"The sun shines even on the wicked." – Seneca the Younger

Time never had a place in dreams.

Not knowing how long he was out made Tsuna even more apprehensive. He didn't know how many hours he walked in the murky darkness but his legs just continued moving of their own accord. Misty wisps of shadows lightly brushed against his ankles as if he was wading through endless fogs. They were neither cold nor hot, just there.

Feeling disembodied wasn't something to laugh at—it was terrifying. Tsuna had already given up on diagnosing himself. It could be a myriad of things and none of them at the same time. He just hoped that he wasn't stuck here forever.

A shiver ran down his spine. Tsuna surveyed the vast expanse around him again but only saw black. Was this how Kyoya felt? he thought, picking up his pace.

His breath hitched when he heard a soft sigh against his ear. It sounded too human to be air, or was his mind playing tricks on him? That was on so many levels of fucked up Tsuna didn't even know anymore.

"Well, this is strange," a smooth voice said. It was a man.

Tsuna paused in his step and looked around wildly, but didn't see anyone or anything. Why couldn't he see anyone?

"Who are you?" he said. "I know you're here!"

A soft hum resonated around him. "You're not him."

Tsuna clicked his tongue. "I'm not repeating myself, bastard."

He yelped when a strong gust of wind suddenly raged everywhere. Gritting his teeth, Tsuna covered his face with his arms and braced himself against the abrupt gale. His feet edged further and further back until the wind suddenly stopped. His breaths broke through the eerie silence, his chest heaving as he tried to get oxygen to his lungs.

Footsteps then sounded in the distance, echoing in the empty void. Tsuna tried pinpointing them but ended up looking around in hopeless circles. He hated this. He just wanted to wake up.

"Who are you?" the voice said, sounding from Tsuna's right.

Narrowing his eyes, Tsuna turned before he froze. A tall man with spiky blond hair and blue eyes melted seamlessly from the shadows, his whole frame rippling. He wore a black suit and a long cloak with an elaborate gold chain. Anyone in the underworld would've recognized him: Vongola Primo.

However he didn't seem like the Primo Tsuna had heard about. There was a steely edge to his handsome face that made Tsuna step back.

"Primo," Tsuna said.

The man stopped until he was only a little more than a feet away, too close for Tsuna's liking. "You know who I am."

"I do."

Primo tilted his head. "Shouldn't it be common courtesy to tell me who you are then?"

There was no point in lying, not when Primo had the Hyper Intuition he was renowned for. Besides, the guy was dead. Who would he tell? Tsuna also wanted answers. "Tsunayoshi," he said.

Primo smiled faintly. "Clever, but—"

"Harada Tsunayoshi." It had been Goro's surname that Tsuna took as his own. "I don't like being interrupted."

Primo chuckled. "I apologize."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Now that you know, what will you do?"

"Do? There is nothing I can do."

"Then tell me—what are you doing here?"

Primo's lips slightly twitched. "I believe we both have questions we want answered."

Tsuna maintained a lax composure despite being ticked off. He hated people like Primo. Polite on the surface as a guise to hide what lied underneath. At least his Fon was blunt with some tact to be able to survive on his own. It was why Tsuna appreciated Viper's greed with money. It was brutally honest and to the point.

"Answer mine," Tsuna said. "I answered yours first."

Primo smiled. "I guess that's fair. I'm here because I was called."

"Called?"

"It's my turn now."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Fine. Do your worst."

Primo chuckled. "You're an interesting one. Much different from the Tsunayoshi I knew."

Tsuna furrowed his brows. If Primo knew the kid, had he been around for that long? His Decimo never mentioned coming into contact with the founder before receiving the Vongola Rings and going through successions to attain his inheritance from the past bosses. For some reason, in this empty space, Tsuna could think much more clearly than when he was conscious.

"You look like him," Primo said, "but I know you are not him. Why?"

"Long story short," Tsuna said. "I'm not from this world. I died in mine and was granted a second chance. Here I am. My turn: what called you here?"

Primo didn't seem fazed at his curt story. "I see. How unfortunate. Tsunayoshi was a sweet child, naïve but sweet." Despite his words, there was no grief.

"You watched over him," Tsuna said, narrowing his eyes, "but not long."

Primo tilted his head though his lips curled into a small smile. "What gives you that assumption?"

"I don't have your Hyper Intuition but that doesn't make me stupid. You said you're here because you were called. I never met you until now, when you should've appeared after I took over the kid." Tsuna stepped forward, raising his chin to meet Primo's gaze. His eyes were a clear blue, vivid and bright like a cloudless sky. "I'm here because something went wrong with the seal. You're here because of that too, aren't you?"

Chuckling, Primo shook his head. "You're quite bright. Tell me, how old are you?"

"It's rude to ask someone their age. I'm not asking you, am I?"

Primo laughed, his eyes somehow a little more alive than before. "You're right. I apologize." He gestured behind him, still chuckling. "Please, follow me."

"You're not going to incinerate me or something, are you?"

Primo raised a brow, but his smile remained in place. "I cannot hurt you." He turned then and walked back to the breadth of darkness he appeared from. "And I would do much more than that."

Tsuna winced. He seriously hoped Primo was joking, but he got the feeling that he wasn't.

He didn't know how long he had wandered alone. With no indication of how much time had passed, Tsuna was left in the dark—figuratively and literally.

Walking with Primo wasn't any different. Neither of them spoke but Tsuna kept himself alert. Now that he could think lucidly, he took some time to organize his thoughts. Whatever he'd say would be evaluated by Primo's Hyper Intuition—it had been freaky when Decimo utilized it and always will be; although he should've listened to it before he met Byakuran, the fucking dumbass—and no little amount of truth or lie could get past it.

What Tsuna was more worried about was Primo's extent of power here. True, Primo might not be able to hurt him but Tsuna didn't know that and he wasn't willing to find out. He was defenseless yet again with nothing to fight with. Reborn's whole lecture on will and whatnot could just jump out the window.

Reborn…

Tsuna heard him—he was sure of it. No one else had that (unfortunate) baby voice, but this world liked proving him wrong so far. Colonello and Skull had laughed like hell until Reborn emphasized why he was the world's strongest hitman a hundred times over and went off to brood away from the others. It took many espresso bribes and cuddles to coax him out of his shell. Surprisingly, Reborn was very physical so he could stroke his own ego and annoy the others. Tsuna thought of it as more of a self-assurance thing but Reborn smacked him the first (and last) time he mentioned it.

Suddenly, the air shifted. Tsuna tensed. He tried finding the source but only saw Primo's back in front of him. His cape oddly stood out in the darkness.

"This called me here," Primo said, stepping aside for Tsuna to get a better look.

Tsuna inhaled sharply when he came face-to-face with an intricate, gold, hexagonal box rotating slowly in mid-air. Some parts were broken, and the inscribed, fragmented runes were gibberish to him. Inside was a flickering, orange flame. It was small, too small. Tsuna had the uneasy thought that he'd be able to crush it easily with one hand.

Primo stepped forward and raised a hand above the mysterious object. Hushing gently, he reached inside to touch the flame. A cold sensation rippled through Tsuna's body. He gasped, clutching his chest, as Primo seemed to pet the docile flame.

"S—Stop it," Tsuna said, stumbling backwards.

Primo didn't turn to face him. "The little one called out to me, didn't you, Tsunayoshi?"

The flame slowly grew and engulfed Primo's hand as if it were hugging it, like a small child latching onto his mother. Cold sweat broke out on Tsuna's skin. His breaths reverberated in the emptiness around him, too loud in his buzzing ears. He fell onto his knees. "Stop it…"

Primo finally removed his hand. The flame followed him until it reached the edge. Immediately, it let go and withdrew in its refines like it had no choice. "He's had it hard," Primo said.

The icy feeling disappeared from Tsuna's body but he couldn't bring himself to stand. Primo stepped in front of him, making him feel small like the flame.

"I'm here because Tsunayoshi called me," Primo said, his voice soft, "whether he knew it or not." He glanced at the flame. "He still remains, or at least, a part of him." He turned back to Tsuna, his gaze unsympathetic. "My bloodline runs through him since he's my descendant, but the moment his flames were sealed, I lost contact. Some part of me awoke again, which may have been because of you."

Tsuna could only stare as Primo strode closer, casting a long shadow over him. "Are you going to kill me?" Tsuna said.

Primo chuckled. "No. Besides, I do not have complete control of myself." He raised his hand and regarded his fingers with quiet fascination. Tsuna noticed then that they were transparent. "Not until the seal is broken. But desperate times call for desperate measures as they say. I'm here because of Tsunayoshi." He smiled in jest. "I'm not fond of killing in front of children either."

Tsuna's stomach clenched at those words. "Fon," he said. "Yesterday Fon tried to learn about the seal."

Primo raised a brow. "Was he the big, scary red fire?"

Tsuna frowned. "If you mean Storm Flames, yeah."

"Tsunayoshi's words, not mine." Primo paced back to the floating seal. Tsuna flinched, thinking he'd touch the flame again. Instead the man just stood there, gazing inside with pitiful eyes. "When his flames were sealed, he was only a child. Our flames are an extension of us. Sealing them is barbaric. We cannot live without the other."

"I became worse after what Fon did," Tsuna said.

Primo nodded. "As expected. While you unknowingly helped cracking some of the seal, this is not your body therefore—"

Tsuna felt hollow when the words escaped him, "They're not mine."

"Yes. These flames belong to Tsunayoshi but since he's gone, the little one is confused and rightfully afraid. You're a stranger, no matter how you much look like him. People have the notion that our souls can be uprooted easily and go elsewhere, but our spiritual and physical entities are one." Primo looked at Tsuna with unreadable eyes, the flame casting a soft, orange glow on his face. "You don't belong here, Harada Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna's breath hitched. His hands curled into fists on his lap, wrinkling his black pants. "Then—Then why am I here?"

He tensed when he felt something rest on his head. Looking up, he saw that it was Primo's hand. "Tsunayoshi may see you as a stranger," Primo said, "but he told me of your grief. He is sad for you."

Tsuna laughed. "How can he understand what I've been through?" His eyes burned but he refused to cry. "How can—how can he possibly understand?"

"He doesn't," Primo said. "But he knows. He says that if he could, he would hug you like his mother did whenever he was sad." He smiled. "As I said, Tsunayoshi is a sweet child. He has a good heart, better than most for one so young."

"What am I supposed to do?" Tsuna said. His cheeks felt wet and he felt like a child himself, crying in front of Vongola's founder. "I thought I could bear it. I willingly gave up my life to save the people I loved, but I was an idiot to think I could see them again. They're not the same here. And now you're here telling me that I don't belong. Yeah, I don't fucking belong here but I—I just wanted another chance…"

A prickling sensation tingled in Tsuna's chest but he ignored it. Primo then crouched to his level. He gently wiped away his tears, his hand feeling cold against Tsuna's skin. Closer, Primo looked translucent. "You are here for a reason," he said. "And there's nothing I can do to send you back. However, even if you manage to break the seal, you will die anyway. You cannot hold Tsunayoshi's flames, unless you make them yours."

Tsuna widened his eyes. "How?"

Primo glanced at the seal. "Our flames are created from how strong our resolve is. Tsunayoshi here is young, a child. What could he possibly ask for now? Most of him has gone already." He faced Tsuna again, his eyes solemn. "I cannot guarantee anything, Harada Tsunayoshi. It is up to him. A prisoner can only ask for so much from his jailor."

Tsuna let out a shaky breath. This was fucking nuts and he was hating himself more the longer he thought about it. Finally, he forced himself to stand. His legs felt weak as he walked over to the seal. He could feel Primo's eyes on his back but ignored him. He needed to focus.

"Hey, kid," Tsuna said. "Or Tsunayoshi if you prefer that. I also have the same name if you didn't know already." He laughed a little. "This is really fuc—um, weird." The orange flame crept to the shattered parts of the seal but didn't move any further. It was strange, as if it was actually listening to him. He never thought about it this way, honestly. His own flames had responded to him so well, he didn't think twice. "I'm—I'm so sorry. I didn't think about what would happen and all of this—all of this happened because of me."

A moment of silence hung between them. Tsuna's ears rang as he tried to keep himself calm. He stepped forward but stopped before he could get any closer. "I have no right to be here," he said. "I shouldn't have come. I should've stayed dead. But there's a part of me that wants to be here." He huffed a bitter laugh, the prickling in his heart spreading across his torso. He didn't know if it was the pain or something else but it didn't hurt. "I took everything from you, kid. But here I am, trying to make my case. I shouldn't ask anything from you, but I'm a bad man, you know? If you saw the things I've done, you wouldn't even come near me. I guess the stranger danger applies with me, too."

"He wants you to come closer," Primo said, making Tsuna tense.

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna strode forward. His heart thumped loud and hard against his chest. His skin tingled from the flame's warmth. Ah, so this was what Kyoya meant, he thought. His fingers trembled when he raised his hand and slowly reached inside the seal. The flame suddenly flared, growing bigger and brighter. It immediately latched onto Tsuna's hand and the tingling in his chest spread across his whole body—he felt impossibly warm.

Memories surged in his head but they weren't his: a small child hugging his mother—Nana, Tsuna mentally supplied—, their smiles bright and at ease; the same boy running through the streets, laughing as he maneuvered around amused pedestrians; the boy walking alongside a stream when suddenly Tsuna felt water fill his lungs and screams echoing above him.

He inhaled sharply as the cold, dark waters vanished around him and the warmth returned. Panting, he widened his eyes when the flame never let go. "That's when they knew," Tsuna said. The flame flickered, affirming his theory. "They still shouldn't have done that."

Soon, his own memories flooded his mind: meeting Goro in the streets; watching the family he had shot to the ground by the police and being shoved in a crate heading to Italy; scavenging through dumpsters before Luce found him. Tsuna smiled sadly when he saw the first Arcobaleno gathering, the times they had that slowly but surely solidified their bond. He never regretted harmonizing with them, not even when the curse took place.

"They were everything," he said, his voice distant. "They are everything to me."

A small spark drew his attention back to the flame. He gasped when his own body started to glow a light orange, almost white. Thin streams of light soon breached the darkness above as the shadows dissolved around him. He looked down to see Primo smile faintly at him, the light almost blinding the man's face.

"This is his answer," he said, his voice growing farther away. Tsuna widened his eyes when he realized that he was floating. "I look forward to seeing what you do now, Harada Tsunayoshi."

Then everything erupted into a blinding flash of orange lights.

Tsuna heaved a large gasp as he bolted upright. His skin was damp from sweat and his throat felt dry. An IV line extended from the back of his hand to a machine near his bed. It took a moment for him to realize that he woke up from whatever acid trip he went through. He tensed when a cup of water appeared under his nose.

"Drink," a squeaky voice said.

Tsuna froze. Slowly, he turned to finally face the familiar baby—Reborn. Gone were his expensive suit and trademark fedora. Instead he wore a light gray button-up shirt underneath a white coat and black slacks. His spiky black hair was the same, so were his curly sideburns. His yellow pacifier was still there, hanging around his tiny neck.

Unable to help himself, Tsuna laughed. He buried his face in his hands, the bandages around his palms rough against his cheeks. He just laughed until his sides hurt, until every part of him ached. Soon his eyes burned and his hands became wet.

He didn't deserve this.

"Why am I like this?" Tsuna said, his voice muffled by his hands. "Why?"

"Your body is unable to sustain your flames," Reborn said. "Or the part that leaked through anyways."

Because they're not mine, Tsuna thought bleakly.

"However it's been showing signs of cooperating. Your BP and heartrate returned to normal and there has been no more abnormalities then. The seal's just complicating things further. You might be stabilized for now but I don't know when you'll hit another relapse again."

Tsuna finally accepted the cup and downed the water. Looking down, he noticed that he was still in his uniform minus his jacket and shoes. The room he was in wasn't large but comfortable enough. The window drapes were drawn and an IV machine stood by his bed. Hopping onto the dresser, Reborn picked up a tiny clipboard.

"How long was I out?" Tsuna said.

"Three and a half hours," Reborn said. "It's currently 8:38 P.M."

Tsuna groaned. "Shit, my mom."

"Fon took care of it."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "That's not very reassuring."

Reborn looked up from his clipboard. "You fainted from TIA. It's—"

"Transient ischemic attack," Tsuna said, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Mini-stroke. I know it."

That explained the headaches, loss of balance, blurry vision, and confusion he suffered all day.

Reborn raised a brow. "Yes. Are you feeling dizzy?"

"No, just tired."

Reborn scribbled something on his clipboard. "Do you have a history of strokes in your family?"

"No."

"High blood pressure?"

"No."

"Diabetes?"

"No."

"Smoking?"

"No."

Reborn clicked his pen and put the clipboard to the side. "I was able to resolve the blockage in your carotid artery and dissolve the clots. I also reversed the damaged brain tissues to their original state. You're cleared for now but I can't guarantee that it won't happen again. Strokes can still affect people your age and you're in a precarious condition at the moment."

Tsuna furrowed his brows. His Reborn may have healed some wounds but he never went the extra mile to do something as extensive as preventing a stroke (a mini-stroke but Tsuna digressed). Tsuna had always wanted to know the extent of Reborn's healing capabilities but the hitman never liked sharing. The fact that his Arcobaleno were basically the opposite of normal Flame conventions and stereotypes wasn't helping either.

"How?" Tsuna said, shifting his gaze to Reborn. "How did you do that?"

Reborn pursed his lips. "Did Fon not tell you of my capabilities?"

Tsuna snorted. "Besides 'look, this is a Storm Flame' and 'oh, my friend's good at what he does', no. Worst briefings ever if you ask me."

Reborn smiled slightly. "I see."

He hopped down on the chair beside Tsuna's bed. A small yellow flame ignited above his hand. The yellow was pale and the whitish core was nearly blinding. The flame flickered constantly, spiking and flowing here and there. A faint trail of Harmonization encased it, which shouldn't be surprising, but it still hurt anyways.

"This is a Sun Flame," Reborn said. "Its special ability is Activation, meaning that it can stimulate and improve the efficiency of any activity, including the workings of the human body. With this, I was able to incite the clots to disappear from your carotid artery and heal your damaged brain tissues by inducing the cells to revive."

Tsuna hummed to himself. "Sounds great for stem cell research."

Extinguishing his flame, Reborn sat down at the edge of the chair and crossed his legs. "There are six other flames, each named after a sky phenomenon. As you've seen with Fon, he has the Storm Flames, which carry the Disintegration ability. The name is self-explanatory. The other five are Rain, Lightning, Cloud, Mist, and Sky. The Rain Flame has the ability of Tranquility that can weaken and slow down its targets. Lightning has an aptitude for Hardening, solidifying objects and projecting barriers. Cloud has Propagation that can help it increase and expand. Mist specializes in Construction, which can create illusions. Finally, the Sky Flame is—"

"Orange," Tsuna said. Even though he knew all of that already and that more existed, Reborn's steady voice was welcoming, even if it was too lax. "They're orange."

Reborn didn't smack Tsuna's head like his Reborn did for being interrupted. He just sat there, patiently waiting for Tsuna to continue. It both unnerved and relieved Tsuna at the same time.

"I saw them," he said, "and the seal." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "While I was out, I saw them."

The small orange flame, purer than any flame Tsuna had ever seen, brimming with fear like a small child cowering in his cage, flashed in his mind. He sucked in a deep breath. He was fucking terrible, wasn't he? For taking Tsunayoshi's life, for pleading to the kid to let him live on as if nothing happened. It was worse than any botched surgery he was involved in. He had taken the life of an innocent boy without warning, without as much as a hello or goodbye.

"Primo came," Tsuna said. "He told me his name was Primo." He looked up at Reborn, who looked surprisingly sympathetic. "Why? Why me?"

Reborn didn't understand the other implications in that question and Tsuna resolved to keep it that way. "Fon informed me that your full name is Sawada Tsunayoshi," Reborn said. "You're aware of Fon's position here, correct?" Tsuna nodded. "You have the right to refuse or listen to the information we have on you, but I'm sure you have some gist if Primo approached you."

Tsuna didn't want to be reminded again but still said, "I'll listen. Knowing is better than being surprised later." He wrinkled his nose. "I hate surprises."

Reborn smiled slightly. "I agree with that sentiment." Tsuna blinked but Reborn continued, "Your father, Sawada Iemitsu, is involved in the Italian mafia. He is the leader of CEDEF, short for Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia, which is an intelligence organization of the Vongola Famiglia. The reason you may have saw Primo is because you are his descendant as is your father. This automatically puts you in line for the Vongola inheritance. However, the current don, Nono, has two sons who are up for the position. Seeing that you're here instead of Italy means that your father didn't want to raise you in that life."

"Sawada Iemitsu." The name felt alien on his tongue no matter how many times Tsuna had said it. "The least he could do was change our names. That doesn't exactly explain why he or whoever it was sealed my flames though. I don't see any justification for it, even if it seems logical."

Reborn looked solemn. "Yes. Sealing flames is cruel but not forbidden. Our flames are commonly known as Dying Will Flames. While everyone has the potential to access them, they can only be activated if the person has a powerful will or resolve. Think of them as an extension of our soul. By sealing them, you're effectively cutting off a vital part of yourself. You have felt it, haven't you?"

Tsuna shifted, wrinkling the gray sheets with his fists. "I—I was clumsy. My balance was all over the place and I couldn't think clearly. It only got worse after Fon did what he did yesterday." He forced on a smile. "I was five when—when it happened."

The lies that spilled from his lips felt like barbed wires digging in his heart. No matter how much he bled, he deserved it.

Reborn nodded. "Fon shouldn't have touched it, even if he wasn't aware about seals in the first place." He sighed. "Then again, he's never patient to begin with. I've only encountered two people with sealed flames in my life. However, in their cases, their flames were sealed when they were adults, not when they were children. So forgive me if I say your circumstances are intriguing."

Tsuna licked his chapped lips. His Reborn never apologized or asked for forgiveness—at least, not out loud. Shaking his head, Tsuna returned to the conversation at hand. He had only heard about flame seals but never encountered anyone with them. His Decimo and the other Iemitsu were civilians until Nono had found them by pure chance, and Tsuna kind of regretted not knowing the Vongola boss more. "What happened to them?" he said.

"The first patient was a 53-year-old male," Reborn said. "He was in good health with no abnormalities in his family history. However, due to long exposure to his flames, sealing them off so suddenly sent his body into catatonic shock and he fell into a coma. His body quickly deteriorated and my flames could only do so much for a period of time. He died three months later. His son made the decision to pull the plug."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "And the other patient?"

Something flashed in Reborn's eyes but he schooled his expression too quickly for Tsuna to discern it. "The second patient was a 21-year-old male. He had the same stats as the first patient but with a history of heart attacks on his father's side. He didn't have as much exposure to his flames since they appeared after he joined the army; however, he did exhibit a severe lack of emotional response. Currently, I don't know how he is. We lost contact."

Tsuna was tempted to ask more but he knew a delicate topic when he sensed one. Sighing, he scratched the back of his head. "Who even created these seals anyways? It's fucking brutal."

Reborn's lips slightly twitched. "Yes, they are. No one knows where exactly they came from but currently only two mafia families know how to use them: the Vongola and the Giglio Nero. This puts them at a greater advantage on top of the food chain, but doesn't justify their uses. From what I've seen, it's worse than death."

Tsuna agreed. He'd been there and it was infinitely better than having his flames sealed. He swallowed a lump in his throat. How would the kid have felt?

"Is there a way to get rid of it?" he said.

Reborn crossed his arms over his chest. "It's possible but because it's never been done before, I can't guarantee that you'll be in one piece after, both figuratively and literally." Tsuna winced. That wasn't a pretty image. "Since you've been separated from your flames for so long—9 years, if I'm not mistaken from what you told me—your body will become overwhelmed even if the seal does break. Currently, it's also keeping you alive. You could experience another TIA or worse. There are too many repercussions to consider."

Was this what Primo meant? Tsuna thought. Because being incinerated alive sounded better than becoming braindead or being stuck in a coma for how long. Iemitsu was just digging himself a deeper grave every second.

"But you've considered them," Tsuna said. "You're a doctor. You must've come up with some options."

"Options, yes," Reborn said. "But they're only theories at best."

"Better than nothing. Hit me."

Reborn smiled in clear amusement. "Revisiting the flames' attributes, I've compiled different methods in breaking the seal. Since it's only partial that makes it easier but it seems to have happened recently, which may work in our favor. Have you experienced any extreme situations or stress lately?"

Tsuna tried hard not to flinch. "I—I helped Hibari-san if that counts. He was stabbed and I kind of helped him."

"I see," Reborn said. He raised a brow. "I looked him over while you were unconscious. Your sutures are decent and doesn't indicate you were stressed, although they were a little messy."

Tsuna shrugged. "I work better under pressure."

"Where did you learn how to suture?"

"YouTube."

Reborn chuckled. "I don't think most people your age would be able to cut open a man and stitch his femoral artery from just watching YouTube."

"I also read a lot. I'm glad to hear all of this but can we get back to fixing me?"

Reborn nodded. "I apologize." That was weird to hear and probably always would be. "You just confirmed something for me. The seal can be broken under extremely stressful or dangerous situations. If anything, that will not be an option unless we're left with nothing. Even then, I don't recommend it."

"I'm keeping that on the back-burner if worse comes to shove," Tsuna said.

Reborn raised a brow. "You will willingly throw your life on the line for this?"

"My life, my body, my say. What are the options?"

Reborn easily picked up where he left off. "Since we have Fon with his Storm Flames and me with my Sun Flames, we've mostly covered our bases. You're fortunate since we're the most powerful in our respective fields, flame-wise. The problems lie on the alternative methods. Japan does not have many flame-users since they're exclusive to the mafia with few exceptions. It's easy for us to say we can destroy the seal and heal the damages, but your case is too delicate. I can't predict how your flames will react to re-connecting with you."

Tsuna looked down at his hands, taking note of his blankets' bird embroidery. Primo had told him that the kid gave him his answer but all he saw was an impressive light show. He shook his head. Come on, he wasn't an idiot. The kid showed Tsuna both of their memories for a reason. When Primo had touched the kid's flame, Tsuna felt like he turned to ice. But then the kid had reached out to him, he felt warm like with his own flames.

His breath hitched. Fuck. No, Tsuna didn't deserve this.

"What are the alternative methods?" he said, his voice strained.

Reborn hopped over to land on his lap and looked up, his eyes serious. "Are you feeling alright?"

Tsuna's fists tightened until his knuckles turned white and his palms stung. "I'm fine. Just tell me the other methods."

Reborn frowned but didn't move away. "Stop me if you're not feeling well. Fon can break the seal while I heal your body. That much is a given. Shamal, my assistant, is a Mist-Flame user. He can try to fool your flames long enough so your body can adjust. However, he isn't very skilled so this option isn't the best. I could try contacting one of my colleagues but I can't guarantee he'll arrive as soon as you want."

Tsuna grimaced. "Pass."

"Your flames most likely accumulated over the years from stress and self-preservation. Since the seal's partially destroyed, some of them managed to leak out. Fon only made it worse. I think they were trying to adjust to your body then until he intervened and threw them in a panic. It's worse when they're also Sky Flames. Their ability, Harmonization, allows them to reach a greater sense of balance with the other flames, petrifies, and is the closest to being real fire. They're exceptionally rare as well. Since your flames are un-Harmonized, they're sensitive and won't take to other flames very kindly."

Reborn crossed his arms over his chest again. "In this case, Fon will break the seal little by little. I will heal any damages your body sustains but this method will work better if we have a Rain-Flame user to weaken your flames long enough for you to adjust. Even then, I can't guarantee they will react well."

Tsuna resisted the urge to fall back on his pillow. Instead, he propped his forehead on his hand and looked down at Reborn blankly. "Great. Again, pass."

"The ideal option is storing your flames, cleansing them, and returning them to you."

Tsuna furrowed his brows. "Like an autotransfusion?"

The idea didn't sound bad. Autotransfusion was basically recycling a patient's blood during surgery through a machine called a cell saver, which purifies it and separates the red blood cells, before returning it to the patient. However, flames weren't blood. The possibility of achieving that was almost impossible unless someone invented a machine that could function the same way as a cell saver but for flames instead. Tsuna bit his lip. Verde could do it…

Reborn nodded. "Yes. But in this case, it will be flames instead of blood. A colleague of mine is currently studying third-party intervention in purifying flames. I can ask him to create a machine that is similar to a cell saver. I don't doubt that he can build it quickly given that he has the right motivation for it, but time withstanding, we'll need a Cloud-Flame user to absorb your flames organically and safely transport them."

The gears in Tsuna's mind kicked in. The theories were fascinating, stuff he wondered about endlessly with Verde himself. Actually, Verde had created something similar to what Reborn was saying but it wasn't refined and could only function with a harmonized group, meaning no third-party flames could effectively purify one compared to those that were initially harmonized.

"However, this is only ideal," Reborn said, snapping Tsuna out of his thoughts.

"I agree," a voice said.

Tensing, Tsuna turned to face the door. Fon closed it before hopping over and landing on Reborn's chair with a slight smile. "I'm glad to see you awake, Tsuna," he said. "You had us all worried. How are you feeling?"

"Other than the fact that I'm slowly dying, I feel fantastic," Tsuna said.

Fon chuckled. "I'm glad to hear you're back to your normal self. Rest assured, Reborn will be able to help you. He's not considered the world's greatest surgeon for nothing—well, among us anyways."

"You were supposed to wait for me," Reborn said.

Fon smiled. "That is simply the wrong thing to ask of me, my friend." He then frowned. "But I'm going to disagree with what you just said. I'm not inclined to opening my abode to that fiend."

Tsuna blinked. Who was Fon talking about? To have him call someone a monster warranted some curiosity on Tsuna's part.

Reborn pursed his lips. "He's the only option left in this case. I'm not fond of him either but your nephew isn't skilled enough to carry out what I have in mind."

Fon smiled thinly, sending shivers down Tsuna's spine. "Kyoya will always be the better alternative to him."

"I'm sorry," Tsuna said, drawing their attention, "but who are we talking about?"

"I'd rather not have his name be spoken here," Fon said. "It will only bring misfortune. Either way, he is forbidden to come here. Remember your place, Reborn."

"It was only an ideal scenario," Reborn said, unfazed. "There are other options."

"Good."

Tsuna ignored them in favor of saving what sanity he had left to think through his decisions. The biggest risk factor here was whether or not his flames—the kid's flames—would integrate with his body and accept him. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

He knew the answer.

"Reborn-sensei," Tsuna said, the name feeling bizarre on his tongue, "I know what I want."

The two Arcobaleno paused their conversation to look at him.

"I don't think we'll have much of a problem with the flames adjusting to me," Tsuna said. "At least, in my opinion."

Reborn raised a brow. "What makes you say that?"

Tsuna chuckled flatly. "Just a gut feeling."

"I look forward to seeing what you do now, Harada Tsunayoshi."

He didn't deserve it though. The kid let him off easy, but he wasn't going to waste it. He was going to live, for both him and the kid.

"All I need is you two," Tsuna said, "to break the seal."

A/N My heart literally hurt while I was writing this chapter…

Some bigshots are in the house: there's Reborn, oh and Giotto, ahaha.

So, there was a lot of information in this chapter. I'm trying to incorporate the flames more and give them more depth. I may or may not be utilizing them right, but I'm trying to give them that mystical/scientific edge, haha. If there's something that doesn't make sense, let me know! I'll try to explain it in better terms.

I'm glad that you peeps enjoy Asahi and Yuji. I find them pretty fun to write! And no worries. This is just the beginning of what's to come. ;^)

Thank you so much for reading! Your reviews, favorites, and follows say a lot, haha. I hope to see you again in the next chapter.

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny