The chapter ended up being longer than I expected, so hopefully that makes up for the delay in update. School started again, so expect sporadic updating. I'm really trying to update as much as I can.

EDITED COMMENT: I deleted the original chapter 15 and posted a new one because I think this chapter has changed considerably after editing. Chs 1-14 have mostly remained the same with slight changes, which is why I simply replaced, rather than deleted and reposted. I would recommend people read this chapter as certain event details, dialogue, and character reactions have been changed. There's also a lot more description of actions, images, etc.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN KHR


Dear diary,

I'm in absolute shock. I close my eyes and keep hoping maybe it's all just a dream, but I know it's not. I can't believe I'm married to Yamamoto in the future. Yamamoto Takeshi. Of all the people in the world, I married him? How did this even happen?

Michiko lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She lifted her arms, bringing her palms flat over her eyes and let out a deep groan. After hearing the news from her future husband, everything felt surreal. Reborn continued on to tell Tsuna that the guardians needed to be gathered. To top it off Yamamoto informed everyone that most of the Vongola's allies had been eliminated. However, it did not stop with direct allies, anyone with any form of connection to Vongola was a target.

"What happened to my family?" she asked.

"Chika and Chiaki are with Bianchi and Fuuta gathering more information on the Millefiore, but there hasn't been any contact with your parents." Yamamoto solemnly replied.

Soon after, everyone was shown to their rooms and told to rest. There would be a lot more in store for tomorrow. Michiko had no idea how they thought any of them would be able to sleep after hearing such dark news. She rolled out of bed, not finding any solace in the empty room. Maybe a glass of water would help?

She entered the kitchen to see Yamamoto seated at the table, staring at his hands while deep in thought. His ears perked at the sound of her footsteps. When their eyes met, he mustered up a lackluster smile.

"Can't sleep?" he asked, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"Yeah, it's all a lot to take in." she responded, pulling out the chair across from him.

He nodded. "You always did have trouble sleeping when things were stressful. I'd rather you sleep, but if you're worried about nightmares, you don't have to sleep. Even just laying in bed can be restful. And you never know, you might fall asleep at some point."

"You seem to know a lot about my sleeping habits." she commented. "I know it might be rude to ask, but I'm still in disbelief. Are we actually married? I mean how did that happen? If you could tell me that is."

He chuckled, pulling out a photo from his suit's jacket pocket. "Here's a photo from our wedding day. I always keep it with me."

He handed the photo over to her. "We started dating in high school and got married after you completed your education. You told me to not even think about proposing until you had gotten your Masters Degree. You always had passion for education." he recalled, a wistful expression crossing his face.

Michiko inspected the photo. A slightly older version of herself donned an off the shoulder white wedding dress. The upper half of the bodice was intricately lined with lace up to the sleeves, which extended to the middle of her forearm. Her hair had been tied into a lower bun, with her bangs left outside, framing her face. Her veil had already been pulled back, revealing a radiant smile. Standing next to her, equally as joyful, was Yamamoto dressed in a black suit with his arm wrapped around her waist. Scanning the photo, she recognized in her hands were a bouquet of familiar blue flowers coupled with white roses.

"Those blue flowers." she asked, placing a finger on top of them and tilting the picture towards him. "They're the same ones that were in front of my coffin."

Looks like I found my anonymous visitor.

"They're called forget me nots." he answered. "When we had to pick flowers for the wedding, you dug through a bunch of books to figure out what each one meant. You thought these fit best."

She stared at the tiny blue flowers, perturbed. She did think the flower was pretty, but were they really important enough for her future self to incorporate them into a wedding?

"Do you know what they represent?" she asked, her head titled to the side.

Yamamoto smiled at her, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "They represent true love, fidelity, and a long lasting connection."

She nodded. It would make sense to use these flowers for a wedding then, but as Yamamoto explained the meaning to her, she could only focus on how dejected he appeared. She had passed away in the future. Having to explain to her past self while he was a grieving widower would be enough of a reason on its own, but his expression did not sit right with her. Not when paired with the information the older Gokudera had screamed at her.

"Yamamoto, did something happen before I died? Or did I do something?"

He stared at back at her, noticing the slight furrow in her brows and how her knuckles had turned white from how tightly gripped into a fist her hands were. Although she tried to mask her concern, her eyes were filled with worry. He could see all the small cues and felt his heart soften with nostalgia. Leaning forward, he placed a hand on her head and tousled her hair. He took a large inhale, mustering up a broad smile.

"I think you should go to sleep for now. You said you already had a lot of info to take in. I don't want to add more and overwhelm you."

She didn't bother to remove his hand, instead trying to protest. "I know I said that, but I can't sleep if I have all these thoughts. Earlier, we ran into Gokudera from the future and he threatened me and called me a traitor. Don't I have the right to know why he reacted that way?"

Yamamoto's gaze hardened and his smile immediately dropped. His hand rested atop her head, his jaw now clenched. She peered upwards, her eyes pleading him for a response. He finally removed his hand, reclining into his chair. He brought a hand to his face, covering his mouth and glancing to the side as if he were pondering this new info.

Michiko wasn't sure if she was allowed to interrupt his thought process. Hesitantly, she brought a hand up to his face and waved it back and forth. He caught a glimpse of her hand through the corner of his eye and chuckled to himself. Being with a younger version of his wife even if for just a while felt like an escape. It brought him back to the simpler times, before this war had started. He had to wonder if he even deserved this respite, considering the events surrounding Michiko's death. Every day, the guilt of not having been a better husband consumed him. What could he have done differently to avoid this scene from playing out? If he had paid closer attention to her, would that have changed something?

His eyes wandered back to her, while she waited for an answer.

"Michiko..." he began. "Or rather, Kobayashi. What Gokudera said... there's a lot behind it that I can't explain to you right now. The details concerning your death are still uncertain, but I think we should save this discussion for another time."

She frowned. "You can't tell me anything? Not even the smallest detail?"

He shook his head. "I don't think now is that best time. You should get some rest and we can talk after tomorrow, okay?"

Her frown remained as he stood up and escorted her back to her room.


The next morning, everyone had gathered in the conference room, ready to discuss the day's plan. Gathering the guardians was the ultimate goal, so finding the strongest one, Hibari Kyoya, was today's task. Yamamoto would accompany Tsuna and Gokudera in the search. Despite her protests, there was an unanimous decision that Michiko would not go along with them.

"You're already carrying around deadweight anyways." she muttered, gesturing towards Tsuna and Gokudera. "It's not like I'll get in the way."

Yamamoto stepped forward, removing a chain from around his neck. He lifted her hand and placed it in her outstretched palm.

"What is this for?" she questioned. The thin metallic chain was adorned with two rings. One was a thin silver band encrusted with small sapphire jewels while the other ring was more ornate, a rather large diamond laying at its center.

She quizzically stared at the rings, her fingers tracing over them. As her index finger circled the hole of the ring, she recognized how close in size they were to her own fingers. That was when realization dawned on her.

"No way." she rejected, attempting to shove the rings back into his hand. "You proposed to the future me, these are hers. They aren't meant for me Yamamoto."

He chuckled at her fervent denial. "Let's make a deal. If you hold onto them for me until I get back, we can discuss what you had mentioned last night."

Before she could respond, he patted her head and walked away, the other two boys trailing behind.


Michiko and Reborn sat in the main room, waiting for the others to return. She sat on the couch, fiddling with the rings. She placed the ring flat on the pad of her thumb and traced around it with her index finger. The action was oddly comforting and provided a distraction from the imminent danger the three boys were in. She stared at the ring confused as to why Yamamoto had left them with her, even if just temporarily.

I know I may be the past self of his deceased wife, but it's kind of creepy to give away dead people's stuff, even if it is technically my own. It's not as if he doesn't treasure it either. He wore it around his neck this whole time. It's evident he's still grieving over his dead wife and I'm sure he still loves her too, so maybe that's why he refuses to explain what Gokudera meant? Does he not want to talk badly about his dead wife? I'm technically her and I don't mind. I'd rather have answers if anything. It's bad enough I can't do anything to help, but to have them go so far as to protect me from potentially detrimental information? I've had enough of feeling like a burden...

"Reborn, is there any way for me to learn how to fight well enough to not get in the way?" asked Michiko, eyes still focused on the rings.

"With the limited time we have and the level of danger, it would be better if you left it to Tsuna and the others."

She leaned back into the soft cushion and pulled her knees to her chest. She pushed her chin into her thighs, her voice muffled. "So once again the only thing I can do is sit back and support them."

Great.


The group had arrived with Gokudera carrying Tsuna on his back, accompanied by Kyoko, Haru, Yamamoto, I-Pin, and Lambo who had all somehow been transported from the past.

"What happened?" asked Michiko, rushing over. She scanned the group, recognizing the youthful faces. "How did they get here?"

"We ran into opponents and the Tenth got injured." responded Gokudera.

Reborn directed the three of them to the infirmary, while those from the past remained with him. Michiko assumed he would be informing them of the current timeline they resided in.

While Gokudera placed Tsuna on the bed, Michiko rummaged through the cabinet for a first aid kit to begin treating his wounds. She finished wrapping the bandage around his chest and packed the supplies back into the kit. As she headed towards the cabinet, first aid kit in hand, Tsuna lurched forward. He awoke with heavy pants, before shouting out in terror.

Gokudera attempted to ease his worries, explaining they had safely made it back to the hideout. Tsuna continued to panic, recalling how Kyoko had arrived from the past. Gokudera revealed it was not just Kyoko, but everyone at the scene who had come to the future.

Miura rushed into the room crying and soon everyone was there. Sawada looked ready to explode. This was the first time I witnessed him lashing out at Reborn. The tension in the room was suffocating. Of course Reborn then decided to exclude me from their private talk, so I was stuck with the Miura and Sasagawa. Turns out Reborn wanted them to help with cooking and babysitting. If you can't fight I guess you're automatically left to do housework.


Knowing that she would be no help in the kitchen, Michiko decided to explore the base. There must have been something worth occupying her time considering how large the facility was. Working her way through the building, she had finally found a room she knew she would be able to enjoy, the library.

If they weren't going to let me fight, I could at least try to research and get a better idea of our current predicament. It's a mafia library; they have to have some kind of useful information somewhere. And maybe I could learn more about what happens to me in the future...

Michiko hunched over a book, slamming it shut and adding it to the stack of books on her left. She slumped over the table, her cheek laying against the cool wood. She had spent hours in the library, flipping through several books to find nothing of note. There were barely any documents about the Millefiore, aside from them being a coalition of two families, the Giglio Nero and the Gesso. There wasn't much to say about the Gesso with their relatively short history, while the Giglio Nero was almost as distinguished as the Vongola. Then there were the few documents she had found on flames and box weapons, which only gave her a short and vague history.

Three guys decided to make magical weapons and sell them for money and then they died or went missing. Did they really have to waste paper to write that little? At least they outlined the information on flames with a decent amount of detail.

She decided to temporarily halt her research and return after dinner. Once she finished eating, she walked to the library to resume the task. Scouring through the shelves with renewed motivation, she was determined to find something useful.

There may not be much information on the Millefiore or Gesso, but the Giglio Nero has a long history. It can't hurt to learn more about half of the enemy.

She let out a long yawn before turning to the next page. The words had long since looked like anything other than squiggly symbols, yet she tried her best to stay awake. She was getting closer, she could feel it. As another yawn escaped her lips, Michiko glanced at the wall clock. It was 1am. She had read for almost 5 hours straight and managed to push herself through about a quarter of the book. She shut the book, leaving it on the table for tomorrow and dragged herself back to the bedroom.

With the arrival of the three girls, the bedroom now roomed four people. Michiko climbed up the ladder to the top bunk. As she shifted the covers around, she noticed the person opposite her on the other top bunk sitting upright.

"Sasagawa?" she whispered, squinting to get a better look. "Why are you still up? Are you all right?"

Kyoko flinched at the sound of her voice. "Yeah, I was just about to go to sleep…"

The girl laid down, turning her back to Michiko who followed suit. A part of her empathized with Kyoko's worries, as just yesterday Michiko was in a similar position. The fear and anxiety were uncontrollable and would only grow worse if left without any reassurance.

"Sasagawa, it doesn't feel like it right now, but everything will be okay."

Kyoko hummed in reply and Michiko only hoped that her words had somehow managed to comfort her even if just a bit.


The next morning, a frantic Haru woke Michiko up. "Mi-chan! Mi-chan!" she cried out, incessantly shaking Michiko's slumbering body.

She groaned, peeking her head out from under the covers. "What is it Miura?"

"Kyoko-chan ran away!" Haru screeched, pushing the note into the girl's face. "She left a note and said she'd come back soon, but what are we going to do? It's not safe!"

Michiko squinted at the note, grabbing it into one hand. She rubbed her bleary eyes, her vision becoming more clear. She scanned the note, her eyes widening the more she read.

Sasagawa was so worried about her brother that she just had to make sure he was okay. Did she forget that the reason for her being worried was because it's dangerous outside? I would assume Sasagawa-senpai from the future would be able to defend himself.

"We have to tell everyone else right now. We don't know how long she's been outside, so let's just hope she's safe." Michiko concluded.

Haru nodded, rushing to the conference room. Michiko threw off the covers and proceeded with her morning routine. When she entered the conference room, everyone was already rushing out. They quickly said their goodbyes, heading straight for the exit.

"Nice to see you too." she muttered.

They better not come back half dead.

"Hey Miura, let's go." she called out, gesturing to the door. "I'll help out with the housework until Sasagawa comes back. It's probably too much work for just one person."

Haru nodded, following her out of the room and into the kitchen.


Michiko sprinted through the hallways upon hearing the news of their return. Of course Gokudera and Yamamoto had managed to get heavily injured.

It would actually kill them to stay safe wouldn't it?

She burst into the infirmary expecting the worst. Gokudera was bloody and covered in bandages while Tsuna sat by his side. She could only imagine the extent of Yamamoto's injuries. The bile in her throat rose and she felt a lurch in her stomach. She was going to be sick.

She stood in silence until the news of Bianchi and Fuuta's arrival was announced. Michiko recalled the information the older Yamamoto had relayed to the group earlier. If Bianchi and Fuuta were returning Chika and Chiaki should have also been with them.

As Bianchi and Fuuta entered the room, she felt her breathing stop. She could feel her heart pounding all the way up to her ears. The anxiety of seeing her siblings engulfed her. They had both been innocent and warm-hearted seven year olds the last time she had seen them, yet because of everything, they had been dragged into the mafia. They would only be 17, but in this catastrophic timeline they would've endured so much more trauma. She had never even considered a situation in which her siblings would join the mafia. Not while she was still alive at least. Although she may have been dead currently, it didn't sound like she did a very good job of stopping them while she was alive. She shook her head in disapproval of her inaction.

Chika and Chiaki slowly emerged from behind Bianchi and Fuuta. Chika had lost the youthful chubbiness in her cheeks, her features now sharper and more defined. Her hair had remained a bit below shoulder length, but was no longer straight instead holding a slight wave. The biggest difference she noted was her growth spurt. Little Chika was now much taller than her, appearing to be Bianchi's height. Behind her stood Chiaki, who towered over his twin. Similar to his sister, he looked more mature, but there was still a softness in his expression, whereas Chika looked devoid of emotion. Michiko nervously bit her lip, waiting for either of them to notice her presence.

Chika was the first to spot her. Her eyes scanned the room, stopping on her older sister. Her gaze was cold as her eyes narrowed. She uncrossed her arms, approaching Michiko. Michiko opened her mouth to speak, only to be greeted by Chika's fist slamming into her jaw. She toppled over, clutching her swollen cheek while seething in pain. Chika made a move to come closer to her, but was held back by Chiaki who hastily rushed over.

"Chika!" he hissed out, eyes frantically shifting between his sisters.

The left side of Michiko's face was completely numb. She moved her hand around her cheek, trying to gauge the intensity of the swelling. This would definitely take a while to heal. Tsuna kneeled down next to her, attempting to check her condition.

Michiko grit her teeth and stood up. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You are!" Chika shouted back, flailing about to remove herself from Chiaki's hold.

Michiko glared at her, lunging forward. However, Tsuna quickly wrapped his uninjured arm around her waist, preventing her from moving forward.

"Don't hold me back. She thinks because it's been ten years she can just punch her older sister in the face? If she wants to fight, she'll get a fight." Michiko growled out, thrashing against Tsuna's arm.

"Kobayashi-san, now isn't the time to be fighting." he pleaded.

She knew Tsuna was correct, but that didn't quell her rage. She whipped her head towards Tsuna, prepared to tell him off. Their eyes met and the two stared each other down, Michiko only relenting when she saw how filled with worry he was.

"Fine." she grumbled, pushing his arm off of her waist. She huffed out a breath, crossing her arms against her chest.

"You two need to take your problem outside." stated Reborn. "The infirmary is a place for people to rest."

Chika scoffed, breaking out of Chiaki's grasp. She stormed out of the room while Chiaki merely raised a hand to his head and sighed. He bowed to everyone, apologizing for Chika's outburst and then followed her out. Michiko took this as a cue to exit as well, trailing behind Chiaki. The siblings walk downed the hallway and turned the corner, finding Chika huddled on the floor with her back pressed up against the wall. Tears were streaming down her face and her lips were pursed. Upon noticing the two, she hastily wiped her tears with the back of her palms. A breath shuddered out of her as she moved her lips into a scowl. Michiko sighed at the sight. How was she supposed to be angry at her younger sister, if she was already sobbing?

She kneeled down in front of Chika, gently cupping her face with one hand. With her free hand, Michiko pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and patted the tears from her sister's face. "If anyone should be crying here, it should be the person who got punched in the face." she joked, lightly snorting.

Chika's lip quivered and she burst into tears once again. Michiko pulled the girl into her arms, soothingly stroking her back.

"It's okay Chika."


Once Chika had calmed down, the three settled themselves down in the hallway. All three had their backs against the wall, Michiko seated between the twins.

"I should apologize onee-chan." Chika began. "I know I overreacted. It's just when I saw your face I lost all self control."

Michiko grimaced. It was one thing for someone as aggressive as Gokudera to charge at her, but Chika? How bad was she in the future that Chika felt the need to attack her on sight? Maybe this was her opportunity to find out.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask about the future. What did I do? I talked to future Yamamoto yesterday and he said he would eventually explain, but he was switched out with Yamamoto before I got any answers."

Chika furrowed her brows. "Did Take-nii tell you anything? How much do you know?"

Michiko frowned, digging through her pockets. She fished out the chain, untangling it before her siblings. She lifted it up to display, pinching it between the knuckle of her index finger and the pad of her thumb. "He mentioned that the two of us were married and I saw a picture from our wedding day. Aside from that, I came across future Gokudera shortly after coming to the future. He reacted about as positively as you did, Chika. He called me a traitor. All Yamamoto had to say in response to that was that the 'details concerning my death are uncertain'.

Chika frowned, disdain clouding her face. "Of course Take-nii would try to protect you. I'll tell you right now onee-chan, the details concerning your death may be uncertain, but the events leading up to it definitely weren't."

"Chika!" Chiaki warned, signaling her to watch her mouth.

Chika scoffed, ignoring his warning. "When the Millefiore's Vongola hunt was at its worst, you abandoned us. One day, we woke up and you were just gone. We would have thought you had gone on a mission or a trip or something, but you left your wedding ring and engagement ring behind. You didn't bother to leave note either. The only thing missing were some clothes and a luggage. We figured you would come back eventually, so imagine our surprise when someone said they spotted you working for the Millefiore."

Michiko blinked, rapidly turning her head between the twins. It had to have a been a lie right? Chika wore a sardonic expression. Michiko could have sworn that Chika found the irony of the event comical, if not for evident scorn in her tone. Chiaki, on the other hand, focused his gaze to the ground, regret written across his face.

Chika continued with the story. "As it turns out, you weren't coming back because you had abandoned us to side with the Millefiore. Most of the Vongola didn't take too well with that, but Take-nii tried to keep his faith in you until the end." she let out a sarcastic chuckle. "The poor man deserved better. Can you imagine how crushed he must have been after losing his father and wife? We're honestly not sure about the specifics. We found your corpse on an empty battlefield, so you probably died mid-battle. Most of the Vongola were opposed in giving you a proper burial, but Tsuna-nii had the final say."

Michiko bit the inside of her cheek, searching her brain for any words. It made sense why everyone had reacted so negatively and even why Yamamoto had been so apprehensive as to tell her the truth.

Chika spoke up once more, as if reading her older sister's mind. "Regardless, you should be able to understand why I feel the way I do. Maybe your death was karma for being selfish enough to abandon your family?"

She let out a condescending scoff, pushing herself up off the ground. She shoved her hands into her pockets and walked off, leaving Michiko and Chiaki in the corridor. The silence broke when Michiko finally asked Chiaki for his thoughts.

He shrugged. "I love you onee-chan, but when we learned about your betrayal... To say we were crushed would be an understatement. There was a lot of disbelief and denial at first, but the evidence kept piling up. It was only a matter of time before we had to accept that you were no longer on our side. Then you passed away...and...holding everything against you...it didn't make a difference. It didn't help me feel any better."

Chiaki's voice cracked and he paused to take a deep inhale. Michiko rested her hand on his shoulder, spotting the tears forming in his eyes.

"You were opposed to Chika and me joining the mafia from early on, but we were adamant so you went out of your way to make sure we were well trained. Then, when the Millefiore targeted families, you wanted us to go into hiding with mom and dad, but we refused. It was stupid of us to stick around, but you never held it against us. Instead, you tried harder to protect us. How could I hate the sister who sacrificed everything because of our selfish whims? Everyone copes with grieve differently and in Chika's case, she still hasn't let go of her anger. I think she'll come around eventually."

Chiaki smiled at Michiko and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I know you didn't expect to be here, especially in the middle of a war, but I'm happy to be able to see you again even if it is as a teenager."

He pulled away, leaving her seated alone in the corridor. Michiko sighed, attempting to process all the new information. She pushed her face into her knees and let out a deep exhale. God, she felt like garbage.

"Kobayashi-san?" Tsuna asked, peeking his head around the corner. She lifted her head up, eyes falling on the ice pack in his hands.

He extended it towards her. "I thought you could use it for the swelling."

She accepted it, while he plopped down into the empty spot next to her. She pressed the ice pack to her cheek, flinching at the sudden coldness. Michiko stared off into space, contemplating Chika's words. How could she have abandoned her family and friends in such a dire situation? Adding to that, she teamed up with the very cause of it. Maybe her fate in the future truly been what she deserved?

Tsuna leaned over, examining Michiko's expression. He eyes were glazed over and she looked lost in her thoughts. He was about to tap her, when he noticed tears falling from her eyes. Tsuna jumped back in shock at her sudden display of emotion.

He sputtered about, waving his arms in panic. "Are you okay?"

Michiko sniffled, her body shaking as she tried to hold back her sobs. The ice pack slipped out of her grip and onto the floor. She pushed her face back in between her knees, hoping to muffle her cries. Tsuna sadly eyed her hunched figure, placing his hand onto her upper back. He wasn't sure how else to comfort her, if words would even be of help. Their current predicament stressed him out as well and until it was over he didn't think he would find any peace. He jolted at the sudden shuddering of Michiko's body as she sharply inhaled. She slid her head up, turning to look at him, tears no longer in sight. Her voice was stuffy and tired from her crying, but she managed to explain to him why she had broken down. As she spoke, she noted how intently he listened and the subtle shifts in his expressions with each new piece of information. Despite what she told him, Tsuna never looked at her with hostility, maintaining a sympathetic gaze.

"Do really think you could have ever done those things?" he asked.

Michiko shook her head. "Of course not, but it's been nine years. I don't know how much I could've changed."

"It'll be okay." he reassured her. "Once we gather the guardians, we'll find a way back and make sure this future never happens."

She sighed. "That would help, but while we're still here Chika hates me. I don't know what I could possibly do. Chiaki said she'd come around eventually, but it doesn't seem likely."

"Just keep trying to talk to her." he advised. "It's really strange though, that you would run away considering how you're always jumping headfirst into everything."

She squinted at him. Was he really using this as an opportunity to chastise her reckless behavior right now? "Yeah of course it's weird, but it's not like there's some kind of record of what was going on in my head."

Michiko paused, her thoughts flashing. The diaries! Even if she didn't write in them every day, there was no way she hadn't at least written about the major events in her journal. Now if only she could figure out where they were stored. It could help give some sort of explanation for her actions right? It was worth a shot.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Tsuna, bringing her attention back to reality.

"I think I figured out plan. Thanks Sawada." she smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

Michiko jumped up from the ground, reenergized by the thought of new possibilities. She walked through through the halls, peeking into different rooms in search of Chiaki. Eventually, she found him seated at the dining hall table, sipping a cup of coffee and reading a book.

"Chiaki, I need to ask you something."

He looked up from his book. "Sure onee-chan. What do you need?"

"Is there a box of my belongings anywhere in the base?"

He tilted his head, slightly confused. "Take-nii actually packed a lot of your old things when we had to move into the base. He kept almost everything, even after..." his voice quieted and he averted his eyes, before clearing his throat and continuing. "Do you have anything you're specifically looking for?"

"Any old notebooks or journals. About this big?" she mimicked the length and the width of the books with her hands.

Chiaki's eyes lit up in recognization, furiously nodding his head. He gestured for Michiko to follow, leading her through the halls. The siblings entered a room, bare aside from the boxes stacked atop each other and neatly lined up against the walls. Chiaki slid open the closet door, dragging a box out from the back. He kneeled in front of the box making sure to cover his mouth and nose with the back of his palm before brushing off the accumulated dust. He opened up the box, revealing several stacks of identical journals.

At least I've been keeping up with my daily journals.

She picked up the book and flipped through it. Everything looked familiar, from the handwriting to the formatting. These were definitely her journals.

What are you going to do with these?" he questioned.

"Trying to get a better picture of what happened in the future. Even if what Chika said was true, I just have to see it for myself I guess."

Chiaki nodded. "I hope you find what you're looking for. After you passed, none of us could bear to go through your things, so Take-nii packed them up and they've been in this room since. If you need anything, feel free to call."

Michiko nodded, while Chiaki took his leave. She began digging through the boxes, ordering the journals chronologically.

Let's just hope I get some answers out of it.


Next chapter will have a lot of flashbacks of what happened in the past few years so be ready for daily life stuff.

For everyone who is super confused about Yamamoto/Kobayashi in this future, just remember the end game is Tsuna/Kobayashi. The next chapter will explain everything about how the Yamamoto/Kobayashi couple came to be. Let me just say that if not for the circumstances then they probably wouldn't have happened.

Thank you for reading and for all the reviews! I appreciate all the commentary.