Disclaimer: The world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn and its characters are not mine.
The Bell Doesn't Toll Thrice
Part II
Morning arrived with leaden dark clouds and torrents of rain. The street was dyed a washed-out grey, at times tinted with a dash of colour in the form of umbrellas and raincoats.
In a convenience store situated at a convenient street corner, Chrome walked down the aisle with a basket in her hand. Clad in a short black dress and long black boots, she moved like a butterfly lost in the urban jungle. When she reached the snack section, she took a bar of malt chocolate from the shelf, checked the expiry date, and dropped it into the basket.
There was nothing in the refrigerator at her place; she cleaned it out months ago before hopping onto the plane. While there were rice and canned food in the cupboard, a search for something to quench one's thirst came up with nothing but coffee and a shelf full of liquor.
Should I prepare breakfast for the Cloud Guardian? She mused as she glided past a man in a navy blue suit. Weariness lingered on her slender frame like the faintest blend of musk and leather conjured by the man who had travelled the six realms of transmigration.
Whenever Mukuro woke inside her, Chrome saw glimpses of his reality and lost sight of hers. When he slept, she sleepwalked through her reality in a daze. It was like suffering from dissociative identity disorder - a different personality came forth while she slept. Nevertheless, some fragments of Mukuro had melted into her soul. She felt more distant than she had been as an adolescent; the brutal reality of the Mafia did not help either.
After grabbing a carton of milk from the refrigerator, she adjusted the weight of the basket and strolled past the magazine stall. When she came to the newspaper rack, she stopped and scanned the front page. There was neither any mention of a murder near the Shinjuku area last night, nor was there a word about the storm in the yakuza world stirred by the man currently in her apartment. Both the Mafia and the yakuza were professionals when it comes to keeping their affairs out of the media spotlight.
Although Mukuro did not inform her of Hibari's latest exploit, she found out about the details on her own. The Yoiyami-kai, based in Shinjuku, wanted to expand its business and chose Namimori as its first foothold. However, the decision had angered the shadow king of Namimori, who single-handedly annihilated the group. The last she heard was that what remained of the group would be absorbed by its rival, the greatest insult among insults. Whether or not Hibari would be further involved in the conflict was anyone's guess.
Letting out a breath, she finished her shopping and left the store; the energetic voice of the store clerk sent her on her way. Holding the clear plastic umbrella with one hand and balancing the shopping bag with the other, she stepped onto the soggy street. The rush hour had long since passed, and the crowd had thinned. Raindrops beat against her umbrella in earnest; overhead, a river of grey clouds flowed fluidly by.
A proxy though she may be to Mukuro, she did not understand him. His fixation on Hibari Kyouya, his ambiguous connection with the Vongola decimo, his ultimate goal - these were mere facts she had glimpsed upon without the benefit of Mukuro's perspective. He was good at playing the role of a villain, and no one, not even Chrome, knew what was truly running through his mind. She wanted to know, even if the truth turned out to be a double-edged sword.
The sky darkened as though dusk had fallen.
Several steps away, two men were trailing after her. Even though they wore suits, their rough demeanour marked them as individuals living on the other side of the law. Fully aware she was being followed, Chrome continued on as if nothing was wrong.
The Uccello Rapace? No... [1]
"They are from the Yoiyami-kai." Mukuro's melodic voice echoed in her head, amusement flirting just beyond the periphery of her reality. "Their grudge against Hibari Kyouya must have made them desperate. What are you going to do?"
Chrome did not answer; instead she darted into a nearby alley. Her pursuers, surmising she was making a run for it, chased after her. Yet, when they stormed into the alley, there was no sign of the frail-looking woman but for a black butterfly fluttering about. Realizing they had lost sight of their target, the men rushed down the alley and were soon lost in the illusory maze, not once pausing to question why a butterfly would appear in the middle of the busy metropolis.
Several minutes later, Chrome rejoined her fellow passers-by on the main street, her pace unhurried and her eye downcast.
However improbable it might be, those men knew she was Hibari Kyouya's associate. Hibari clashed with the Yoiyami-kai while she was away. Even if he was followed last night, it was nearly impossible for his stalker to find out which apartment he went into. Either someone had been investigating him for some time, or someone within the Mafia had sold the information to an outsider, or...
Apprehension welled up in Chrome as her legs carried her towards the crossing, where a small crowd waited for the light to turn. "Mukuro-sama? Is this a test?" And yet, only silence greeted her as the traffic light flashed a warning yellow before glowing blood red.
The open concept kitchen looked as if it was lifted from the pages of a glossy interior design magazine. Much like the rest of the apartment, the kitchen was a slick, streamlined affair in black and white, accented with a dash of maroon. The stainless steel coffee maker sitting quietly in the corner completed the contemporary look.
The aroma of coffee floated listlessly in the air. And moving about with a familiarity bespoke of frequent visits, Hibari took a mug from the cupboard and helped himself to some coffee. Although he preferred tea, coffee would have to do for now. After swallowing a mouthful of the bitter liquid, he sat on the stool by the breakfast counter and took out his cell phone. There was a message for him from his right-hand man. Raising an eyebrow in bemusement, he called his subordinate.
"Good morning, Kyou-san." Kusakabe Tetsuya's deep voice came through from the earpiece. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but there are two important matters I must inform you about."
Stifling a yawn, the leader of the Disciplinary Foundation stretched his back like a cat. "What is it?"
"Shiina Takahiro-san of the Shinonome-gumi would like to meet with you."
Hibari searched through his memory for the name while gulping down more coffee. When he found what he was looking for, he narrowed his eyes. "That's the yakuza group based in Shibuya."
"That is so. Shibuya is their territory, but they have been aiming for Shinjuku - the Yoiyami-kai's territory - for years. Rumour has it that several months ago they had smuggled a massive collection of firearms into Japan. Some believed they had been planning to crush the Yoiyami-kai, but no one knew for certain. Needless to say, after the Yoiyami-kai's demise, they have taken the opportunity to extend their arm into Shinjuku." There was a pause. "Shiina Takahiro is an executive for the Shinonome-gumi. My guess is his group would like to establish a friendly relationship with the Foundation."
The Disciplinary Foundation was formed some time after Hibari graduated from high school. While in appearance it was an organization created to maintain the peace of Namimori, in truth it was Hibari's personal task force. However, a certain rumour had been circulating in the Japanese underworld lately about how the Shinonome-gumi hired the Foundation to destroy the Yoiyami-kai. As the head of the Foundation, Hibari was less than pleased with the rumour, which could only have been spread by that despicable man, one Rokudo Mukuro.
Annoyed, Hibari said coldly, his tone encrusted with frost, "Refuse them. I have no use for a pack of herbivores that crowd together and delude themselves into thinking they are strong. Make sure they get the message."
At the other end, Kusakabe felt a headache creeping up to him. Nevertheless, years of being Hibari's assistant had hardwired in him an unquestionable sense of loyalty. "Yes Kyou-san. Also, Gokudera-san called to inform us that there will be an emergency meeting at the Vongola base at ten o'clock this morning. It appears a certain group is targeting the Vongola family."
Hibari cast a glance at his watch; the platinum hands indicated the time was five to ten. Recalling his conversation with Mukuro last night, he let out a breath. "Take care of it and see what they want."
"Understood. Kyou-san, shall I come pick you up?" A note of worry lined Kusakabe's voice.
Absentmindedly Hibari fiddled with the necklace; the intricate gothic-styled carving on the cross was too ornate to his liking. "Be here in ten minutes." Without waiting for a reply, he snapped his phone shut.
After finishing his coffee, Hibari left the mug on the counter and wandered into the living room. Large picture windows extended across the entire length of the room, overlooking the metropolis beneath a mist of rain. The view was probably one of the reasons for the costly rent in this area; then again, he never bothered to ask how much rent the illusionist and the girl paid every month to afford such a spacious flat.
Stoically non-inquisitive - that was the term Rokudo Mukuro had used to describe the Cloud Guardian's personality. Hibari did not deny the claim; for his interest in people only extended so far as to whether they were strong or weak. Nevertheless, something had changed from the moment his path entwined with Mukuro's. A desire to rectify his defeat at Mukuro's hand gradually morphed into something akin to an obsession.
Not bothering to wait for the owner to return, Hibari left the apartment and went down to the lobby. The interlocking pattern of white and black granite gleamed like glass beneath his leather shoes. Ignoring the receptionist's bow, he approached the sliding door. Simultaneously, Chrome Dokuro waltzed into the lobby as though floating on water.
When she saw him, she paused for several seconds. At length, she took several steps forward and offered the umbrella to Hibari, who, after a beat, accepted it.
"Members of the Yoiyami-kai have been lurking on the street," Chrome remarked, to which Hibari responded with a nod of acknowledgement. Despite his ambivalent feeling towards Mukuro, he did not dislike the girl, for she only talked when necessary.
Walking past the young woman, Hibari went on his way, his figure cutting a sharp image against the grey-tinted street. Although he took note of Chrome's warning, concern for his own safety did not cross Hibari's mind. Be it now or ten years ago, he welcomed a fight whenever an opportunity presents itself before him.
Several minutes later, a black Mercedes pulled up along the sidewalk where Hibari was prowling the street. A bespectacled man in a navy blue suit got out from the driver seat. A quiet, scholarly man though he appeared to be, the blood-thirst in Hibari was instantly roused. Yet the man did not look at him; instead, he held out an umbrella and opened the door to the back seat.
A middle-aged man clad in a tailor-made dark suit got out and stood before Hibari. Those piercing eyes and aquiline features of his marked the older man as someone not to be trifled lightly with. Standing a step behind him, the driver held the umbrella over the older man's head. To the side, pedestrians gave a wide berth to the imposing Mercedes and the men who were clearly not law-abiding citizens.
"Hibari Kyouya-kun, is it?" the older man said, his voice rough and hoarse from nicotine and alcohol. "My name is Shiina Takahiro. This is my right-hand man and secretary, Kannazuki Yutaka." The secretary bowed his head. "Nice to meet you, Hibari-kun. I assume you know to which syndicate we belong?"
Hibari narrowed his eyes, within which brewed a storm waiting to be unleashed. "I'm not interested in dealing with the gokudo other than biting anyone who stands in my way to death." [2]
Shiina chuckled as though amused by his blunt remark; behind him, Kannazuki raised an eyebrow. "A fitting sentiment for someone as young as you are. Still, whether you like it or not, what you have done to the Yoiyami-kai has turned more than a few heads. Some people are beginning to consider you and your Foundation a threat."
Rather than drowning in apprehension, Hibari felt anticipation bubbling to the surface of his consciousness. "If they want to eliminate me, let them come and challenge me. However, I'm only interested in the affairs of Namimori. Whatever happens in your society is no concern of mine."
Heaving a sigh, Shiina made a gesture at Kannazuki, who nodded. "If you ever need assistance from the Ninkyo Dantai, the Shinonome-gumi will gladly offer a helping hand." [2]
As Shiina was about to return to the car, Hibari, wanting to test if this man would worth his while, whipped out his tonfa and aimed squarely at Shiina's skull. The plastic umbrella fell onto the pavement like a beheaded camellia. At the same time, Hibari found his tonfa being forcefully stopped within inches of striking on target. Raising his eyes, he saw Kannazuki's dispassionate face staring down at him; the man had caught his tonfa with his bare hand.
Hibari squinted at the secretary with renewed interest. Driven by the battle instinct he had honed to razor sharp perfection, he thrust his other tonfa upward at Kannazuki's chin. Without skipping a beat, Kannazuki dropped the umbrella and grabbed the other tonfa, holding it in an iron grip the Cloud Guardian could not shake out of. Slightly more impressed, Hibari let out a sound, half in admiration and half in mockery.
"Kannazuki."
The warning tone in his superior's voice propelled Kannazuki to release the tonfa. Taking the opportunity, Hibari took several steps back and appraised his opponent. Beneath those rimless glasses of Kannazuki's, he could detect not a hint of emotion. While Hibari wanted nothing more than to continue the fight, his opponent apparently had no such desire. Suddenly losing interest, Hibari stowed away his tonfa.
Unfazed by the bold attempt at his life, Shiina said with a note of wry amusement, "Hopefully I'll see you again soon, Hibari-kun."
Once Shiina got into the car, Kannazuki handed a business card to Hibari, who grudgingly accepted it. After bowing politely at the leader of the Disciplinary Foundation, Kannazuki returned to the car and drove away.
Slipping the card into his pocket, Hibari picked up the umbrella and resumed his walk. The undecided outcome of the battle left him feeling restless. In the back of his mind, he noted the name of the man he would one day settle the score with.
Less than a minute later, another car pulled up beside him; it was Kusakabe's. After folding up the umbrella, Hibari thrust it into the car and got in.
"Where would you like to go, Kyou-san?" Kusakabe asked while casting a glance at his boss from the rear view mirror.
"Home." Leaning into the comfortable leather seat, Hibari fished out the necklace and held the cross to the light. The glinting silver reminded him of the silly ear cuff Mukuro always wore, a little vanity from a man dripping with vanity.
Whatever Mukuro was planning to do would certainly stave off his boredom, and at that the illusionist never failed him. All right, I shall play along with your game for a little while.
Tension loomed over the conference room like a pack of vultures. In the room where Tuscan furnishings meet high-tech gears, men were gathered, either in person or via video conferencing. Coffee was served, but the cups remained largely untouched.
At the head of the table was Tsuna, who cradled the cup between his palms while listening to Gokudera's report. Lambo, twirling a pen as if distracted, listened half-heartedly to the facts and figures he had no use for. Sitting some distance away, Reborn quietly observed the faces of these young men he had taught over the years.
Mounted to the wall was a large monitor, upon which was split into two windows, displaying the faces of the guardians who were currently away on business. Yamamoto Takeshi was in Spain; Sasagawa Ryohei was at the headquarters of the main family in Italy.
His grim face devoid of his typical easy smile, Yamamoto pressed his lips together for several heartbeats before opening his mouth. "Maybe I should head back immediately. For all we know, the enemies might have arrived in Japan already."
"Sawada, are you sure the source is reliable?" Ryohei asked, a question that elicited a scowl from Gokudera.
"Yes, I'm sure." Tsuna rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Whoever the group is, it's most likely one of the European families."
"Well, at least we can narrow down the list of suspects." Yamamoto gave Tsuna a sympathetic smile; the decimo smiled weakly in return.
"Tenth, I propose that one of the guardians should remain in Europe to investigate, and the other should return immediately to strengthen our defence."
"I agree." Ryohei crossed his arms. "We need more information so that we can be better prepared." He looked around the conference room as if searching for something. "Where's the mist girl?"
When Gokudera's expression darkened, Tsuna bit his lip in mild distress. Gokudera had informed Chrome of today's meeting, yet like Hibari, she had not shown up. While she was the best amongst the guardians in terms of intelligence gathering, Tsuna knew they could not rely on her this time.
After staring at the milky coffee in his cup for some time, Tsuna took a deep breath and said, "Yamamoto, I'm sorry I have to ask you this, but I need you to remain in Spain and seal the deal. Onii-san, can you alert the main family about a possible attack? Also, take Gokudera-kun's list and see if you can find anything more. Gokudera-kun, I would like you to act as his correspondent. Will that be all right?"
Although the question was directed at Gokudera, those amber eyes of Tsuna's were rested on Reborn, who caught his gaze. Something akin to understanding was passed between the former home tutor and his former student. And Lambo, watching Tsuna closely, felt the beast named envy taking a bite out of his sanity.
Once the older guardians accepted their respective mission, Tsuna uttered a final word. "Be careful, everyone."
After Yamamoto and Ryohei disconnected the line, Gokudera was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. Tsuna exchanged a befuddled look with Gokudera and called out, "Come in."
The door slid soundlessly open, and Kusakabe, after bowing his head at Tsuna, entered the room in long strides. "We have obtained information that might be of use to you," he said while taking out a silver cross from his pocket. "Hibari asked me to deliver this to you."
When Kusakabe pulled at the longer end of the cross, the cap came off to reveal what the cross truly was - a USB flash drive. Tsuna stared at the necklace for some time while Kusakabe plugged the flash drive into the terminal. Even without asking, he knew whom Hibari had received the memory stick from. Beyond the periphery of his consciousness, Reborn and Lambo scrutinized him in various degree of intensity, yet Tsuna, too preoccupied with his own thought, noticed neither of them.
Text and photographs blinked into existence on the screen, and at the top, a name stood out like a blank space in the infinite sea of 1s and 0s.
Uccello Rapace.
Upon seeing the name, Lambo looked sharply at Reborn, who did not return the gaze. Eyes narrowed, the seasoned hitman crossed his legs and drawled, "I see. An old enemy has returned to settle the score as soon as there is a crack in our armour."
"But why now?" Gokudera frowned. "It's been years since we were in direct conflict with the Uccello Rapace. Why would they suddenly want to initiate a war against us? Besides, how can we be sure that the Uccello Rapace is the one targeting us?"
"I can't say where Hibari got the information from, but he must have a reason to believe the data will be useful to you." Kusakabe spoke on behalf of his boss.
"Kusakabe is right. Hibari doesn't act without a reason," Reborn remarked. "Of course, we must first confirm the recent movement of the Uccello Rapace. And to answer your question, Gokudera, perhaps the Uccello Rapace has obtained the assistance of another group. Something must have tipped the balance to make them believe they have a chance to destroy Vongola."
"That is a possibility." Nevertheless, the troubled knot did not leave Gokudera's face.
Meanwhile, Tsuna scanned through some of the data and made his decision. "Gokudera-kun, send the information to Yamamoto, Onii-san, and the main family. Ask Onii-san and the main family to track down the Uccello Rapace's movement. I'll contact our allies in case the Uccello Rapace decides to attack them first." Then he turned to Kusakabe. "Kusakabe-san, can you thank Hibari-san for me? He probably won't take my call."
Inwardly agreeing with Tsuna's sentiment, Kusakabe stifled his smile and replied, "Yes, I shall tell him that."
Once the information had been uploaded to the Vongola server, Kusakabe retrieved the USB flash drive and took his leave. With that the meeting was officially concluded. Without a word, Reborn jerked his head at Lambo and walked out the door, leaving Lambo to scramble after him.
When he was at last alone with the boss, Gokudera said in earnest, "Tenth, please be careful. The Uccello Rapacecan be very vicious when it comes to hunting its prey."
"I'll be careful." Tsuna smiled, and Gokudera smiled with him. "Thanks, Gokudera-kun."
"If you need anything, please let me know." After gathering his papers together, Gokudera nodded once at Tsuna and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.
As soon as no one was around, Tsuna leant heavily into the chair and reached back to the pieces of information Reborn had impressed upon him years ago. The Uccello Rapaceoriginated from the Zingarelli family, a bitter rival of Vongola since the generation of the terzo. It was widely believed that the terzo was assassinated by the Zingarelli family; in turn, Zingarelli claimed that Vongola had killed one of their bosses. While the truth sank into the sea of oblivion as time passes, the animosity between the two families remained.
Gradually, as the Vongola family climbed to the top of the Mafia pyramid, the Zingarelli family dwindled and became the Uccello Rapace. The feud from the past, combined with Vongola's success and Zingarelli's demise, must have triggered much hatred in the hearts of the survivors. Nevertheless, they did not possess the power to overtake Vongola; therefore, they acted as contracted assassins and bid their time. And now-
Vigorously Tsuna shook his head. In the face of these ancient disputes, he could only deal with them as they come. Reaching for the phone on the table, he grabbed the receiver and dialled the number that would connect him to the private line of the Cavallone decimo, one of the few men who could wholeheartedly understand his plight.
As he waited, he recalled his exchange with Reborn last night: Reborn had wanted to tell him something. When the call was connected, he reminded himself to find Reborn later, then momentarily put his musing aside.
"Hello, Dino-san? It's Tsuna. Yeah, thanks for the chocolates. They are delicious. Actually, there is something I want to talk to you about..."
Lurking around a corner some distance away from the conference room, Reborn leant against the wall and crossed his arms, seemingly deep in thought. Reluctant though Lambo was to disturb the frightening hitman during one of his pensive mood, his curiosity got the better of him.
"Hey, isn't that man I've killed last night from the Uccello Rapace?" Lambo stuffed his hand in his pocket and tried not to fidget. "You didn't tell Vongola about that, did you?"
The hitman gave the young guardian an aloof stare. "That's none of your business. You just have to do everything I say."
Although he knew he ought to shut his mouth, Lambo could not help himself. "Why didn't you tell him? Don't you think he should know? Anyway, it's pointless to hide anything now that Hibari has spilled everything. Just where did he get the information from?"
Unlike Lambo, Reborn knew who gave the information to Hibari. He neither gritted his teeth nor narrowed his eyes, yet he emitted such a menacing aura that Lambo took a step back in alarm. "We'll leave that aside for now. You will be Tsuna's bodyguard from now on, but don't tell him I ordered you to."
"I don't understand why you insist on hiding things from Vongola. What's the big deal anyway?"
"Hiding what from me?" A voice erupted from behind Lambo, who was startled out of his wit.
When the Thunder Guardian wheeled around, he found Tsuna standing there with a troubled frown on his brow. Stunned by the decimo's sudden appearance, he cast a quick glance at Reborn's direction, yet he could not detect even the faintest hint of surprise on Reborn's face. Cautious as Reborn always was, he would not have allowed his conversation to be overheard unless he wanted to.
"Vongola, well, it's like this..." Lambo stammered.
"I've known about the Uccello Rapace for some time, but I didn't report that to you," Reborn cut him off.
Dismay flashed across Tsuna's amber eyes as if within those golden depths was captured a wavering flame. Nonetheless, his voice was steady when he said, "Why?"
"There's no need for you to know." Before Tsuna could interrupt him, Reborn gave him a look that immediately shut him up. "The Uccello Rapace is the bird of prey. Many of its members kill for a living; they kill in order to survive. Of course, it would take a hitman to hunt down another."
"I know that? But you could at least tell me-"
"And then what? Are you going to try reasoning with them using your pacifist ideal? They are killers, plain and simple. They hold a grudge against us as much as we do against them. Since you aren't willing to kill, I shall deal with it in my own way."
Something akin to pain flew across that boyish visage of Tsuna's. "How much more are you hiding from me?"
"I've always been hiding things from you," Reborn remarked stoically, in all appearance unmoved by Tsuna's distress. "If you didn't know that already, now you do."
Left out of the little sphere belonging solely to the hitman and the boss, Lambo watched the exchange between Reborn and Tsuna with not a small amount of frustration. He was tempted to divulge everything to Tsuna just to let him know how far he would go for him, but in the end he held his tongue.
"So that's how it is, Reborn?" Tsuna was on the verge of saying something more, yet in the end, he changed his mind. Averting his gaze, he brushed past the Thunder Guardian and the advisor. "Whatever you say, I won't allow it."
Not once did Reborn make an attempt to stop the decimo. Although Lambo thought he saw those usually unfathomable eyes of Reborn's waver, it might have been a trick of the light and nothing more.
"Er, Reborn? What do we do now?" Lambo asked cautiously.
"The plan stays the same. You are going to follow Tsuna wherever he goes. When something happens, contact me immediately. If necessary, shoot to kill." With that Reborn stalked away in the opposite direction, as if deliberately distancing himself from his former student.
As soon as Reborn was out of sight, Lambo breathed a sigh of relief. "Everyone's just doing whatever he pleases." And then he twisted the corner of his lips. "Of course, that includes me."
In a fury Tsuna stormed into the office and threw himself onto the swivel leather chair. And yet, as he looked out at the swirling dark clouds beyond the window panes, it was not anger that was simmering in his heart. Raindrops beat against the glass and left their mark, forming narrow fractures on the window.
Growing tired of it all, he turned to the mahogany desk and stared at the fountain pen beside the keyboard. The pen was a gift from the Ninth, a reminder of the burden Tsuna must now shoulder. The crushing weight of obligation as a Mafia boss he could endure, and yet, he knew better than anyone else that the family was steadily falling apart.
Sullen eyes fell upon the elaborate brass handle on the drawer. The semi-automatic Mukuro gave him was locked away in his desk, out of sight but not out of mind. At length, Tsuna fished out the phone from his jacket and keyed in a short message.
The reply arrived mere seconds after he put down the phone; it was as though the recipient had known Tsuna would contact him. "I shall prepare a bottle of wine in anticipation of your arrival this evening."
Leaning back on the chair, he contemplated those words for several tantalizing seconds, letting the formation of characters sink in and soon be forgotten. And then, he pressed the button and deleted the message.
To be continued...
[1] Uccello Rapace: Bird of prey
[2] Gokudo, Ninkyo Dantai: Alternate terms for yakuza
A/N: The relationship between Reborn and Tsuna is fun to write about. Hibari, on the other hand, gives me a bit of hard time. For me, he's even harder to figure out than Mukuro.