most of his strength had been spent, trying to futilely reach for the shrine entrance and chase after Gokudera. His elbows collected dust and looked like they hid bruises. Not to mention that Hibari did a pretty number on him.

"…Can't be helped. This great Lambo will help you. Sheesh, you can't even get out of one unlocked building without me."

Seeing the child lifting him a little to prop him on his shoulder, Tsuna gave the other a sincere thanks. A small look of surprise appeared on the former's face, but the child quickly tried schooling his face back to normal. That failed pretty badly, given the heavy blush on his features.

Tsuna looked surprised at how with just the arrival of this child, the somewhat hopeless situation at the shrine instantly got solved. He looked at the rustling grass surrounding the forest with teary eyes. All that worry about both his own situation and the other two's precarious states instantly vanished into the open space.

The child took him deeper into the forest and plopped him against the back of a tree and said,

"I know. You'll need food and water right? I'll go get them immediately 'cos you can't. So Dame-Tsuna, sit there and wait for me."

He then noticed the wound at his ankles re-opening and continued, "You're definitely useless. I just dragged you a little and you're bleeding. But it's fine. I'm here after all." And then he proceeded to fetch bandages from his afro.

"Gotta bandage it quick or the wolves here will pick up on your scent. Then I won't be there to help you even if you call for me."

Tsuna looked surprised at the level of care the seemingly callous kid gave him, even if it felt like the other was treating him like a pet that was dependent on him for its survival. Lambo looked way too excited to be his saviour as he didn't even bother waiting for Tsuna's response.

It left the brunette with mixed feelings since it reminded him of how excited his mom would get when dealing with his slob of a father. It was like a sense of purpose that came from dealing with someone who was so useless they'd die without being supported. Tsuna wasn't that happy at being put in the same place as that irresponsible guy.

But if the kid was observant enough to notice that he had a wound at his ankle, why did he bring him to this isolated place?

'It's not like he couldn't have seen the food supplies in the shrine, right? The place was pretty empty.' And so he thought he'd bring it up when the kid returned.

"Lambo-kun, thank you very much for bringing me out here. I was struggling to do just that- you were a life saviour. But this might be a little odd, but my friend was the one who told me to stay there. If I'm gone, he'd be worried about me and would be looking around for me. So, if you see him around, can you tell him where I'd be? Actually, the reason why he-"

"That's stupid. That's the guy who made you stuck there right? If he was your pal, he'd get you out there. He left you behind, so forget 'bout him. Look, you've got me instead, right?! And I'm way cooler than that kind of bad guy who'd abandon you! I've got you food, water and I've bandaged you too! And look!" he brought a sleeping bag from his afro- and Tsuna wondered how did all that fit inside there- and threw it at him. Lambo looked at him expectantly, his eyes sparkling with so much hope as to show just why he was the better option.

'This isn't going to work. He doesn't want to listen.' Not to mention that the story was long and the child's attention span was pretty short, given how he was already distracted now. But, after all the work Lambo did, Tsuna didn't feel great to just accept things, so he rummaged his pockets to fetch a grape candy. Gokudera made sure he didn't lack for food after all.

As soon as the sweet made its appearance, it caught the kid's attention immediately. "I'll give this to you as thanks for all the help."

Lambo made an ear-splitting grin as a peal of gleeful laughter came out of his mouth, and he grabbed the candy and ate it whole. Then, as if the exhaustion for the day caught up to him, he yawned and plopped right next to Tsuna's messy hair which made for a fine makeshift pillow. The brunette gave an exasperated sigh at the sleeping child's antics and split the blanket evenly between them.

By the next morning, he woke up feeling oddly cold and realized that Lambo took the blanket for himself. He tried lifting his legs to no avail as it barely responded to him as his body remained in the same position as when Lambo placed him there. It was as if he was reduced to a doll, and that was only further reinforced when the child immediately went looking for food for both of them when he woke up.

The fog of the forest made the place cold in the mornings, prompting the other to gather firewood when he heard Tsuna sneezing. The moniker rang true yet again. He had gotten a fever along with that, making it hard for him to focus on the surroundings to keep an ear out for Gokudera's return. A heavy daze took over him, as the child forgot his mission to take care of the brunette full time.

How many days had past since they had escaped from the shrine? He was worried about the burden that Lambo took upon himself for their sakes. He worried about whether Gokudera would have turned into a headless chicken in search for him. He wondered what Yamamoto was up to? Did Hibari catch them? ...Where was Reborn?

Lambo's soft hands put a wet cloth on his forehead and changed it in intervals and it reminded him of Nana whenever he was down with a fever. He wondered if the child who had immediately called him Dame-Tsuna would have looked as exasperated as she did when his utility dropped lower than usual?

But when his fever subsided, he noticed that his Achilles heel was slowly healing and he excitedly claimed to Lambo, "It's healing! In just some time I can be able to walk again!" This way he can help in gathering their food. Then Lambo can have free time for his initial request this way too.

Strangely enough, the declaration seemed to have made the child disappointed.

"Oh… you can walk again…

…

Right! Wouldn't trying to walk again be difficult?! Rather than pushing yourself to do something this Lambo can do so easily, you can just wait there and get everything you need, right?!"

"But if I get back up, then we can actually do the thing you wanted my help for-"

"It's going to be boring to wait until you can walk and do things for me and you'll just get in my way for collecting fruits and wood here. It's better if you just stay there. I can take care of both of us better than when you help out! So just stay like that!

I don't have the time for the mission right now, so it can just wait for me! Besides, that bad guy would be searching for you, right? If he sees you moving around, he might do something even worse to get you back in that place!"

"I've been meaning to talk to you about him, you've mistaken his intentions-"

"No, Dame-Tsuna. Even I tried taking that kind of guy's side before! You can run after them as much as you want, they don't ever look back." In fact, Lambo actually ended up getting farther away from the Bovino famiglia- all the way to Namimori- even if he tried to meet their every expectation. It was these days with the brunette that made him realize that there's no line of sight that can meet if you keep chasing after someone. Tsuna was just like him… No, he was worse than him. That's why he needs Lambo and because he needs him, he can't let go of him.

That's why he still needs to need Lambo.

"You know what, Dame-Tsuna? I actually ran out of bandages, so your feet might not get better." The ground of the forest was rough and an exposed wound was the perfect bait for insects. Tsuna didn't need feet with Lambo around anyway.

The brunette paused at that statement. It was hard to believe that a person with a seemingly infinite storage space inside his afro suddenly ran out of medical supplies. Not to mention, the timing was a bit on the nose. But it was baffling. Why did it seem like the child would love him to stay this useless when that moniker of his was always full of wrath whenever it was uttered? In fact, even Tsuna agreed with the spite and malice that laced a voice that addressed him. He himself didn't like that weak self of his that could do nothing but look. Worse yet, could do nothing but watch a situation as it worsened- sometimes even worsening it from his involvement.

"I'll be your hero, Tsuna-nii."

Tsuna wanted to be a hero for most of his life too. But he failed horribly when he tried being one, and for once, he was able to be one- even if it was for a very short time. This time, it was Lambo who got to be that role. That word fell on the child's mouth like it was a stranger, and at that moment- Tsuna knew that they were the same. Tsuna could choose to be Gokudera and take it away from him…

"Hey Lambo, can I ask you something? I'm just curious. Why did you come to Namimori? Did you have some business with Reborn?"

"Hmm? Well, my famiglia told me to get rid of Reborn and to not come back until I finished that mission."

He remembered that toddler's introduction. He was supposedly the world's number one hitman. For Lambo, someone who seemed like a literal kid unlike Reborn… it had certain implications. Optimistically, it could be taken as 'Go big or go home'.

'If someone asked me if Reborn could be defeated by Lambo… Then…' it was a sombre thought.

"I've already beaten Reborn. I'm a much better master than him, right?"

"Yeah… I've got to give that to you."

"Ha ha! I knew it."

Yes… They both were very alike.

Kurokawa Hana got the fright of her life when she entered Takesushi. The first thing she saw when she opened the door was a gleaming cleaver in Yamamoto's hand.

"Kurokawa-chan? You're finally here. I've been waiting for you, so could you sit near the counter? I'll prepare some sushi for you. Pops agreed to leave the store to me for a bit."

After hearing all that from the baby, a sharp knife that cuts through the fish like it was butter was not reassuring in the least. The fish bones were cleanly extracted and its dead eyes looked straight at her. Maybe she should have told the kid that she wasn't interested in dying rather than abetting with him.

"You don't have to look so wary. I've done this a couple of times. I'm even getting familiar with knives after practising the sword lately. I'll guarantee the taste, heck, it'll be on the house."

"Did you know I'd come here to negotiate with you?" it was certainly an eye-opener. To think that the idiot of their class was actually one of the masterminds. And of a case that gruesome… The teen in front of her was skilled enough to slice through the fish while keeping the blade pristine. She tensed as she kept her guard up against him. Despite his skills, he supposedly wooed an acquaintance of Kyoko to do the dirty work for him. Who knows what he'd make her do if she fell for his words.

"I even know that you'd try to drag my pops into this. It's not really playing fair, but I suppose it's hard to ask for good sportsmanship from someone who doesn't play games.

But why are you looking for the truth anyway? I think this stuff is in Hibari-senpai's jurisdiction."

"You're here making sushi. I don't have any trust that that guy is interested in upholding the law."

"When did you become the apostle of justice?"

"You've got to be joking! After you made me into a sucker that helped the murderer kill people, like hell I wouldn't try to straighten things out. Plus, if I stayed blind to whatever you sickos are up to, it'd be much more convenient to you guys right?!

Well, I'm not interested in letting the people who get Kyoko and I involved off that easily. So spill. I'll warn you, but I'm just a button away from dialling your dad if you try anything funny. It has the prerecorded message about just what you don't want him to hear."

"That's pretty hurtful to be accused like that. I'm not even the one who hurt them or killed them. I'm the one who had a cast on my arm from the previous incident and Kyoko-chan is the one who introduced the killer to me."

"Kyo…ko…?"

"Are you surprised that I know something about her that you, her best friend doesn't? Don't tell me you didn't notice the changes in her?"

"Don't lie to me! You must have sweet-talked that acquaintance into doing that."

"Wasn't the crime scene pretty professional? It's pretty hard to convince someone to do something that elaborate if they weren't inclined to that in the first place. Do you think Kyoko-chan would have introduced her to me without knowing her inclinations? I think I have enough people I know to talk to if it's just to rope them into this. You've got personal experience for that, don't you?"

Kurokawa understood why her friend had done something that extreme to reign in her brother. She knew how stubborn that guy could get. But… to willingly engage herself with a murderer who treated a human body with such disrespect…

"Did 'she' have some sort of grudge with those guys? I thought only Tsuna could have justifiable hatred against them…"

"No. She doesn't hate them. She decorated them and preserved them. Haven't you seen the place? There's not a single stray scar. It was all done with purpose."

"…What for?"

"It was all for Tsuna. Isn't that obvious? Just like what I did. It was all for Tsuna."

Kurokawa paled as she felt nausea looking at the tuna based sushi in front of her. They had done that for Tsuna's sake? She had never seen a hint of hatred in the brunette's face. But this side of Yamamoto was hidden from her, how can she say something about the former with confidence?

"It went right as intended too. Tsuna came to peace with his mom's death when he saw the photo. After all, a murder can look so beautiful as it honoured the victim too. She understood him really well. It made sense as she followed him around in secret for many years. I mean, I didn't notice her too. I would call her the perfect stalker, but I don't think Tsuna thinks of her that way."

Kurokawa looked at the jock with horror dawning on her face. He and Kyoko knew a stalker for years? When was this? Could Kyoko have possibly learned to think that way from those two?

"Why're you telling me all this? And so easily?"

"Well, she has been helpful this time around. But, you know… it's not fair. The three of them have left me out with their little secrets. But since it's their little secrets, they'd leave a new friend out whenever it comes up again. It was pretty lonely, you know? When Tsuna calmed down when he saw the photo, he's going to trust her and rely on her more in the future.

Hibari-senpai lost interest in the case after that incident, so the next part of the plan went into the trashcan. If we're all not on the same starting line, then it's hard to catch up to the finish. Aren't you looking for the culprit too? Don't you dislike the bad influence near your best friend? Kyoko-chan's changed, hasn't she? You want her back, don't you? It's a win-win situation.

I'll tell you something interesting. Didn't you find your informant way too smug for your tastes? This will bring him down a peg once it's all done, I assure you."

Kurokawa had a sinking feeling where all of this was leading into. It seemed like the string of murders were not going to end with this. But still, a promise of going back to the good old times was hard to resist. She scrunched up her eyes and nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry. She won't target you. After all, there are seven people including you who knows her identity. My other accomplice for this case doesn't know either, hahaha! Her name's Haru. Miura Haru. You've got your answer now."

"I agreed, so you have to promise me one thing."

Yamomoto looked at her imploringly.

"Don't involve Kyoko into this. Don't lay a single hand on her." After all, she was one of the two who kept 'secrets' with Tsuna. Kurokawa would throw 'Miura Haru' under the bus if it meant that the guy in front of her wouldn't reach out for her best friend.

Yamamoto looked disappointed with that deal, but he sighed and said, "I guess you can't have your own cake and eat it too."

Shivers ran down her spine at that statement.

But things only turned to the worse when she met up with Reborn.

"I heard about the truth about 'Miura Haru' that you wanted to find out from Yamamoto. I agree with what you said before. I wouldn't have accepted the truth behind Tsuna and Kyoko's acquaintance with her if you told me about her. Even now, I don't understand when they met up. She's always been by my or her brother's side. So? What do you want me to do for that information? You got me that information without letting me get killed by that psycho."

With that, Reborn was the eighth person to know about the case's culprit. He smirked and said,

"I want you to tell your best friend that Hibari is not going to pursue Yamamoto and Haru." It would be the perfect bait to shift her attention from her brother to her accomplice.

Kurokawa paled at that request. It was a way to tie Kyoko's fate with Yamamoto- when she told Yamamoto to leave her off the hook but to get her best friend to still entangle with them…

"Were you planning on never telling her about this? She is eventually going to realize, so why not reassure her with your own words? You got Yamamoto to look the other way, didn't you? What's the problem?"

She looked at the baby suspiciously. Why did he know about that? It's almost as if he was listening in on their conversation. In this town, it was really every man for himself. She hated this feeling- like she was caught in the web, struggling to escape from the hungry spider.

"You seem like you want to keep your loved ones safe. I can give you a tip for that. If you're wary against Yamamoto, keep that recording ready to trigger. He won't make a move against you until he finds a way to get rid of it. Make sure you never lose it. You can use it as many times as you'd like against him. The case this time hasn't left them unharmed. As for the other accomplice to the murders, rest assured. I've played a move against them. If not solved, this situation can remain in a deadlock."

When Reborn said that, Kurokawa's posture relaxed a little. Hidden agenda or not, it seemed like peace could be restored in the future. But just to reassure herself, she asked him,

"Are you planning on keeping Kyoko away from them?"

She wanted Kyoko to stay far away from Tsuna and his 'friends'.

The kid gave her a single nod, and yet she felt like maybe kids weren't all that bad.

"If you end up putting everything back to those good times, I won't count this time's request as a favour."

Those black beady eyes stared right at her, and she hurriedly tried to end the conversation. Reborn left the place with a tiny smile on his face.