Because Tsuna is generally laid-back and forgiving, but with so many violently rowdy people under his care, he's had to put certain rules in place. Rather than verbally telling every newly conquered subordinate, they published 'The Rules' in varying languages, and pass them out with some basic instruction.

The Varia, sequestered in the Namimori base directly after the very failed attack, are also given copies. No need for more 'misunderstandings' after all.

xxxx

"The hell is this?" Xanxus demanded, still reeling over how fucking wrong their information had been. The Decimo brat—he wasn't weak. He had a massive base, one that had fucking holding cells, and a retinue that didn't actually deserve to be scoffed at, and only partly for sheer numbers.

Also, every single one of the damn yakuza they'd passed on said base while the fluffy brat had led him and his through it hadn't even batted and eye when he told them to release the twenty-odd Varia that had already been brought in and have them and any others healed, because they had attacked under a misunderstanding and were in fact part of a misinformed ally group.

None of it was a lie, even. Brat was Vongola, like it or not, which made the Varia allied at the least.

Instead of the concern or grudging acceptance he knew even his own fucking best would give back for such an order (they'd obey it—his trash weren't stupid, they knew to obey orders—but they sure as hell would be reluctant about it) every single one of the damn trash immediately rushed to obey, apologizing with serious fucking sincerity for the misunderstandings and gathering what Suns they had to treat any Varia who had so much as a fucking scratch, before their own people.

And they looked at that fluffy brat like he'd hung the stars. (Juudaime, Oyabun, Tsunayoshi-sama, Tsuna-dono—every single damn address to the brat wasn't just respectful, it was fucking adoring. These people would burn the world with smiles on their faces if ever that brat asked. They weren't Varia, but their loyalty was at least as deadly.)

Also, they took the fucking horse-sized dragon in with nothing more than slightly amused, admiring resignation. The hell did the brat get into?

Back to the point, though, the brat had led Xanxus to his Rain, shooed away the dragon and fucking living metal lions with a gentle admonition for the lions to get the dragon settled in the nearby mountains, and left them with a man he'd introduced as 'Kuro-san' who was supposed to set them up on base while the Decimo brat himself dealt with a visitor.

Kuro'd led them to quarters that were connected, well-kept, and more welcomingly homey than luxurious, then passed all six of them fucking leather-bound books. In Italian. Gold-embossed, and looking a hell of a lot like they were from one of the expensive kinds of publishing house.

'Le Regole' was in the title position, and the books—for all their clear costliness, as books went—were not very thick. "Juudaime instructed me to ensure you were settled in on the base," Kuro informed, simultaneously serene and earnest. "Those are The Rules. The ones that Juudaime does not tolerate the breaking of, and the consequences of doing so can be… traumatic, shall we say. Most had to be instated due to his Cloud and Storm, but it would be best if you familiarized yourselves with them. They are… universal, to any who look to Juudaime."

Base etiquette, then, and the brat had proven himself well enough that Xanxus would go along with this. The man who had been in the room the Decimo brat had turned into had clearly been Shī of the First Triad, and his crew took jobs like the Varia's. He had also bowed to the brat, clearly subservient and equally clearly glad to be. Also, without any subordinates with him, which was a massive gesture of trust. The brat at least had the Sun Arcobaleno on his shoulder.

Kuro continued as soon as Xanxus gave a curt nod. "I will cover the most important at the moment now: No one who is allied to Juudaime in any way may fight or spar outside of designated training areas. The sole exception to this rule is the Arcobaleno, and then only when facing another Arcobaleno. As this is the Namimori Edition of The Rules, there are a series of maps showing the local approved areas. There are eight in the city, ten on-base, and a number scattered about the surrounding area. A side-note to this rule is 'no collateral', which applies doubly for Arcobaleno. Any damage caused to anything not within the marked boundaries of the training areas comes out of the paychecks of whoever was involved."

Not base etiquette, then. A universal rulebook to anyone allied to the brat. Or—not, you couldn't impose more than basic rules on allies, and the damn thing was too thick for that, for all that it wasn't big. Which meant that they weren't fucking allies, they were straight-up his.

Something in Xanxus settled at that, the raging unease that had driven him to plan to take the rings for himself soothed by the proof that the brat had both combat and leadership skills. He nodded again, and said brat tapped once on the doorframe before stepping into the room, the Sun Arcobaleno still on his shoulder.

Kuro turned, visibly brightening on the sight of the brat, who gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that, Kuro-san. Shī just wanted to report having successfully unified the Triads for me. I can take back over from here."

What. The. Fuck. Unified the Triads? Even Vongola left the damn Triads alone, because messing with one of them was a hell of a lot like screwing with the Varia—Triads weren't standard mafia; they were half ninja clan, half assassin guild, and more than willing to return violence with violence. It wasn't worth the dent it would put in the forces to take any of them on full-scale.

Also, while some—like the First Triad and the Long Triad—were known, no one outside the Triads themselves knew how many Triads existed. China was a big place and had its fair share of space. If the First's leader claimed to have unified the Triads, that was more than big. That was fucking titanic.

And for the Decimo brat?

Shit, okay, they were reading the damn rulebook. And then they were going to follow the damn rules.

xxxx