Zero

by TsubakiTwilight

A few months after Tsuna's flames are sealed; he begins to hear a voice in his head. For the past eight years, this voice has been guiding and helping Tsuna through the obstacles and heartaches of life. "You should punch those smug, overconfident smirks off their faces and shove their egos right up their as-" AU! Rated T for language!

9. Chapter 9

I.

"… You can come out now, *****. He has left."

"Thanks for hiding me, Ira!"

A soft sigh, one of fondness and exasperation. "What did you do to Valerian this time, *****?"

"Nothing too severe! The color will disappear after a few days!"

"*****."

"What? Old Soren's gotten too like his namesake and needed to relax a bit more!"

"That was Valerian's previous name, *****. You should be calling him by his new name now."

"Bah! Just because he is now the strongest one amongst us and next in line to succeed…"

"Jealousy does not become you, *****."

"I'm not jealous of Soren, Ira! I just… he has… changed… a lot since we are all children… I do not like it…"

"… Change is inevitable, *****. Time is a cruel and unforgiving Master, as we all know."

"I… do not want things to change, Ira… your Vision… frightens me."

"It frightens me as well… however, that is what Fate has decided, and we must follow Her commands."

"Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it though…"

Another sigh, warm and tender in equal measures. A hand threading his hair. "Dear, *****… your optimism and energy is something that brings joy and light to all of us in these dark and trying times, however…"

"There is always a time and a place for such actions, right?"

"Precisely."

"… Fine… I will go and apologize to Sor- Valerian for my actions, Ira."

"Thank you, *****."

"I am only doing this because, out of all the Chosen, you are my favorite, Ira!"

A giggle, soft and airy. The sound of cloth rustling. "Thank you, *****. Now, run along before Valerian unleashes his ire in total."

"Right, right… oh! And tell Caius that-"

.

.

.

II.

"… Ugh… Fuck me sideways with a sledgehammer… What the fuck happened…?"

Tsuna shot up in bed, his body transitioning from a dead sleep to total awareness in the span of a heartbeat. "Z-Zero!" He cried out.

"Shit, Kid… mental… voice… remember…? Can't have people… thinking that you're going fucking… insane now… can we…?"

"A-Are you okay?! What happened to you? Where have you been?!"

Zero's mental groan to his questions gave Tsuna the impression of someone waking up far too early or someone that was hung over.

"Calm down, Kid… one… one question at a fucking time…"

"Okay, okay… then: Are you okay, Zero?"

"I have no fucking idea, Kid… I may be an incorporeal voice living inside your fucking head… but… I am… feeling like shit right now… How that's possible I have no fucking idea…"

"It might have something to do with the bullet that Reborn-san shot at us last week…"

Zero growled. "Fuck that fucking baby Hitman… The next time I seeing that definitely not-cute face of his I swear to fucking God that I'll take that damned gun of his and shove it right up his fucking- Wait… rewind… Kid… Did you just imply that I've been… gone foR ENTIRE FUCKING WEEK?!"

Tsuna nodded his head and gripped his blanket in unease. "…Yeah… I… 'woke up' in the playground that we had been shot in and when I tried to ask you what happened… you… weren't there…!" Tsuna's knuckles turned white as he tried to keep his breathing and emotions under control, but, it was difficult to do so when he was just so relieved and thankful that Zero hadn't truly disappeared forever.

"Oh man, Kid… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to up and leave you like that…"

"I-It's not your fault, Zero." Tsuna thought with a sniffle. "I know that… when… you finally do leave, it'll be because it's your decision not because you were… forced to do it."

Zero sighed in the brunets' head. "… It all comes back to that fucking, goddamned bullet, huh…? What did that Bastard of a Hitman call it…?"

"Reborn-san called it the Dying Will Bullet," Tsuna answered, "it basically unlocks the Human Body's limiters granted that a person dies with a specific regret in mind."

"… That's fucking insane on so many levels… Like… what the fuck would happen if you… died without a fucking regret in the world?!"

Tsuna shrugged, trying not to cry at Zero's familiar swearing and indignation. "Then I guess you die, for real."

"What the actual fuck? Again. So messed up."

Tsuna chuckled as Zero trailed off into a series of grumbles and complaints. "… I missed you, Zero," he murmured, leaning back into his pillows.

"Same here, Kid… same here…"

"By the way," Tsuna thought with a yawn, "where did you go when you disappeared?"

"I… don't know. Or… maybe I don't… remember…? I'll get back to you on that, Kid. In the meantime, you need to get some fucking sleep. If my amazing memory serves me right then you got school tomorrow! We'd better not get to school and I find out that your fucking grades dropped because the awesomely, awesome me was not there to guide you!"

"You mean, help me cheat."

"It's not fucking cheating if you are using all the resources at your disposal, Kid!"

"Of course it isn't."

"You're damned right it isn't! Now! Off to dreamland so your body can rest and recharge for our inevitable world domination tomorrow!"

Tsuna chuckled and pulled his blankets up higher. "… Hey Zero? A part of me doesn't want to go to sleep because I'm afraid you'll be gone again in the morning," Tsuna confessed.

"… I'll be here come morning, Tsunayoshi."

"… Promise…?" Tsuna felt like a little kid that was seeking comfort from his parents after a particularly horrible nightmare, but he didn't care. He didn't want to lose Zero. Not yet.

"You know I can't promise that, Kid. Sleep. And when the morning comes, we'll see if both our wishes come true…"

Tsuna sniffled once more before rolling onto his side. "… Okay… Goodnight, Zero."

"Goodnight, Tsunayoshi."

.

.

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III.

The next morning, as Tsuna was helping his mother prepare breakfast – skillfully holding a conversation with her and Zero at the same time, Zero asked, "So where is that damned Hitman anyway? I would have thought he'd be all over your home in the time I was MIA."

Tsuna frowned, his lips a sharp and angry line at Zero's question. He sighed through his nose, waving off his mother's concern with a calm smile. "I… was quite… emotional after waking up and realizing that you were gone… words were exchanged between Reborn-san and I and…" Tsuna trailed off with a shrug.

"… Oh. My. Fucking. Jesus…" Zero's joy was palpable."Please tell me that you went off on that fucking Hitman and ripped him a new asshole!"

Tsuna didn't answer but smirked slightly at his reflection in the kitchen window.

Zero began howling with laughter. "HAHAHAHA! O-Oh my fucking God, Kid! I-I wish I could have fucking seen you tearing that damned Hitman a n-new one! Ahahaha…! Wh-What did you t-tell him?!"

"I don't really remember everything I said, like I said earlier, I was really emotional but I basically told Reborn-san that he needed to explain to me what he did and, after he did so, I told him that he was not welcomed anywhere near my home until either you came back or I decided to listen to what he had to say."

"I am so fucking proud of you, Kid! Fucking standing up for yourself and behaving like the goddamned BOSS that I knew you always were!"

Zero's pleasure was infectious and soon, Tsuna found himself smiling from ear-to-ear. "Thank you, Zero."

"Now if only you acted like that to those fucking dickwads that bullied you back in elementary and middle school!"

"We've talked about this, Zero," Tsuna thought with the air fondness. "I don't want, or plan on taking, revenge against my former bullies."

"Pah! Party pooper…"Zero grumbled before perking up. "Then! Since the awesomely, amazing me is back from-wherever-the-fuck-I-was, does that mean you're going to reach out to that fucking Hitman baby?"

"Yes, I did tell Reborn-san that he would be welcomed here… if you returned."

"Great! Then act as a translator for me, Kid! I've got some… words of my own for that damned Hitman…"

"Sure, Zero."

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.

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IV.

"Your personification of the Vongola Intuition has returned, I take it?" Reborn asked from his seat at the Sawada dining table.

"Zero has returned, yes," Tsuna answered with a tight smile as he poured the Hitman a cup of coffee. He was drinking tea himself.

"Good, any longer and I would have had to resort to drastic measures," Reborn said evenly, inclining his head slightly in thanks after the brunet finished pouring the coffee. He took a sip of coffee and continued with, "It wouldn't have been pleasant for you had I taken those drastic measures."

"Oooh," Zero drawled in mock-horror, "I'm so scared~ What was he going to do? Kill you for real?"

"… I'm glad it didn't come to that in the end, Reborn-san."

Reborn stared at Tsuna for a moment. "What," he began, "do you know about your father and his place of employment."

"Sawada Iemitsu. Sex: Male. Age: 38. Height: 6' 2". Weight: 187.4 lbs. Hair color: Blond. Eye color: Brown. Occupation: A so-called 'construction worker' that has 'projects' and 'contacts' in places that even a fucking child would realize is wrong! A moronic, jackass that places work above family. Hasn't been home in over eight fucking years. Sends a letter, maybe, twice a year. Calls home at least once a month. Doesn't send gifts even on holidays or birthdays or fucKING ANNIVERSARIES! A COMPLETE AND UTTER TRASH OF A HUMAN BEING MUCH LESS A HUSBAND AND FATHER AND I AM SERIOUSLY GETTING THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS WHOLE FIASCO IS THAT FUCKING MAN'S FAULT!"

"… He certainly is not a construction worker as he claims to be in all the letters he sends home," Tsuna answered. "He hasn't been home in over eight years and rarely sends letters and calls. It all gives me the impression that his job is either: highly secretive, maybe he has a high-rank in the Japanese government or it's highly… illegal. I've entertained the fact that, maybe, he's on the run from the Yakuza or other crime organization because he, maybe, owes them a large amount of money or something along those lines."

"… You are not that far off, Tsunayoshi," Reborn revealed. "Instead of thinking that Iemitsu is on the run from organized crime groups because he owes them money, think of it as the opposite."

"That people are on the run from him because they own him a lot of money. So, instead of running away from the Yakuza or the like, my father is the Yakuza."

"Mafia, actually." Reborn corrected, taking a sip of his coffee.

"OF FUCKING COURSE THAT BASTARD IS IN THE GODDAMNED MAFIA OF ALL FUCKING THINGS!"

"That is certainly unexpected." Tsuna murmured.

"But not entirely surprising, correct?"

Tsuna shrugged, picking up his cup and drinking from it. "It's not hard to piece everything together if one has enough information and a little creativity." He placed his drink down and clasped his hands together on the table. "So, is it safe to assume that you being here has something to do with my Father? Though I can't imagine why you would travel all this way to Japan for someone like me… unless… Vongola Intuition… you mentioned that phrase numerous times. You also said that it is some kind of ability… an ability restricted by genetic or blood, perhaps?"

"… You certainly are quite different than what my files indicate, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna smiled. "I have worked hard to shed my bad reputation as 'Dame-Tsuna'."

"I can tell… to answer your question: Yes. The reason why I'm here is directly linked to your father and his lineage. I am here to train and prepare you to become the next Don of the Vongola Family."

"… Don: a title of respect that's based off the Italian word donno meaning lord. Both have roots in the Latin word, dominus. A title that now commonly used to refer to the leaders in the Mafia. Vongola… fucking… clams? He wants you to become the next fucking leader of the Clam Family?! Pfft… Ahahahaha!"

"What would happen if I refuse, Reborn-san?"

"I'm sure your… creative mind could come up with some scenarios." Reborn retorted, watching as the brunet lean back in his seat with a hum.

"… What do you think, Zero?"

"Hahaha! H-Hold on, Kid… let me just… PFFT… okay, okay, okay… hahaha… w-well… from what I can tell, the Hitman's telling the truth."

"He called you the Vongola Intuition… This might be the only opportunity we have to find out more about you Zero, and how you came to be in my head of all people."

"True… but you know how I feel about my so-called past, Kid. Don't give a fucking, flying penny about all that shit."

"But I care about it, Zero."

"It's your fucking body, Kid. You can do whatever the fuck you want. I'm not going to stop you."

"It may be my body," Tsuna thought, "but it's also your home as well, Zero, and I don't want to do anything that you won't like or agree to…"

"I honestly don't care one way or another, Kid. You do you."

"Zero…"

"Your mental conversation is taking too long," Reborn announced, leveling his Leon-gun at the brunet. "Shall I shoot you with the Dying Will Bullet again to see your answer?"

Something unexpected happened.

Tsuna's body gave a long, visible jerk–

-for a split-second, appearing to move in two different directions-

-his eyes flashed a bright, burning orange-

-Tsuna stood and-

-swayed, tilted dangerously to the side as if he had lost all balance or wasn't used to standing at all-

-"N-O!"-

-Tsuna's leg ended up buckling from under him and he crashed to the ground with a loud curse and thrashing limbs.

"OW! GOD. FUCKING. DAMN IT THAT FUCKING HURTS! Jesus fucking Christ! Why do I feel so goddamned heavy and slow all of a fucking second?! And why are we on the goddamned floor, Kid?! Get the fuck up, Kid!"

[… Um… Zero…? I think… we somehow… switched places…?]

"WH-WHAT THE FUCK?!" Zero screeched."WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY IN MY HEAD, KID?!"

There was the sound of the hammer of a gun being drawn back and Zero looked up to see the dark eyes of Reborn staring down at him from the other end of a bright green gun. "… Ciaossu… it's nice to meet you again, Zero… have a seat. I have some questions for you."

[Sorry, Zero. After I woke up a week ago and told Reborn that I'd only listen to what he had to say either after you came back or I decided it was time to hear him out, I promised him that – if you came back – that I'd answer his questions if I could… but… now… Are… Are you mad at me, Zero…?]

"… Not in the fucking slightest, Kid… this is actually perfect because…" Zero slowly pushed Tsuna's – his? – body up into a better position and it – he? – grinned boldly at the Hitman. "I have some goddamn things to say to you too, you fucking Bastard!"

---

Thank you ADDBaby for giving me the idea of Tsuna and Zero being able to switch 'places' at any given time – although they can't control it 100% right now, but, after some Spartan training with Reborn… who knows? It was something I was toying with but ADDBaby's suggestions really cemented that idea for me so thank you ADDBaby!

Fun Fact: Zero was actually intended to by the Dying Will Mode version of Tsuna – you know, the one that goes "DO [insert action here] WITH MY DYING WILL!" but then he became something different because, no, Zero is not the Hyper Dying Will version of Tsuna because I have a plan for that. He just has orange eyes because of Tsuna's Sky Flames and-

… Well I can't exactly spoil future chapters too much, now can I?

Though I will say that Tsuna and Zero's 'switching' won't be voluntary all of the time. There will be instances where Reborn has to shot them with the Dying Will Bullet.

As always, let me know that you all thought via Review or PM!