"Resolve to be a master of change rather than a victim of change." – Brian Tracey

Reborn ran a few steps ahead of Tsuna as they navigated the hallways. Most of the doors were broken down and the rooms were ransacked; oddly, there was nothing stolen. Distant shouts came from the right, but Tsuna's senses instantly honed in on from the left.

Flying net. Knives. 4 men.

Flying what? Tsuna thought, turning his head.

As if on cue, four more men appeared from the garden bushes. One of them flung something in his hand and threw it at Tsuna who dove forward immediately. "Reborn!"

What the hell? he thought. Are they targeting me?

Kyoya. Trap.

Tsuna widened his eyes just as Reborn leapt in the air to take care of the intruders. "Reborn, we need to find Kyoya!"

The Arcobaleno bounded back to him with two easy hops. "Why? What is it?"

Tsuna glanced at the limp net on the floor. "They're after me to get to Kyoya." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't know the full details, but I'm already pissed off."

Reborn looked up at him curiously behind a calm gaze. "You're not afraid."

Tsuna raised a brow. "I'm too pissed to be scared."

"You're a civilian."

"I'm a fan of slasher films. What's wrong with a little bit of maiming and killing?"

Reborn huffed lightly. "You're a strange child."

If someone called him a child again, Tsuna was going to flip shit. Then again, they weren't technically wrong but it still grated his nerves. "Thanks," he said dryly. "I get that every day."

It says something that they're targeting me to get to Kyoya, he thought, following Reborn again. But how did they know? Why now? Were they alerted by my Flames? I thought Shamal was in charge of that, but I don't know his capabilities. Either way, they're pretty bold coming all the way out here and launching a direct attack. Wait…

Move!

Tsuna yelped when Reborn suddenly pushed him back to avoid a flying Molotov cocktail that exploded against the wall in flames. Covering his eyes, he stumbled backwards and coughed as smoke and flames rose in the hot air. The heat prickled his skin, making him scramble backwards to get away from the spreading fire. It burned through the wallpaper and the bamboo doors, crinkling the white paper into black. Tsuna's vision blurred both from the smoke and exhaustion. His eyes watered while he covered his mouth.

White foam and a hissing sound suddenly filled the air. The flames were quickly snuffed by a Leon-turned, green fire extinguisher. Tsuna almost toppled over if Reborn hadn't appeared by his side and pushed him back up against the wall. "Tsunayoshi, are you alright?" he said.

Tsuna coughed. "I'm—I'm fine. Just—That was a little sudden. We need to keep going."

"You're exhausted," Reborn said, his hand on Tsuna's leg. A light trickle of Sun Flames coursed through his body, careful not to come into contact with his Sky Flames. Tsuna tried hard not to be disappointed, again, when he felt the low thrum of Harmonization in Reborn's Flames.

"I can walk," Tsuna said. "Or you can leave me here. There's no more danger…I think."

"I am not leaving you here."

"Worth a shot." Tsuna leaned against the wall for support as he stood up. He swayed a bit before regaining his footing. "Step one, complete. Now step two."

Reborn looked down all the hallways, still ever so calm despite the chaos. "Do you sense anything off?"

"Not at the moment."

"Try to calm down and think. I don't know the full extent of the Intuition's abilities, but it's yours now. Guide it as it guides you."

Tsuna stared at Reborn for a moment. His heart nearly skipped a beat and he didn't even know why. That was…almost what his Reborn would say. He didn't know if that's what he told Decimo, but this was fine. This was good enough. His lips slightly twitched. "You know what," he said, "I think you're pretty cool, sensei."

Closing his eyes, Tsuna exhaled slowly, his lungs moving through the motion easier thanks to Reborn's Flames. I don't know how to do this, he thought, hoping the Intuition would heed his call. But help me. Where's Kyoya?

Soon, a hum echoed in the back of his mind. East Wing. Danger. 23 men. 18 dead.

Tsuna opened his eyes. "East Wing. Wait, that's where Hibari-san is!"

"It's not too far from here," Reborn said, hopping onto Tsuna's shoulder. "I'll give you a small boost without overtaxing your muscles. We can get there in seconds."

Tsuna didn't have to be told twice. He turned to the right hallway and literally sprinted. "Holy fuck!"

Everything became a total blur around him. Wind filled his lungs and swept his hair so rapidly he thought he wasn't breathing. Soon, more blood and corpses lined the long, solemn hallways. Tsuna gritted his teeth as he ran through thick, red liquid. Goddamn it, he wasn't in the mood to take a shower. Shrieks and yells came from his left. He turned.

Duck!

Tsuna immediately bent backwards, his breath hitching when a limp body flew over him. He yelped when he ended up falling to the ground instead. Rubbing his aching back—oh God, the training he was going to have to go through—he sat up to see Kyoya beating men left and right with his tonfas. Fon sat on a nearby dresser, watching the fight with unnerving calmness that made Tsuna's brow twitch.

How fucking helpful, he thought.

Reborn pushed him back up and leapt back up to his shoulder. "It seems like the situation is under control."

"No," Tsuna said as the last man fell. "This is just the beginning."

And this time, he didn't need the Intuition for that.

To say the room was too hot and crowded was an understatement. Tsuna didn't even know how he ended up here but Kyoya had dragged him right after his brawl and made him sit beside him at a long conference table. Suited men and women walked around everywhere, talking on their phones and demanding the state of other locations. Servants hurried about to clean up the gory mess and douse small fires. The stench of blood, sweat, and smoke still lingered in the air.

Fon sat at the head of the table with Hibari on his right. The seat to his left was empty. Tsuna looked at the doors just as Yuji and Asahi entered the meeting room. He stood up. "Hibari-san," he said. "Asahi-san."

"Tsuna-sensei!" Asahi said, his eyes wide. Other than some scratches, he looked fine. "Are you feeling better?"

Tsuna smiled as the man hovered over him, checking for any wounds. "I'm fine, Asahi-san. I'm glad to see you okay. Hibari-san, can you…?"

Yuji had some blood streaked onto his clothes, but was otherwise okay. He smiled tiredly. "I'm fine, Tsuna-sensei. Reborn-sensei healed my wound while you were out." He pursed his lips. "Are you alright?"

He wasn't just referring to his physical state. Tsuna grinned crookedly. "Don't worry. I like slasher films." When he only got blank stares in response, he face-palmed with a groan. "I swear to God, if none of you know what those are, I'm going to shit bricks." He opened an eye when Kyoya nudged his side with his elbow. "What?"

"What are slasher films?" Kyoya said quietly, saying the words like they weren't Japanese.

Tsuna disguised his laugh with a cough. The kid just pummeled 23 men to the ground without breaking a sweat and he was asking him what slasher films were? Aside from the fact that Kyoya had been seriously sheltered for most of his life, he was…ridiculously cute when he wanted to be, even if it was unintentional. Ah, youth. Come to think of it, Tsuna had always been fond of kids. Kids, not young adults who were going through puberty. Fuck 'em. Not literally though.

Oh my God, he must be delirious for even thinking those things. His train of thought was splitting into five different tracks at once and that only happened when he was on the brink of exhaustion.

I wonder where I-pin is, he thought suddenly, Fon's precious student then appearing in his mind. She had stayed with Decimo as a way of Fon keeping her away from the Triads and she seemed like a sweet girl, always looking out for Decimo's Lightning Guardian and brightening up whenever she had the chance to see Fon. Tsuna hoped that she at least had a good life here.

"—ttle animal?"

Tsuna blinked. When he came to, Reborn stood in front of him on the table, a cup of water in his hand. A hush fell over the room and it took a moment for Tsuna to realize that everyone was staring at him like a new specimen. Feeling just a bit creeped out, he accepted the cup with mumbled thanks and sipped the cool water slowly.

He should've known things weren't going to get any better when Reborn sat down in front of him, facing the other nameless men around the table. Yuji sat to Fon's left with Asahi standing behind him, giving Tsuna almost pitiful glances.

"Now that we've exchanged pleasantries," Fon said, a steely smile in place, "perhaps we should speak of what had occurred not too long ago."

Tsuna couldn't stop himself from spitting out water onto poor Reborn. He choked and coughed as Kyoya patted his back and promptly threw the cup to Tetsuya's expectant hands—wow, Tsuna just realized now he and Asahi were father and son—as if it was poison. "Reborn-sensei, s—sorry," Tsuna coughed out.

Reborn didn't bat an eye. He probably had worse thrown up on him. Still, that didn't make Tsuna feel any better. "It's fine," Reborn said. "Are you alright? Is your throat—"

Tsuna stood up. "I'm okay. Just—I don't think I should be here for…this."

He froze when Fon directed his smile at him. It was anything but pleasant. "I think you do," the Arcobaleno said. "So sit, Tsuna."

Tsuna sat down without his Intuition having to tell him. Even when his Fon got serious, no one argued with the normally peaceful man. "Towel," he mumbled, trying to look for one in the room. All he saw were men and women in suits Leon's eyes flickered towards him before morphing into a towel perfect for Reborn's size. The brunet took ahold of him before Reborn could reach it. "Let me do this much."

Reborn just raised a brow but shrugged off his white coat, revealing his damp gray shirt. Tsuna pulled his chair closer and held towel-Leon in his hands. He paused momentarily, glancing at Fon from the corner of his eye. "Well?" he said. "I'm sitting."

Nearly everyone in the room flinched. Tsuna just dried Reborn's hair with the towel, ignoring the elevating tension in the air. Even was Reborn was a little tense despite keeping a blank face.

"Yes, you are," Fon said, his smile never wavering. "Thank you. Now, what was that?"

The question was addressed to the rest of the room but no one spoke. Tsuna gently wiped Reborn's cheeks, patting them dry. He surveyed the room wearily. Some people shifted their gaze to the floor or an invisible spot on the wall, anywhere else but Fon. Not even Yuji could look him in the eye and he was the oyabun. A bit soft—okay, he was way too soft to be one—but he had to have some kind of steel in him to gain the loyalty that he had. Somehow, the puzzle pieces were coming together, with Tsuna's Intuition confirming his suspicions. Still, he didn't voice his thoughts. It wasn't his place.

Not yet.

Oh, shut up, Tsuna thought.

Fon didn't move. "I am clearly speaking Japanese." He zeroed in on a well-muscled man three chairs down. "Watanabe." The man tensed but bowed his head anyways. "Explain yourself."

"M—My"—Watanabe cleared his throat—"My men were stationed in their original positions and there was no deviation from the security plans, kumicho. Everyone rotated just as the—the attacks occurred."

"Kyoya."

Tsuna actually took pity when Kyoya went a little rigid beside him. The boy's gaze rested on the table.

"Your patrol duties were cut a little short, weren't they?" Fon said, as if he was talking about the weather. "Did you survey your men?"

Kyoya steeled himself but Tsuna could see his white knuckles on his lap. "Yes," he said. "They completed their duties efficiently. There were no suspicious reports on our territories, no sightings of enemies, or—"

"You left."

Kyoya didn't stray his gaze. Tsuna took Reborn's coat and wrung some water out to the side. The man next to him grunted in disgust but didn't move away. Tiny droplets of water dripped onto the carpeted floor, making little dark spots on the golden-brown fabric. He straightened out the coat and held it up for Reborn to slip on.

"You left before your patrol was supposed to end," Fon said. "Nearly half of your men were killed after you left. Did you forget that the leader leads and not leave his herd behind?"

Tsuna sighed loudly. Seriously, what the fuck was he doing here? Well, his Intuition was saying that this was the absolute perfect time to speak up and he really wasn't in the mood for it, no matter how the little shit goaded him on.

I swear to God, if you were real, I'd slice you open and just leave you there, Tsuna thought.

"Tsunayoshi," Reborn said, "does your head hurt?"

"Yes," Tsuna said, looking up. "Everything hurts, but nothing hurts more than watching this lovely family spat. Fon-san, I do hope you're not going where I think you're going."

A woman with long black hair stood up abruptly from her seat. "How dare you address kumicho that way!"

"I said -san, Miss…? Whatever. You're not the point here." Somehow his Intuition told him that this was the right way to go about things now, but Tsuna wasn't all that happy with it. Sounding like a major asshole would look bad for Fon, the kumicho of all people, in front of his merry men and women, wasn't smart. What was the purpose of his Intuition again? "Kyoya, where were your men attacked?"

The woman glared at him, resembling a hawk. "Don't speak to me that way, boy! Who are you?"

Tsuna waved her off. "You don't have to know. I'm not talking to you. Kyoya?"

The woman scoffed indignantly in the background as Kyoya tilted his head slightly, still tense but curious. "Why?" he said.

"We're going to go through this like the smart, logical people we're supposed to be," Tsuna said as if he was talking to a child. "Tell me where your men were killed."

"Kumicho!" Watanabe slammed his fist against the table, making Tsuna roll his eyes. How melodramatic. "Who is this boy? This does not concern him in any way!"

Fon sipped a cup of tea, looking even more intimidating from the simple gesture. Tsuna kept his mouth shut. It was best to let the Arcobaleno exert his control rather than be supposedly humiliated by a teenager. However, he had a feeling that this wasn't the case.

Stay with the Storm and Cloud. Safe.

Tsuna mentally groaned. Ah, fuck.

While the others bickered a one-sided argument, Tsuna rested his cheek on his palm. Reborn handed him a refilled cup of water. "Shamal is outside," he said quietly. "I can ask him to get some painkillers. My Flames would only stimulate your headache."

"I'm fine," Tsuna said.

Reborn pursed his lips. "I hope you know what you're doing, Tsunayoshi. You're walking on very thin line here."

"Don't worry," Tsuna muttered. "My Intuition guarantees a 100% survival rate with this, whatever this is. Although, any tips on shutting it up?"

Reborn's lips twitched slightly. "I'm afraid that's not in my department, but I'm inclined to learn more later."

"Fair point. Also, tips on how to handle Fon?"

"Don't make him angry."

"I think he kind of is."

"Oh, and get to the point."

Tsuna raised a brow, though he couldn't help but smile. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I haven't the slightest idea to what you're talking about."

Tsuna didn't need the Intuition to tell him that Reborn was lying. Finally, everyone silenced when Fon placed his cup back down. "Sit," he said in the same pleasant tone, "or do you all require assistance?"

He didn't have to repeat twice. Tsuna scanned the room again for potential annoyances. Hawk lady and Watanabe were already on his list. There were four other saiko komons, senior advisers—he assumed they had to be since they were present and seated—and each looked more miserable than the next, clearly terrified to go against Fon, which was good Tsuna supposed. It was how Goro had handled his small association: keeping them on a tight leash and showing his fists if they tried to bite off more than they could chew. It was effective 98% of the time before some of them staged a mutiny.

"Tsuna," Fon said, directing everyone else's attention to him again, "is the doctor who saved Yuji."

Tsuna pursed his lips. This really wasn't the situation he wanted to be in right now.

"Him?" Watanabe said, his eyes wide.

"He's so young," another man whispered.

"Is he like them…?"

"He's not a baby."

Tsuna's brow twitched. He opened his mouth to say some choice words when Kyoya lightly nudged his foot with his own. He shook his head, silently telling him not to speak. Tsuna scowled, which honestly looked more like pout with his current face. He had never hating being a kid so much in his life.

"Must I always chastise you all like children about respect?" Fon said. Tsuna wished he could frown now because at this point, his smile was just fucking creepy. It was always the nice ones—well, in this case, Fon wasn't the nice type. "If there is an issue you have, I will give you permission to speak."

No one did. Seriously, again, what the fuck was Tsuna doing here?

Stay with the Storm and Cloud. Safe.

I got that the first time, he thought. Doesn't mean I like it.

"And what input were you about to offer, Tsuna?" Fon said, his smile tightening just slightly.

Everyone could tell that he was nearly at his limit, and Tsuna wasn't willing to find out what would happen if the Arcobaleno crossed that line. "I wanted to ask Kyoya where his men were killed," he said.

"Why?"

"Because it could maybe narrow down why and how this attack occurred in the first place," Tsuna said almost blandly. "Also, I will respectfully disagree with you trying to pin the blame on others. Actually, only with Kyoya because I don't like the rest." Watanabe scowled at him along with hawk lady but neither of them spoke. "I don't know the extent of Kyoya's patrol duties or what his designated areas are—just to remind you, I'm going off of both logic and movies here so stop me if I sound ridiculous—but you said that the attacks happened after he left."

"The timing is off," Yuji said, unsure if he should speak. "Also, Watanabe mentioned that the attack here occurred when security was being rotated."

Tsuna smiled sweetly. "Wonderful deduction, Hibari-san! I'm glad you're feeling better now thanks to Reborn-sensei." Ignoring the man's faint flush, he addressed Kyoya again, "Before we go there, Kyoya, do you know where your men were killed?"

"Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa, Musashino, and Mitaka," Kyoya said promptly.

"Okay," Tsuna said, drumming his fingers against the table. "I apologize, Fon-san, but I'm getting to the good part. Bear with me. Now, there's one, two, three, four, five—five? Wow, what a coincidence. I'm sorry, Watanabe-san, but you're not included in this one. Your turn will come soon. I'm going to assume that you five represent the places that Kyoya listed, meaning something else happened other than his men being killed."

"Who are you?" Watanabe said.

"Yes," a soft-spoken woman said. A long scar ran from her cheek to just above her left eye and she looked the least ruffled compared to the others. "If I may speak, kumicho." Fon merely nodded. "You are correct. My name is Nakajima Kiyo and I handle the affairs in Shinjuku. First, I would like to thank you for saving oyabun's life. We are indebted to you. Second, I have checked over any lost inventory. My children are still updating me on the damages. Nothing was stolen." Tsuna had to respect her tact. He really didn't want to know what this group dabbled in because it would just ruin Fon's image even further. God, why was this so hard? "Some of my children were killed in the crossfire but the attacks were more like hit-and-runs."

Either children referred to her actual kids or how she called her underlings. Tsuna's Intuition told him plainly that it was the latter. "Alright. And the rest?"

A tall, lanky man standing at the corner of the room with a hefty journal looked up then, his nearly dead eyes fixating on Tsuna with eerie calmness. "We have suffered damages and financial losses in the mentioned areas," he said, "but nothing of value was stolen."

"I'm going to assume that you control more areas than that," Tsuna said, glancing at Fon.

Fon merely smiled at him. "Yes. More than half of Japan belongs to us."

"Congratulations," Tsuna deadpanned. "If nothing valuable was stolen, we can assume that they were just distractions. Do you remember the maid that led me to the pavilion before, Fon-san?"

"Yes."

"You have a mole." Everyone else looked at him with wide eyes. "That explains how the main attack here occurred. She could've somehow gotten ahold of the security details and informed her group when the rotation occurred."

"Where is she?" Watanabe said. "Why didn't you bring her in?"

"Watanabe-san," Yuji said, furrowing his brows, "please calm down. We need to assess this situation carefully."

"Just like how you met up with that informant from Akasasori-Gumi?" a bespectacled man said, narrowing his eyes. Red Scorpion Association—Tsuna filed that name away for later. "You have shown great assessment there, oyabun."

Yuji faltered a bit. "That—It was different."

"I don't see you doing any better, Ogawa," Kiyo said. "You managed to be tricked by them in the first place. Your poor information nearly sent oyabun to his death."

Before anyone else could respond, Tsuna raised a hand, somehow silencing everyone in the room. "Something else that we don't have other than intelligence is time," he said. "This is the part in the movies where another fuck-up is about to happen. I wasn't able to catch the maid because what could I do? She tried to lead me away but I ran from her. Long story short: Kyoya is the real target."

"She tried to take you?" Yuji said, eyes wide.

"Along with some other men but that's beside the point."

Kyoya pursed his lips. "Where are they?"

"Dead," Tsuna said, "thanks to Reborn-sensei. It doesn't matter. The more important thing is that Kyoya is their target. That can only mean two different things. One, they're using him to get to either Hibari-san or Fon-san, or two, they're just a bunch of dumb shits who're trying to gain recognition."

"Then it can't be Akasasori," Kiyo said. "We cut their resources by half a few weeks ago. They couldn't have been able to conduct this large-scale attack in such short time."

"Hisuikumo is too busy with their own internal conflicts," a man with slicked-back hair said. Jade Spiders—Tsuna wished he had a pen and paper to write this down. Actually, no. Screw that. "Perhaps, it is a new group? Some of my men in Shibuya have heard about an insurgent group in the works."

"Whoever they are," Fon said, gathering everyone's attention, "I expect them to never return." He stood up. "Meeting is dismissed. Fix your mistakes. I expect results."

"Yes, kumicho!"

Tsuna blinked and leaned down to whisper in Reborn's ear, "That's it?"

"Tsuna," Fon said, hopping to the floor, "follow me please. Kyoya, you may come if you wish."

"I spoke too soon," Tsuna deadpanned.

Reborn shook his head. "Can't this wait, Fon? Tsuna needs rest."

When they walked out into the hallways, Tsuna sensed Kyoya shadowing his back, just a little closer by his shoulder in case. He didn't even have the energy to speak anymore. "My mom's going to sue you," he said, glaring weakly at Fon's back.

"Thank you for putting on a good show, Tsuna," Fon said instead, smiling slightly. "It was quite entertaining; however, I do wish that you would stick with, ah, what was it? The script. But I suppose that was too much to ask for from someone like you."

"Excuse me?" That was a fucking insult if Tsuna had ever heard one.

"Oh, you're not excused yet. There's something I would like for you to see."

"Fon," Reborn said. "This better be quick."

"Don't push me. I'm already at my limits as it is, Reborn." Fon glanced over his shoulder, a cold gleam in his eyes. "I was surprised to hear that you killed the men after Tsuna. And to think you could even run away from your own shadow is a fruitless pursuit in itself."

"I only did what was necessary," Reborn said blandly. "I know you don't like rats reappearing in your home."

Fon smiled slightly. "How considerate."

"You're welcome."

Tsuna was too tired to pick on their relationship. He wanted to sleep. "Fon," he said as they approached a different, clean hallway. There wasn't a speck of blood anywhere. "I don't know what you want me to see but can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"No."

Lie.

"You're lying."

Everyone, even Shamal who had joined their little group, paused in their step. Tsuna swayed on his feet a little, only kept steady by Kyoya's hand on his shoulder. "I just went through some pretty life-changing circumstances a few hours ago," he nearly hissed. "You know about the Intuition. I know you do; don't try denying it. All that was for show for the rest of them but I know you're trying to test me and I'm probably rambling at this point. I don't care what you want to show me. I'm going to faint in two minutes."

The adrenaline in Tsuna's system had already faded when Kyoya dragged him in the meeting room, and he only went on through sheer willpower. He was used to being pushed to the brink of exhaustion back in his clinic and Goro's off-beat schedules, but this body wasn't.

His vision blurred a bit. Someone was talking but he couldn't understand what they were saying.

Let go. Safe.

Tsuna felt the world turning sideways and everything went black.

When he opened his eyes, Tsuna found himself at a vast, soft meadow with the bluest sky he had ever seen. A fresh breeze tousled his hair, carrying the lingering fragrance of sweet grass and poppies. Someone stood a few feet away from him. He knew who it was.

"This is quite beautiful," Primo said, his gaze lost in thought.

Tsuna stood up, feeling weightless and less haggard, and walked over to where Primo stood. He kept a little distance from the other man. "I was hoping that this wouldn't be a regular thing," he said.

Primo didn't look at him. "Don't mind me, Harada Tsunayoshi. I just came here to mourn."

Tsuna tensed. He gently touched his cheek, feeling the kid's lips linger on his skin, like a faint, scorching mark. "I'm sorry," he said.

"You don't have to apologize," Primo said, turning to face him. "Perhaps this was just meant to be."

"I didn't mean for it to turn out this way."

"And I didn't expect for any of this to happen." Primo smiled faintly. "On the other hand, I feel as if it's better that you're here. I have seen glimpses of Tsunayoshi's life and I do not believe that he would've lived much longer."

Tsuna furrowed his brows. For once, he wished that he had never led the life that he did. But would he have met the others that way? Maybe, maybe not. Sighing in frustration, he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not a saint," he said, "but I don't like where you're going with this."

Primo hummed to himself. "No one usually likes the path they're walking on. Fate has other ideas. The road you're travelling on now has already been pre-determined and laid out for you."

"What a load of bullshit." Primo jumped a bit when Tsuna kicked some dirt and grass underneath him. "I never liked the fate concept. If you believe it, you're an idiot. I don't like what's happening now. I still feel like shit for what happened to the kid and always do. I wish things went differently, but I'm not going to get hung up on it. That's just wasting my time. He wouldn't have wanted it and I'm too much of an asshole to let it be." Tsuna looked up at the other man, his hands clenching into fists. His Flames surged in his body, seeping from his skin and coating his figure. "There's a reason why I was the Sky Arcobaleno in my world."

Primo didn't seem too fazed by the power that emitted from Tsuna but there was a flash of surprise in his eyes. "The Sky Arcobaleno?" His lips curled into a small smile. "I see."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Don't assume you know anything, Primo. You were nicer back in my world, too, by the way."

Primo raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I apologize."

"I know this isn't the ideal situation for you. I know that the kid is your descendent, which sucks because I'm not. I have no plans to get involved with Vongola or be anyone's tool. I'm here for a reason and I'm not planning to give up on it anytime soon."

A curious gleam glinted in Primo's eyes, which wasn't a good sign. "If there was one thing I would've liked to be slightly different, it would be to have you as my descendent instead. Your resolve is remarkable, a true testament to your status as an Arcobaleno." Tsuna furrowed his brows when Primo took a step forward. "However, that doesn't mean anything here, Harada Tsunayoshi. You are stuck in this body in a world that's not your own. What can you do?"

Tsuna smirked. "Don't underestimate the underdog, Primo. I'm making my own way and you're not going to stop me." Sky Flames erupted around his fists, warm and pulsing with power. Primo widened his eyes. "Sorry, but I'm tired of seeing your shitty face again."

He punched the ground, creating a rift and sending debris everywhere. Orange bled into his vision until everything turned white and vanished.

Sleep continued being peaceful for the most part—until his Intuition told him to wake the fuck up.

Groaning lightly, Tsuna rubbed his eyes and turned over on his…futon? He sat up quickly, looking around the familiar room. It was Kyoya's room. He looked to the windows, which were covered by long blue drapes. Rising to his feet, he went over to pull them back, only to be assaulted by sunlight. It was 12:22 P.M and Saturday. Tsuna didn't question how he knew that. It was too creepily natural for him. Just then, a generic ringtone broke the silence.

He found his clean backpack leaning against the wall and fished his phone out of the side pocket. He paled. Nana.

"Mama?" God, he sounded like crap.

"Tsu-kun!" Nana said. "Are you okay? Did you sleep well?"

Tsuna cleared his throat. "I'm fine. Just…needed water." He scratched the back of his head as he looked down to see himself in clean, white pajamas. His feet were clean, too. Only the thought that Kyoya hadn't been the one to do this was just slightly comforting. Just slightly. "I'm sorry for not telling you about the…sleepover." Someone just kill him now.

"Oh, don't worry about that. Still, I was surprised to hear your friend's uncle on your phone. He sounds like such a nice man."

"Yeah," Tsuna said, thinking back to Fon's creepy smile throughout that bullshit meeting. "He's…nice."

"Are you okay, Tsu-kun? You can always cut it short and come home early. I'm sure Arashi-san won't mind."

Tsuna's brow twitched. Kyoya was coming. "I'm fine, Mama. We were planning on playing some video games today."

"Oh, of course! Go, go! I'm so glad to hear you're having fun. Don't push yourself, alright? I'm always a phone call away if you need anything."

"Yeah, thanks, Mama. I gotta go now."

"Okay, have fun, Tsu-kun! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Before Tsuna could register what she just said, Nana hung up. He looked up in disbelief just as the doors slid open. "Tomorrow?" he said. "You're… Kyoya?"

The boy stood at the doorway, wearing the same clothes as last night, still bloody and looking weary. Tsuna frowned. "Kyoya, did you sleep?"

"How are you feeling, little animal?" Kyoya said instead.

"Jesus." Tsuna immediately pulled him into the room and shoved him towards the bathroom. He ignored how Kyoya tensed underneath his grip, which immediately loosened when he sensed bruises. "Go take a shower."

"I need to—"

"Yes, take a shower." Tsuna turned on the knobs and tested the water to make sure it wasn't too hot. "Don't worry. You won't get in trouble. No one's going to come in."

Kyoya stood frozen at the door. "I can't," he said. "I—"

"Will take a shower," Tsuna said, leaving no room for argument. "Whatever Fon says, I'll talk to him." He smiled mischievously. "If you're not getting in, I'm going to strip you."

That seemed to get Kyoya moving. He walked past Tsuna awkwardly and pushed him gently out the bathroom before closing it shut. Tsuna snickered under his breath. Always worked like a charm with Skull. His smile dropped. Comparing Kyoya to Skull was… God, someone just kill him already.

He walked over to shift through Kyoya's wardrobe. Finding a clean black suit and white shirt, he took them out and hung it above the dresser. Now, all he had to do was wait. He looked down at his hands, remembering the feeling of his Flames encasing them in orange, rippling with power. It was almost euphoric. Plus, it was nice telling Primo to basically fuck off and not try to bring up anything Tsuna wasn't willing to hear. His Intuition said otherwise but he'd be ready then to enforce his message.

Kyoya wasn't in the shower for long. Just as he opened the door, Tsuna handed him his clothes in exchange for his bloody ones. The door shut close again right after. Tsuna dumped the dirty suit in a laundry hamper nearby and cleaned up the futon.

3, 2, 1…

The bathroom door opened again and Kyoya stepped out wearing the fresh set of clothes Tsuna had given him. He looked better, with more color to his skin, but the dark circles under his eyes didn't disappear.

"Come over here," Tsuna said, patting the floor.

Kyoya pursed his lips. "Little animal, we need to go," he said, almost morosely.

"I know. Sit." Tsuna stood up to get the hair dryer. Once he plugged it into the wall, he turned it on and started drying Kyoya's wet hair. "Best to go back looking like you didn't fall into the pond or something."

Kyoya huffed like as if that would ever happen. Since Tsuna was not that tall, he stood above the other boy, which was the perfect arrangement, much to his dismay. Neither of them spoke while Tsuna carded his hand gently through Kyoya's hair. His hand didn't shake anymore and he didn't whack Kyoya's head with the blow dryer. Finally, when he finished, Tsuna put the dryer away in the bathroom.

"Here's what we're going to do," he said as Kyoya stood up. "One, I'm going to eat. Whatever Fon wants me to do can wait because I'm starving. Two, you're going to sleep right after Fon is done with whatever he's doing. If you don't, I'm slipping you sleeping pills." His voice softened. "Three, you okay?"

Kyoya continued staring down at the floor, looking like a meek puppy. Tsuna sighed. "Just tell me. Honestly. And don't lie. I'll know."

Taking a small breath, Kyoya looked up slightly. "Thank you, Tsuna."

Tsuna grinned crookedly. "Yeah. Come on." He led Kyoya to the bedroom doors. "Lead the way to food, friend."

Kyoya perked up a little. "Friend?"

Tsuna laced his hands behind his head. "That's what I said. So, where's the kitchen?"

He smiled to himself when Kyoya quickly took the lead, his steps lighter than when he had entered the room. His Intuition hummed in approval.

Cloud. Storm. Safe.

If staying under Kyoya and Fon's protection would keep him safe, fine. But that didn't mean he had to like it in the long-run.

Still, when he saw a glimpse of Kyoya's hopeful face, it didn't sound too bad.

A/N Well, things are kind of coming together? Sort of.

Ohohoho, but this is where the fun will begin, peeps. You'll see. It'll be worth it. ;^)

To clarify a bit: Yes, in some ways the Arcobaleno in this universe are closer to the Flames' "stereotypes" compared to the ones in Tsuna's original world, which are basically canon. But hey, Surgeon!Reborn ain't bad. Maybe…

Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny