People, people. No dragons this chapter. Don't get me wrong, I love dragons of both general types, but for a first trip to China they seemed a bit too much.

Tóngshī
Shī here refers to the guardian lion statues that are placed in pairs in many Chinese areas—at first only at the homes of wealthy or important people—as symbols of protection, though it technically only means 'lion'. Shīshī refers to stone lions and tóngshī refers to bronze lions. While the statues are paired, traditionally there are three of the stylized lions in twinned statues, as the male has a paw placed on a ball and the female is gently restraining a playful cub.

xxxx

Tsuna smiled in his usual genuinely sweet and polite manner at the Triad leader glowering in his direction, to all appearances completely unaffected by the show of hostility. His obvious ease in turn set those with him at ease, and while Gokudera was a little bristly about the disrespect, no one actually seemed worried.

That was fine by Tsuna. He wasn't particularly concerned by the small show of force that had met them (the Triad leader had an array of eight subordinates behind him), because he had Takeshi, Gokudera, Mukuro, and Reborn with him. Besides, this was neutral ground. Eastern so-called 'mobsters' had honor. Usually.

Since they weren't there on behalf of Vongola, Reborn had actually straight up said he was going as a direct ally.

Tsuna had been touched.

"Good morning," he greeted in Japanese-accented Mandarin. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi. I believe you wanted to discuss the lack of tribute. Personally, I would like to discuss the matter of keeping on-assignment assassins out of my cities."

He ignored Reborn's aggrieved sigh.

"You are… straightforward," the Triad leader mused. "I am Shī."

"I see no reason to avoid solutions by speaking around problems," Tsuna told him. "More to the point, the former Yakuza groups in Namimori and the surrounding areas have been dissolved. Sora has no agreement with you, and thus owes no tribute. You have no right to be sending assassins before at least attempting to reach an agreement."

There was a spark in Shī's eye that was equal parts offense and interest, and he politely turned his attention to the watcher off to the side, out of sight in the bamboo. "Is that not correct, Fon-san?"

Shī startled, not at Fon's presence but at the fact Tsuna had noticed him, and Reborn hid a smirk on Tsuna's shoulder. Of course the hitman had known.

Fon stepped out into the small clearing, nodding in greeting before addressing the question. "You are technically correct," he admitted. "However, it is generally agreed that the First Triad has tithing rights to the territories of Japan you have claimed."

"Generally and directly are not the same thing," Tsuna pointed out, still smiling politely. "Unless I have made an agreement, I have no reason to tithe. Upon hearing that the old groups had been dismantled and a new one had risen, the First Triad should have attempted to make an agreement, not immediately assassinate the leader of the new group, no matter how large or unexpected the group's appearance may have been."

I-pin's master paused, "That is… true."

Shī scowled, visibly insulted. "I have no need to bow to weak, honorless upstarts! Those groups that were dismantled were beholden to me!"

Tsuna considered the claim. "Beholden, you say? You demanded tribute but offered no protection or sense of unity, ignoring the inter-group squabbles even when they cost lives. Those who are beholden are meant to gain a measure of protection in return, which you never gave. Instead, you merely refrained from attacking. That is not 'beholden'. You will find that I will not submit my people to such treatment so readily. I do not believe I am the 'honorless' one here."

Reborn outright face-palmed at that.

Shī snarled, reaching for his weapons, and Tsuna's people started to do the same despite the fact that Tsuna had not when an answering snarl erupted from the brush, metallic and catlike.

Tsuna blinked as a set of tóngshī paced out of the bamboo, the female dropping a cub into Tsuna's startled hold before joining her mate before him with an echoing growl, facing down the stunned-to-silence Triads.

Reborn flung up his hands in disgust, "How does this keep happening!?" he demanded of the air, earing a quick, wide-eyed glance from Fon while the Triad members kept their attention on the unexpected defenders.

Right about then, the hou-ou flew down to hover at Tsuna's shoulder and heavy thudding hoofbeats announced the arrival of the unicorn as it trotted to stand at his other side.

This did not help the mental states of either the Triads or Fon.

Tsuna shifted the cub into a one-armed hold to pinch the bridge of his nose, slipping back into Japanese, "I'll excuse the tóngshī, since they're both new and native," he said flatly, eying each of his other two self-appointed mythological mascots in turn, "but what are you two doing here?"

The hou-ou thrilled conversationally and the unicorn whuffled.

"That," Tsuna told them both, "is ridiculous."

The unicorn stamped, making an odd chiming sound despite the soft earth.

"No, I do not need you to protect me everywhere I go—I can handle myself, and even if I couldn't, what do you think they're here for?" he demanded, waving at his three Elements and Reborn.

The hou-ou gave a petulant coo.

"Oh my gods, do you guys seriously want me to rule the world?"

The affirming sounds from all four of the adult not-myths really didn't make him feel any better.

Takeshi wasn't the only one laughing behind him, and he deliberately didn't turn around to scowl. Reborn tilted his fedora down with a longsuffering groan, "That explains so much about what happens around you, Tsuna."

Mukuro cackled, "You realize this will only give your worshippers more fuel, don't you, dear Tsunayoshi?"

"You idiots aren't helping," Tsuna informed.

(The First Triad backed down pretty quickly after that. A group of Chinese assassins had no interest in angering one of their own symbols of 'right-to-rule'. Shī even pledged the allegiance of himself and his family.)

The tóngshī family followed him home. There was some confusion about how whatever area he was currently in managed to have the bronze lion statues there, but Namimori citizens dealt with Hibari regularly, and moving statues were much less disturbing.

All Tsuna could do was sigh and put up with it.

xxxx