Author's Note: Happy New Year! I hope that 2015 is an amazing year for all of you ^_^

Here's chapter six, though a bit later in the day than I normally put it up (had a bunch of errands to run today).

Next update will be around 01/22/15.

Take care!

~ Yuki

Target 06-03: Familiar Flower

Gokudera's fist slammed into the wall of his apartment and he glared at the cell phone on the table that wasn't ringing. It had been just over two weeks since Haru had been taken right under his nose and there wasn't a fucking thing he could do to rescue her. He'd gone after the black car that pulled away from Haru's house with Haru's friend from the Hanatachi Clan, but they hadn't even managed to get a license plate before the car vanished. Akai had informed him Haru had come across a lead that would take them to Kyoto and said that if they couldn't find anything around Namimori that'd be the next place to go.

They'd torn Namimori apart and found nothing to lead them to where Haru was taken. Putting their money together, they had enough to purchase tickets to Kyoto, but they'd been greeted at the platform by Iemitsu Sawada and Reborn. The head of CEDEF had informed them that Haru was being taken to a tutor and that they would find an unpleasant surprise waiting if they tried to pursue her. Iemitsu had also said that she would be back in about two weeks.

The two weeks had been up for three days.

Haru had managed to send him a text to inform him she was fine and that she'd be back soon, but that failed to settle the roiling worry in his stomach that something happened to her. Chrome had returned from her mission a week ago and Gokudera moved most of his things back to his apartment since his primary reasons for being there were no longer a factor. Haru wasn't there for him to protect and, with Chrome there, he no longer needed to housesit at the Miuras.

He'd managed to force himself through the study sessions with Judaime and the baseball idiot, but Yamamoto seemed to be distracted lately as well. Gokudera still failed at trying to read what was behind the baseball idiot's easy going expression.

Gokudera snarled another curse and snatched his phone and his jacket along with his usual arsenal. He slammed out of his apartment and came up short at the sight of Akai leaning against the railing next to the stairs.

"Ah, you're ready," she said and shifted her plaid backpack on her back. "I've already got the tickets to Kyoto."

"How did you know I was leaving?" Gokudera scowled.

"I've actually been keeping an eye on your apartment for the last two days, you held out longer than I figured you would," Akai said. "Someone else was moving before you were."

"Who—" Gokudera began.

"Over here, Akai."

Gokudera's head snapped over to where Yamamoto was leaning against a taxi. "What the hell are you doing here?" Gokudera demanded.

"I'm going to find Haru," Yamamoto said. "The Hermosillo Familia isn't going to be buying our excuses for too much longer. I can only juggle them for so long."

"Why the hell are you juggling the Hermosillo?" Gokudera demanded.

"Because I was the one at the meeting with Haru the first time," Yamamoto said. "Get in. The train leaves soon."

The three teenagers piled into the taxi and Akai gave instructions to the taxi driver and they pulled away.

"Do you think they'll be there again?" Gokudera asked.

"I guess we'll see when we get there," Akai said. "I don't think they'll intercept us this time though."

Gokudera wished he could light up a cigarette as he found himself staring out the driver's side back seat. They arrived at the station and there was no one on the platform this time except travelers. The three exited the taxi and Akai dug into her backpack and pulled out their tickets while Yamamoto paid the fare. "Here," she said. "I couldn't get us seats together, but I'm sure you two can handle yourself for the trip."

Their train wasn't departing for a bit longer and Gokudera took the opportunity to light up his cigarette and drew a deep drag from it, checking his cell phone again to see if there was any word. He'd tried to call Haru a few times, but the calls had immediately gone to voice mail and she hadn't called back. He sent a text to Tsuna informing him that they were going to Kyoto to find Haru just before they boarded the train.

They got off the train in Kyoto, Akai had an address she'd acquired in Namimori and they were headed for a jewelers' shop when their path was blocked by a woman in a loose jacket and khaki pants, she held a gun on them. "You didn't ask permission to come into Ishida Clan territory, Vongola brats," she stated flatly. "I would have thought better of Cho's whelp as well…"

Akai smirked and produced a bit of red silk cloth embroidered with gold Nadeshiko. "I assure you, I have permission," Akai said, "and permission to bring them along."

The girl snatched the cloth and spat on the ground at Akai's feet.

"Take them," she ordered glancing at the men behind her. "If you resist you're going to endanger far too many civilians and I'm afraid your precious Tenth won't be very happy about it. Don't harm Akai; Lady Tomi will be unhappy if she really did get permission."

"The Scarlet Witch?" Gokudera gasped.

"Shut up Vongola cur," the woman ordered.

"She's going to be unhappy to know that you manhandled the Tenth Vongola Storm and Rain Guardians when my permission extended to them," Akai noted, "but suit yourself. I know you always do, Maiko."

Maiko whirled away and they found themselves guided into a large black car and blindfolded.

"What the hell is going on, Akai?" Gokudera demanded.

"Calm down Gokudera," the girl ordered. "You too, Yama—"

"I am calm," Yamamoto said. "Being blindfolded seems to be standard rules in this game."

"It's not a game," Gokudera snarled.

"Yes, it is," Yamamoto said. "Mafia politics is a game in its own way. I've been studying more since Haru's been gone."

"Don't bother. I'll be accompanying Haru from now on to any of those meetings," Gokudera snapped.

"Not until you get that temper of yours under control, Gokudera," Akai said. "Haru said that according to rumors in the future she saw, you were an outstanding right-hand man to Vongola Decimo, but right now I simply don't see it."

"Fuck off," Gokudera said flatly and fell silent—his worry for Haru intensifying with their reception.

Haru flinched as she sat up, her muscles protesting as she forced herself to shift so she could get out of bed. Her bare feet came in contact with the thick rug on her temporary quarters in the Ishida Compound and she stood up. With deliberate steps, she crossed the floor; barely paying attention when it gave way to wooden boards and stripped away the nightclothes she'd been given. Haru went to the dressing table and pulled out the makeup and settled down to apply it. After putting the make-up on, she worked her way into the heavy ceremonial kimono that Lady Tomi had pushed on her. She tried to avoid rubbing the material against the make-up, if she got anything on the kimono she would be hand-washing it after her lessons and wouldn't be allowed to sleep until it was dry.

For the last two weeks or so, this had been her life. She'd had etiquette and proper conduct drilled into her head and was punished when she messed up. She'd been taught to listen to everything being said because in between inane bits of small talk, Lady Tomi would insert very important information that would assist Haru in her lessons after she took the kimono off. In the afternoons, Haru would remove the kimono and dress in workout clothes and be forced through another grueling lesson where she would have to complete a 'mission' before she would be allowed to eat dinner. If she accomplished her mission in a satisfactory time, she would dress in evening attire and join Lady Tomi and Maiko for dinner and another lesson in etiquette. Afterwards, Lady Tomi would enlist her help in sorting through the various information her network gave her. Haru knew that the information that she saw was far from complete, Lady Tomi held her cards too close to her chest for that, but it opened a different world to her and she started to put the puzzle pieces together to firm up her own network.

She went to the room Lady Tomi designated for her briefing room for the day's assignments and knocked on the door. She was acknowledged and told to enter and found Lady Tomi sipping tea while going through some papers. Lady Tomi rose from the cushion she was sitting on and Haru noted that Maiko was missing from the morning's meeting which was unusual. "Good morning, Miura-san," Lady Tomi said. "Today, you will be serving some visitors. You will recognize them, but they are not to recognize you. They are well known to you and you to them, but they are to be left doubting whether or not it is really you. If you succeed, you will be allowed to return to Namimori tomorrow. If you do not succeed, well, let's just say a lot of your current plans will be derailed."

Haru inclined her head. "As you command," she said and bowed deeply.

"I have utmost faith you will not disappoint me, Haru," Lady Tomi smiled.

Haru backed out of the room, not lifting her eyes until she was over the threshold and the door was shut. She turned and saw Maiko smirking at her and shivered. She really did not like Maiko Ishida at all; the girl was utterly ruthless and as frightening in her own way as some of the others that Tsuna and the others had fought. "How may I help you?" Haru asked, forcing her voice to politeness.

"You'll follow me to the audience room," she said. "Our guests await."

Haru nodded and followed the dark-haired woman through the halls to the room where they usually had dinner on the nights she was able to join Lady Tomi and Maiko.

They stopped in the doorway and Haru's breath caught as she saw a familiar head of silver hair at the table. "If they figure out who you are without a doubt, you'll not be seeing them for a very long time Tomoe."

Haru immediately configured the personality into her head to match the name prompt and took a deep breath. She just had to make sure that Gokudera saw Tomoe Ishida not Haru Miura when she served him.

She ghosted into the room and barely kept her face calm when she realized who the other two guests were along with Gokudera. It didn't take much to see that Akai and Yamamoto were far more composed than Gokudera and it would be harder to fool them than it would Gokudera because of his state of mind.

"Good morning, I apologize for the lateness of the tea," she said.

She hadn't perfected Tomoe's voice—it was supposed to be slightly lower than her own with a touch of breathiness, but that was something that would take months to master.

Gokudera jumped at the sound of the voice and turned to regard the woman who entered sharply. Even though it wasn't quite right, he was pretty sure he knew that voice and the slight form swallowed by the layers of ceremonial kimono was familiar. "H—" he began and the tip of a pair of heavy boots was driven into his shin.

"What the hell was that for, Akai?" he demanded.

"I am Ishida Tomoe," the girl said. "Thank you for your patience."

Haru took a deep breath and settled down at the head of the table to begin preparing the tea. Her tutor had been somewhat surprised to find out Haru had already taken lessons to perform a Japanese Tea Ceremony and easily recalled it when Lady Tomi had put the implements in front of her. She kept her conversation to a minimum working to put the tea in front of each of them before settling down and then the test began in earnest.

It took every ounce of control she had to pretend that the three in front of her were strangers—inquiries about Tsuna and everyone else on the tip of her tongue, but she managed it. Finally, there was another knock on the door and Maiko entered. "My mother will be here shortly. Tomoe, you're done here."

Haru gritted her teeth against her immediate urge to rail at Maiko and rose gracefully, taking that moment to compose herself before she spoke again. "Thank you for coming," she said. "Please enjoy the rest of your visit."

She glided out of the room and met Lady Tomi's eyes. "You did well, Haru," she said. "They likely recognized you, but they did a good job of keeping it out of the conversation. You pass. Go take off your makeup and put your normal clothes on and join us for lunch—I'm sure your friends are anxious to see you."

The smile that Lady Tomi showed Haru this time softened up her entire expression and didn't seem the least bit threatening and Haru bowed deeply.

"Keep up your practices when you go to Namimori and don't forget to work your way through the things I've given you," Lady Tomi said. "You'll be coming back here for more lessons likely over Winter Break in between your final studies for school. There is still more I need to teach you, but even I can only cram so much into a bit over two weeks."

Haru nodded and hurried past Lady Tomi after getting permission and managed to make it all the way to her room without tripping over the hems of her kimono. She stripped out of the kimono and hung it up carefully then moved to the bathroom to wash away the makeup. She dressed in a denim skirt, tights, and a flowered yellow top provided by Lady Tomi and shoved her feet into comfortable brown boots.

After dressing, she bolted down the hall to the door and knocked on it politely; knowing Lady Tomi would likely get angry if she didn't follow proper etiquette even in normal clothing. "Enter."

Haru opened the door and watched as Gokudera immediately sprang up from the table. "Haru?" he said. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? What—"

Haru pressed a finger to his lips and smiled. "I'm fine, Gokudera, and no I wasn't hurt any more than what the training required."

"Please join us, Miura-san," Lady Tomi said. "I'm sure you're anxious to hear all about what's going on in Namimori from more than the reports you've been helping me sort."