Chapter 4

I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! It belongs to Akira Amano.

Yay, a time skip.

I bounced on the balls of my feet as tou-chan put my hair into a ponytail. I was turning four today!

"Done!" Tou-chan chirped as he patted my head. I heard the doorbell ring through the chatter of people and he hurriedly made me put on my fluffy jacket. "Don't be in such a hairy, Tou-chan!"

I flounced away as he stood dumbfounded for a few seconds. I slid down the railing of the steps and dusted my skirt when I reached the door. I opened it and beamed at the people on the other side. "Tsu-kun, Take-kun!"

"Happy birthday!" They chorused together.

"Thank you!" I smiled brighter which made them wince for some reason. Nana-san waved to me from where she was talking to Kaa-chan and I waved back.

"Come on!" I said excitedly as I tugged them inside.

I led them to the centre table as Tou-chan called me over. I skipped in his direction and stood beside him, putting on my polite smile when I saw guests.

"Hiro-san, this is my daughter, Mei." Tou-chan introduced to a bald man. A little blond-haired boy was standing beside him, sneering at me. I wrinkled my nose. I hated these type of spoilt brats but I had to play nice with them or tou-chan's music company would suffer. The man let out a fake laugh. "We should let the children spend time together. Don't want to bore them with our grown up talk now, do we?"

Tou-chan let out an even faker laugh and began to walk with the man, but not before he shot me a look over his shoulder that screamed 'help me'. My polite smile widened and I turned so that my back was facing him. No thank you, I have my own problems to deal with.

I took a deep breath. I had to at least give him a chance.

"Hi! My name's Mei, what's yours?" I smiled at him.

He rolled his eyes and ignored me with a 'hmph'.

Nope.

"Take me to the pool," he demanded arrogantly.

My eye twitched and my smile became forced.

Resisting the urge to punch him, I gestured for him to follow me and started walking away quickly. I felt a profound sense of childish satisfaction when he struggled to match my fast pace.

I led him to the pool where a lot of toddlers were running around and dipping their feet in the water. I discreetly ran away from him ninja-style, ducking behind people and bushes. I almost grinned when I saw Takeshi smiling at a group of girls who were staring at him, awestruck. Working your charm so early, huh, Take-kun?

I looked around for Tsuna, unable to find him anywhere. I perked up when I found a head of fluffy hair near the window. I ran towards him, stopping in my tracks when I saw the panicked look on his face. His eyes caught mine and he almost tripped in his rush to get to me.

"M-mei, s-som-something's gonna h-ha-happ-"

My hands landed on his shoulders to steady him. "Calm down, Tsuna. Now tell me, what happened?"

"S-something's gonna happen t-to h-him," he stuttered as he pointed at Snobby Brat #1.

I tensed. That was not good. Unless it was something like falling down and scraping his knee? No, Tsuna wouldn't panic over such a small thing.

I forced a reassuring smile on my face. "I'll take care of it," I said cheerfully.

Tsuna still had a worried expression on his face but I ignored it.

I strode out of the house and towards the kid who was near the wooden fence. He was staring curiously at a small hole in it, just big enough for a toddler to fit through.

"Hey!" I shouted, waving my hand to try and get his attention. It worked as he turned around to face me with narrowed eyes. "Don't go through that hole, you'll get lo-"

He slipped through the hole before I even completed my sentence. "Shit," I cursed. I slipped through the crack myself, only catching a glint of blond.

I navigated through the streets and randomly guessed the direction he would go in a few places. I got lucky as I finally reached him. He was crouching behind a wooden box and I almost laughed at his pathetic hiding place.

I placed my hands on my hips and grinned cockily. "What, you thought I couldn't find you?" I asked smugly, expecting a retort or a tantrum, but his only reply was to shush me urgently and tug me behind the wooden box, face filled with fear. I almost shouted at him before I noticed the two men that were looking in our direction. They looked like stereotypical shady dudes, what with the coats, hats and- is that a gun?

"What are these two doing here?"

My heart almost jumped out of my throat and I whipped around to see a man standing behind us pointing a gun in my direction.

Maybe I could make a run for it? Yeah, I could get away from him. Maybe slip around him?

My hopes were dashed when three other men came out of a car, the other two coming over to check what the commotion was about.

"Just kill them and get it over with," one of the men said dismissively. The man pulled the trigger and my breath hitched, my thoughts jumbled and dazed. Only one thought repeated itself in my brain like a broken record.

I am not going to die like an insignificant bug!

It felt like time stopped. A flash of orange passed my eyes and I felt an unnatural calm pass through me. I looked down to see that my body had moved of its own accord.

My left leg stung and I rubbed my fingers over the place where the bullet had grazed it lightly. I brought my fingers to my face, ignoring the man who was staring at me with a dumbstruck expression. They were covered in a red liquid. A very familiar red liquid. Blood.

Explosions and screaming-

Begging for mercy-

Blood spreading across the floor as a body slumps down-

Lifeless, cold eyes, never to see the light of day again-

A bloodthirsty smile spread across my face.