"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." – Leo Tolstoy

It must've been hours since Tsuna became aware of his surroundings, and yet there was still daylight.

He looked around mindlessly, trying to gain his bearings, to understand, when the smell of ramen wafted in his nose. Blinking slowly, he reached out to steady himself against the wall, wincing from the pain in his right ankle. Yeah, definitely sprained.

His mind reeled while he tried to deduce what had happened in the span of, what, ten minutes? He was dying from the radiation, had sacrificed his life to revive the Arcobaleno…

He stiffened when some of their dead bodies flashed in his mind, but he shook his head. They were alive, he brought them back. He heard them.

The voice… Yeah, he heard a voice when he sank. It told him…that he had a second chance, to find it.

Tsuna glanced at the bloody hammer on the floor. Those boys—they were middle school students. What the hell was he—this person—doing? Was he like them, too? He looked down, grimacing at his bloodstained and torn uniform. It was the same as theirs'. Well, at least he wasn't some 50-year-old psycho or something.

Looking around, Tsuna found a backpack strewn across the floor, most likely his or whoever he was. He limped towards it and picked it up, wincing from just moving, before picking up the hammer and stuffing it inside his bag. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to leave any evidence behind. The pain that rippled through his frail body would've been nothing to him before, but he was much weaker now, smaller. It was both aggravating and pitiful.

The smell of ramen still lingered in the air. Tsuna walked slowly as to not agitate his wounds. He sensed some broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and tons of bruises and cuts, old and new. God, he was going to need tons of stitches.

When he finally left the alleyway, he realized that the streets and wide roads were empty. It was around late afternoon too, so it was odd that the small town would be so bare. He never liked empty places, always gravitating towards seas of people whenever he could if he didn't get a call. That made him feel alive, present, anchored.

Now, he just felt hollow.

Tsuna leaned on the tall buildings for support while he approached the peculiar ramen stand a few feet away. His stomach growled and he cursed under his breath—what was this person feeding himself? Air? He felt like a fucking balloon.

He didn't bother to carry the backpack, dragging it instead. It was too heavy for his aching shoulder. Stopping short in front of the ramen stand, Tsuna stared at the still shop curtains. They were red and all the seats were empty. Still, there was something cooking in there and he didn't sense any danger, even though the place reeked of Mist Flames. Huh, so the person he was now had Flames, too. Why couldn't he reach them though…?

"Excuse me," he muttered, pushing a thin curtain to the side.

He stopped short. His voice…it was raspy from screaming—he was 100% convinced that this person was the true victim and not those boys—but he recognized it anywhere. It was his own voice, his much younger voice.

"Welcome, Tsunayoshi," a calm voice said. "Please, take a seat."

A white-haired man with a plain green kimono and glasses stood behind the counter, a cup of tea in front of him. Tsuna didn't recognize him, but he recognized his voice.

"You…"

The man just nodded. "Yes, me. Please, sit. Would you like anything?"

There was something familiar about the man, but Tsuna couldn't place it. It was an odd feeling and he wasn't sure if he could trust him or not. Shaking his head, Tsuna said, "No, thank you. But…water would be nice."

The man nodded again and moved to the back while Tsuna sat down on a stool, wincing from the ache in his ribs. Thank God, none of them pierced his lungs or he'd be screwed. He should definitely go to the hospital or something. He took a moment to look around. The place looked like any other ramen stand, nothing too suspicious, aside from the Mist Flames. His heart constricted; having been from Japan, he found himself missing his home country. Though ramen wasn't his favorite dish, it brought back what fond memories he had while he was there, even if it was short-lived before he was shipped to Italy—literally.

When the mysterious owner returned with a glass of water, Tsuna didn't drink it right away despite how dry his throat was. He picked it up and sniffed, not caring how rude it looked. He wasn't going to risk dying again.

"There's no point in killing you when I just brought you back from death, Tsunayoshi," the man said. "Please drink."

Tsuna frowned. "I hope this is real."

The man's lips twitched. "As real as it can be."

After a few more minutes, Tsuna deemed it safe and downed the cup of water, which ultimately soothed his throat. He let out a small content sigh and mumbled his thanks. The man just nodded politely.

"Who are you?" Tsuna said, his voice a little less hoarse.

"You can call me Kawahira."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Do I know you? You seem…very familiar."

Kawahira smiled slightly, but his face conveyed nothing. It was an unnerving expression regardless, if Tsuna could call it that. "Perhaps, perhaps not. Familiarity is a fickle thing."

"I don't like not knowing who you are when you know things who I am. You don't talk straight."

A flash of amusement, and strangely, fondness passed in Kawahira's eyes. "Your honesty is still refreshing. I'm glad."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth then thought better of it; he had the feeling that Kawahira would probably throw some vague answers in his face again. At least, Viper was more up front, even if it cost money (in Tsuna's case, it was food and crates of strawberry milk, but he digressed).

"Why am I here?"

"I brought you here for a second chance."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to."

Tsuna blinked. That…wasn't what he expected. He thought Kawahira would say something sappy about living life to the fullest again or something. However, the man didn't seem like the sentimental type. Still, his motives weren't clear.

Kawahira smiled again. "It was one of my weakest moments, frankly. I rarely give second chances to those unless they deserved it. Still, I wouldn't give it anyway."

"And…I deserved it?"

"I believe so. Don't you?"

Frowning, Tsuna shifted in his seat, careful not to agitate his wounds. "I don't know."

"I'll be frank with you, Tsunayoshi—you are both dead and alive. You sacrificed your life to save the Arcobaleno in your world, but you're here in your other self. You're essentially yourself again but not exactly. The Tsunayoshi here is merely your physical host, now with your conscience and your memories."

Tsuna furrowed his brows. It was a calm, collected explanation, much like how he explained things to his patients. Tsuna should be panicking or screaming at how he had just taken someone's else life from them, even if it was technically himself but not really himself; however, Tsuna wasn't the kindest person in the world. Sure, he had his moments, but he was still human, and humans were selfish. It was a trait that even gentle Fon showed sometimes.

His heart ached when he remembered the Chinese martial-artist—how they'd meditate, talk quietly over tea after a long night, and pass out on an extra bed to forget the world for an hour or two. Curling his hands around his empty cup, Tsuna released a shaky breath. Though he did feel a bit guilty for taking over this Tsuna's life without as much as a hello, it was…for the best (for himself, anyways).

"Can I really see them again?" he said quietly.

Kawahira sipped his tea, his eyes never leaving Tsuna's face. "Yes, but there are things you should know about this world." Tsuna raised a brow, making Kawahira smile. "I would not leave you to wander this world blindly, Tsunayoshi. I am not that cruel nor is time that forgiving. You do not belong here, but this Tsunayoshi did not have the best prospects either."

"He i—was bullied."

Kawahira nodded. "There's that, but he's also a viable candidate for Vongola Decimo. Primo is an ancestor on his father's side."

Tsuna tensed. Decimo's corpse flashed in his mind along with the utter destruction the Millefiore had brought upon the Vongola mansion and their bases. Blood, so much blood. Colonello's charred body, Viper's mutilated remains. He gripped his cup tighter to make his hands stop shaking. If Decimo had listened to them in the first place, if Nono hadn't threatened Reborn with Tsuna's life to tutor the boy, if they hadn't left…

He shook his head. They would've gotten involved anyways—it was inevitable.

"Don't worry. This world's Tsunayoshi—his father, Iemitsu, promised to step down from his leading role in CEDEF for the Decimo title to avoid the possibility of having Tsunayoshi involved with the mafia. Currently, Enrico and Massimo, Nono's sons, are still alive. You are free to avoid that life if you wish, but I cannot guarantee how things will play out in the future. Your presence is already a small ripple in this time frame."

Tsuna looked down at his poorly-bandaged hands. The boy was rather clumsy, he deduced plainly. "But are they still involved?" His throat constricted. "Are they…still the Arcobaleno?"

Kawahira didn't blink. "Yes, they are. In all the infinite parallel worlds in the universe, the Arcobaleno are still needed and the Tri-ni-set continues to function as it is."

"I broke the curse before," Tsuna said tightly. "I can break it again."

Kawahira, surprisingly, didn't protest. He merely nodded his head. "You can if you want to. I will not stop you. However, they won't know who you are. You're starting fresh here. This world is not like yours."

Tsuna swallowed a small lump in his throat. "I can do it."

His nerves tingled, but the small flutter in his heart managed to appease them just as quickly. He could see them again. That was all he wanted—everything else was secondary. He could do this, come hell or high waters. He wasn't going to let this chance go to waste.

Kawahira stayed quiet for a moment before nodding. "I chose this world because this Tsunayoshi had lost all hope today. How you choose to live your new life here is up to you. This timeline will run differently now that you've taken over the original Tsunayoshi, but I trust that you can navigate it without much assistance. This is all I can give you, nothing more and nothing less."

Tsuna's head spun from the prospect of his new life, the possibility of meeting them again, the second chance to live the life he (maybe) had wanted. He could do it—he had to.

"I'm not the Sky Arcobaleno, am I?" Tsuna muttered in a daze. "What can I do? I don't—I'm too young, too weak, too small…"

"You are now Sawada Tsunayoshi, son of Sawada Nana and Iemitsu. Primo's blood runs through your veins." Kawahira smiled almost mysteriously. "It's not a matter of what can you do, it's a matter of what will you do. You grew up with nothing, Tsunayoshi. I trust you can make do with what you have now. It's rather fortunate, don't you think?"

Though Kawahira was an enigmatic man with unclear intentions, Tsuna could only be grateful for what the man was doing for him. Kawahira was really sticking his neck out for him to give him this second chance. He'd think about the complex matters later.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

Kawahira just smiled. "Don't waste this chance I gave you, Tsunayoshi. There won't be another one."

It was strange to know that there was a home to go to and a mother waiting for him (though it did made him feel shittier for taking over this world's Tsuna so abruptly).

The former Sky Arcobaleno had grown up as an orphan in the Osaka slums before he was found by a gruff man named Goro, who was deeply entrenched in the black market. Not the best parts of his life, but Tsuna had to start somewhere, right?

He shook his head. It was no good to be stuck in the past. He had to pick up his chin and move forward.

At least, Kawahira had been nice enough to bring him home and take away the bloody hammer before vanishing with his ramen stand. Tsuna had a feeling that the man might be more powerful than Viper, and he didn't know what to think of that.

When Tsuna walked through the small gates of a modest-looking home, he couldn't help but tremble. He tried to convince himself that it was from his wounds, but it was really from the sudden anxiety of meeting a woman he didn't know—a mother who wouldn't know that her son didn't exist anymore.

He gritted his teeth. Damn it, this was what he was nervous about? He was—had been an underground doctor who restrained dangerous (flailing) men and cut them open for a living, and this was what got him terrified?

No.

Fourteen or not, Tsuna was, in essence, a man. If Reborn, Colonello, hell, even Lal Mirch saw him like this, they'd probably shoot him with so many (rubber) bullets, it'd make his head spin.

Straightening himself and ignoring the ache in his body, Tsuna unlocked the door with the keys he found in his pocket and pushed it open. The lights were on and someone was humming in the kitchen. The smell of food made Tsuna's mouth water. Toeing off his shoes, he mused on how to greet his…mother when someone shrieked. He froze.

"Tsuna!"

Tsuna could only gape when a woman with short brown hair dropped whatever she was holding and dashed towards him from the kitchen. Fuck, he forgot that he looked like utter shit.

"What happened?" the woman said, fussing over him. "Who did this to you?"

Tsuna opened his mouth and closed it, his tongue suddenly heavy and thick. He didn't know what to say. He was definitely unprepared for this. He should've asked Kawahira more about this Tsuna's life. And the man said he'd do fine—yeah, this was totally fine.

Shit.

"I—I—"

"I'm taking you to the hospital."

There was no room for argument and Tsuna could only let the woman drag him to her car.

At least…she wasn't a terrible mother.

Tsuna ended up staying in the hospital for three weeks.

How this kid managed to live to fourteen was beyond him.

His mother—Nana, his weary mind supplied—never left his side once he was admitted, which he found to be a relief. He hated being alone, and being stuck in a quiet hospital room would've drove him insane. Nana had drilled him with questions about what happened, but all he could say was that he didn't remember, which wasn't too far from the truth.

The doctor had said something about trauma and temporary memory loss, but Tsuna didn't really listen to what he was saying. He was too busy thinking of ways on how to meet them again. Plus, he tried to piece this Tsuna's life together so he wouldn't fuck up in front of Nana again, but he couldn't really come up with much unless he peeked in the kid's room or something.

It wasn't too hard staying quiet though. Nana didn't seem too bothered by it, but this Tsuna must've been a quiet kid if her constant (and lonely) chattering was any indication. She was a nice woman though, and pretty sharp despite her rather oblivious appearance, though he wasn't sure if it was her motherly instincts or own nature. She still wore her wedding ring, a simple but pretty band of small diamonds.

Poor kid—those boys must've pushed him really hard to make him finally snap and turn the tables on them. A part of Tsuna was kind of glad the kid did that, so he made it his own personal vendetta to make the ones who messed with this Tsuna pay. He could do at least that much for the kid.

When Tsuna was released from the hospital, Nana finally breached the topic of moving elsewhere after the school officials expelled him. Pity since he wanted to test his hand-eye coordination on their bodies with a rusty scalpel. Apparently, this Tsuna and Nana lived in a small, obscure town called Namimori, which was the same place his Decimo had lived in his world. Tsuna wasn't sure if he'd encounter the boy again or any of his guardians—he only knew so much about them after all; he had his own family to think of—but he hoped that they didn't cross paths.

"It's up to you, Tsuna," Nana said quietly, turning off the engine of her car. It was a nice and small silver Honda. Must be from Iemitsu's paychecks since Nana didn't work; though, this did make Tsuna wonder if she was privy to her son's sufferings or her husband's occupation. "But…I really want you to consider it. I think it'll be good for you, for both of us."

"Okay."

Nana blinked. "What?"

Tsuna shifted in his seat, still uncomfortable with her affection. "I said okay." He looked into Nana's eyes, which were a light shade of brown, almost caramel. He could see why Iemitsu was so taken with her. "We can move."

He tensed when Nana hugged and held onto his thin frame as if he'd disappear any second. Tears soon stained his shirt, and all he could do was pat her back and let her cry on his shoulder.

What a lonely woman, he thought.

Hushing her gently, Tsuna hummed a lullaby he sang to Viper whenever he was plagued with night terrors. This body's tongue wasn't attuned to Italian, which he vowed to learn again soon. At least, he had his mind intact.

When Nana finally pulled away, sniffling, Tsuna reached out to brush away her tears, making her widen her eyes. He wondered if he just breached a line and almost pulled his hand away if Nana hadn't grabbed it and held it tenderly in her own.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna blurted out.

I'm sorry I'm not your son, I'm sorry you're suffering, I'm sorry for making you leave the place you call home, I'm sorry for killing your Tsuna, I'm sorry…

Nana smiled at him so gently, so kindly, it made his heart ache. She reminded him of Luce, the sweet patisserie who had given him shelter when he wandered all alone and lost in the streets of Palermo.

"I should be the one sorry, Tsuna," she said. "I couldn't protect you. I let things go too far…"

"It's okay, Mama."

He flinched when the word slipped so carelessly. That was what he called Luce, or rather what she made him call her. Nana stared at him for a couple of seconds, making him fidget. He tried hard not to look away.

Suddenly, she smiled, pure joy illuminating her pretty eyes. "Thank you." She rested her forehead against his, and the genuine love in her eyes made Tsuna want to look away. He couldn't. "Thank you. You're too kind, my sweet Tsuna."

The now young teen closed his eyes to keep his own tears at bay. He quietly apologized to the kid.

Let me savor this moment for a few more seconds, he thought. Just a few more seconds…

They ended up moving to Kokuyo, a district in Tokyo.

It was a rather nice place and close to the city if anything. Nana brightened up when Tsuna looked around their modest apartment in approval, taking in the clean floors and nice kitchen. She didn't say anything when he chose the room with the largest window that overlooked the bustling streets and hectic traffic.

When Tsuna helped the moving men carry in the boxes, Nana had fussed over him as if he'd break, which, after dropping a box of simple stationary, wasn't wrong. He braced through it with gritted teeth, already making a mental exercise routine to toughen up. This kid was weak and he wouldn't let that stand, not if he could help it. He wasn't going to be a liability when they meet. He had to be ready. Plus, he missed his old body and being healthy.

After they arranged their stuff inside the cozy space, Nana bought some packed bento from a convenience store for late lunch. She blinked a couple of times at Tsuna's voracious appetite, but smiled nonetheless, confirming that the kid rarely ate. Tsuna made sure not to eat too quickly though or else he would've puked. God, he was going to have to go through so many hurdles to bring this body into shape.

Basking in the city's buzz in the background, Tsuna closed his eyes to imprint the sound into his memory, which he realized took a bit longer than necessary. Clumsy, slow, weak—how did the kid live this long?

"Do you like it here, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna opened his eyes to meet Nana's inquiring, hopeful gaze. Ever since he called her Mama, she insisted that she liked the sound of it and got into the habit of calling him "Tsu-kun", which he didn't mind at all. It was…nice.

He nodded. "I do."

Nana smiled. "I'm glad." She looked down at her half-finished bento. "You look…happier. I couldn't ask for anything more."

Tsuna glanced around the kitchen, staring almost wistfully at the clean stove and oven. He had cooked for Goro and his men since none of them could, and found it an enjoyable hobby. He wasn't sure if this body was equipped for the kitchen—he had tripped five times on fucking air within the span of seven minutes—but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He missed keeping his hands busy, the mindlessness of working with something, anything.

Verde and Fon were the only ones allowed in the kitchen, more so with Verde since he was a rather excellent cook despite rarely eating much himself. Cooking was a science and science was something he excelled at—Tsuna could work with that logic. Whenever he cooked with Fon, it was exciting to learn about Chinese cuisine, so he was also an easy partner.

"Mama," Tsuna suddenly said, "I want to learn how to cook."

Nana, for the umpteenth time, looked at him in surprise. "Cook? You want to learn how to cook?"

Tsuna ducked his head. "Well, I just…wanted to spend more time with you. Is that bad…?"

He really did want to spend more time with the person who reminded him of Luce, even if it was dangerous for him (and very selfish and all kinds of stupid). However, there was no one else for him to turn to. It made him feel like shit for manipulating a kind woman like Nana to believe that he was still her son, but he didn't know what else to do.

He was starting fresh again, in a new city, a new place, a new world.

So, he couldn't help but catch himself smiling when Nana enthusiastically rattled off things they could cook together and planning a grocery trip tomorrow. Tsuna let her fill in the silence with her lively voice, and relaxed for the first time he arrived in this world.

School was…an interesting endeavor.

Having grown up with street-smarts and a yakuza group, Tsuna had never went to school or interacted much with people his age. The yakuza wives were his teachers, fostering his intelligence in a variety of subjects that may or may not have also included flower language, cooking, tea-making, and seduction (Skull and even Viper had choked on their drinks when he pulled this tactic on a patient to get enough time to stick a syringe in his neck; nonetheless, his business closed that night).

So, it had been awkward navigating through the crowds of eager pre-teens in Kokuyo Middle's stuffy hallways. Claustrophobic actually, but Tsuna had managed to find his classroom in time and sit in the back. Some students were already clumped together in small groups and only glanced at him when he entered. He just gazed out the large window, silently watching the students enter through the school gates.

Kokuyo was not a large district, but it had enough life and activity to attract Tsuna's interest. The people were mostly middle-class and there were some nicer neighborhoods for the rich. A hub of business and rather shady dealings if you looked in the right places, Kokuyo was a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly—Tsuna loved it.

It was inevitable for him to be sucked in the underworld again. It had been his life before and always will be. It was just a matter of how he'd approach it.

He was still only fourteen and a civilian if Iemitsu managed to keep him out of the Vongola's radar, which he found convenient and rather admirable despite the man's lack of presence.

The door opened and their homeroom teacher, Sasaki-sensei, entered the room with her heels clacking sharply against the floor. A plain woman with a neat ponytail and glasses, Sasaki-sensei was a rather impressive individual. Tsuna didn't mind her strict discipline and stern lectures; it somewhat reminded him of Verde who always explained things as they were with no bullshit.

School was mostly uneventful. He didn't have any friends, just acquaintances, which he didn't mind much. No one bothered him and he didn't bother them. The only class he liked was science, which he enjoyed more than he realized, especially in a formal setting. Of course, he was well-acquainted with the human anatomy—the black market wasn't really the ideal place to learn but he took what he could get—and was privy to tons of grotesque sights, but getting fresh with the basics wasn't that bad. Well, until he got bored with learning about blood cells and veins and capillaries for another week.

He didn't join any clubs, but after looking at Nana's hopeful face for the umpteenth time that month, he opted to find something to be involved in. Sports was out of the question since he was still working on getting his body healthy again. There was a culinary and a baking club, but he was content with practicing with Nana back at home and didn't really see the members doing much other than gossip. Broadcasting, English, calligraphy, yearbook—no, maybe but no, interesting but no, hell no.

Finally, he found himself standing outside one of the science labs. Might as well, he thought with a sigh, opening the door.

He froze.

Standing in front of a projector was a tall man with gelled black hair and gray eyes. It was Goro; however, this man was cleanly-shaven and had no tattoos. The kindness on his tanned face was foreign to Tsuna, so out of place, so not Goro, that he was forced to face the fact that this wasn't Goro.

There were some students already in the lab, looking up from their microscopes to stare at the newcomer. Goro—no, he wasn't Goro, Tsuna thought—looked at him with some concern.

"Are you alright, young man?"

Tsuna swallowed a lump in his throat. His tongue suddenly felt heavy in his dry mouth and he could feel every single muscle in his body seize up. Why couldn't he talk?

Before the Goro-poser could call out to him again, Tsuna ran.

He didn't know how long he ran or where he was going—he just needed to get away.

Why did he think he could get through this? How could he ever face them again when he just froze up in front of one of the ghosts of his past? What was he going to do if he just fucked up?

Tsuna didn't manage to run for too long; his stamina was still pathetically low. He collapsed at a rather shady intersection, scaring off some alley cats lingering around the dumpsters. Panting, he looked around in a daze to take in his surroundings. He didn't know where he was, but he knew enough that this wasn't the place he should be.

A sudden crash made him jump. There were some loud shouts of garbled words and metals clanging before tires screeched in the air. Tsuna stood there silently, not daring to move. Whatever happened…was none of his business. Besides, he was too weak to fend off anyone. Still, his nagging curiosity poking the back of his head that made him move.

He was careful not to make too much noise but the kid's clumsiness was an annoying exhibitionist. His feet somehow tripped over air again. Tsuna had tried tapping into the Sky Flames in the kid's body before but he bumped into a partial seal, which was maddening, and why the kid was so messed up in the first place.

"Who the fuck are you?" a rough voice said, snatching his hair.

Tsuna clenched his jaw when a bloody knife pressed against his neck, the cold blade giving him some sense of sick thrill. The danger in reminded him that he was alive. His eyes immediately darted around: two men on the ground but okay, a third in critical condition. Was he the boss? He wore a nice suit and clutched his abdomen—oh, nasty cut.

"How much is he bleeding?" Tsuna said, catching the men's attention.

The knife dug a little deeper against his throat. He could feel a faint trickle of blood drip down his neck.

"I won't ask again, you little bastard," his captor said. "Who the fuck are you?"

Tsuna didn't even blink. "I can help unless you don't want him to live."

One of the men looked at him dubiously, probably baffled that a fourteen-year-old was saying something so…drastic; he looked fairly young with thin lips. Tsuna glanced at the struggling man who tried hard to stay conscious.

"He probably has thirty minutes max," he said, making the subordinates flinch. Really, were they idiots? Why weren't they at least staunching the wound?

"Just bring 'im over here," the young man said, clenching his jaw. "You pull anything funny and you're dead."

The scarred man next to him narrowed his eyes. "Oi, what the hell are you doing?"

"We can't let Oyabun die."

"He's just a kid, idiot!"

Nonetheless, Tsuna was dragged to the badly-wounded man. The knife never left his throat while he assessed the wounds. One stab wound to the abdomen, femoral artery. Tsuna's lips twitched. This man was a fighter.

"I'm going to take off my vest," Tsuna said. "I need to stop the bleeding."

"Don't move, you little shit!" the scarred man said.

"You should listen to me unless you want him to bleed to death. His femoral artery's been damaged and he's losing too much blood."

"You're only a k—"

The scarred man shut up when Tsuna gave him a sharp look that looked too old and mature for someone his age.

"I'm going to staunch the bleeding and you're going to get a car so we can bring him somewhere safe to treat his wounds. Is that so fucking hard to understand? Do you want him to live or not?"

The knife against his neck pulled away. Tsuna immediately took off his school vest, folded it, and pressed it firmly on the man's wound. If the femoral artery was damaged, then they had no time unless the men wanted their boss to bleed to death, which was becoming more likely if they didn't bring a damn car and get him somewhere to stabilize him.

The man breathed shallowly with sweat dripping down his face. He looked a bit familiar but Tsuna couldn't place him. Either way, he had other things to worry about.

"Where's the car? Unless you want to bring him to the hospital instead?"

That snapped the men back into reality. Idiots. The younger one stood up and ran away to get the car. Tsuna would think about their incompetence later; there was a patient to save.

"Sir, can you hear me?" he asked quietly. "Stay with me, okay? You're going to be fine. There, keep your eyes open for me a little bit longer, okay? Can you talk?"

The oyabun looked at him blearily, still conscious, which was a good sign. He muttered something under his breath, too low for Tsuna to hear. The young subordinate better come back soon or the boss might go into shock. He hoped—he prayed—that the kid's clumsiness wouldn't get in his way. He was going to destroy the seal.

The sound of cars screeching behind him made him jerk, but his hands were still pressed firmly against the man's wound.

"Gently," Tsuna said while the men carried their boss into the car.

"What the hell happened to Hibari-sama?" the driver said. "Who's the kid? Are you idiots?"

Tsuna stiffened. Hibari…? He looked down at the boss. He didn't look like Decimo's Cloud Guardian but…he could see the resemblance.

"The damn brat's going to fucking kill all of you," the driver said through gritted teeth.

"Just shut up and drive, Takao!" the young subordinate said, jumping into the passenger seat.

"I need a sterile environment," Tsuna said, finding his voice again. "Any medical equipment you can get your hands on. It'd also be nice to get his blood type if you can."

The driver peeked at him over his sunglasses, his dark eyes narrowed. "Okay, who the fuck's the kid?"

Tsuna smiled, making everyone flinch. "I'm the gateway to life for your dear boss here. Now you better fucking drive, Takao-san. He only has seventeen minutes left."

A/N Another doctor!Tsuna, haha. Well, more like an underground doctor but still a doctor nonetheless. (shrugs) It's a rather nice setup actually if you think about it. He'd be able to meet so many people who'd trust him since he doesn't ask questions—simply patches you up, sends you off your way, and gets paid.

I couldn't resist writing the next chapter for this. Tsuna is more jaded here with some questionable morality but hey, he's only human after all, haha. I won't go overboard with the OC's, but they'll mostly fill in the role of the underworld, haha. And I didn't want to go through the hassle of making up another name for a new district so I just recycled "Kokuyo" and made it a district in Tokyo. It's a rather…nice and shady name anyways, haha.

I know I kind of just dumped a lot of exposition here, but the story will pick up in the next chapter with more development. Oh, and look at that, is that a responsible Iemitsu I see? (cackles) And is Kawahira hiding some kind of agenda behind all that leniency? Questions, questions…

Anyways, thank you so much for the reviews and favorites, peeps! Yeah, the beginning might have been confusing but Tsuna wasn't in the best state of mind, haha.

Thank you for reading! Leave a thought or two if you can.

I hope to see you again in the next chapter!

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny

Revised: 4/18/2018