Sunshine and Subterfuge
Arc IV – Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road
01. Impress(ion)
Reborn spends some time familiarizing herself with the town that will be her new base of operations for the foreseeable future, arranging for the construction of discreet bolt holes and hidden tunnels. Surveillance on her new student can wait.
Namimori is a small town, a fair distance from the more industrialized areas of Japan. The place is unassuming at first— and to be honest, second and third— glance. Its claims to fame consist of TakeSushi, a particularly fantastic local sushi restaurant, and the large swaths of untouched wilderness that surround the Namimori Shrine, located to the north and beyond the actual boundaries of the town. In the underworld, this place is known only because Vongola's Primo spent his retirement here.
She makes a note to mention the sushi place to Belphegor when the teen inevitably becomes bored and decides to visit; to call the young Storm a foodie would be a massive understatement.
The town is relatively free of crime, being under the somewhat questionable protection of the Hibari family— loose Triads and Yakuza connections, founding family of the town, infamous for their practically single-minded obsessions with their chosen professions. Given the appearance of the heir, likely blood ties to the Storm Arcobaleno. Hibari Kyoya, the heir apparent of the family and only Hibari currently in residence, is a latent Cloud with either a very unconventional personality or twisted sense of humor. Either one would usually have her earmark him for recruitment into the Varia, but the Cloud was rather obviously fixated on Namimori. A shame, that.
Of course, the town does not entirely lack undesirables—petty thieves, local punks, yakuza wannabes… that one spy from the Nacht Consortium living next door to her future student and his rather airheaded mother.
The amateur spy has a very permanent retirement courtesy of Reborn, which rather conveniently frees the residence for her own purposes. One Miura Kimiko, a reclusive author with graduate degrees in botany and entomology, quietly takes residence beside the Sawada home a few weeks before the youngest member of said household has his world turned on its ear.
That 'Miura Kimiko' is an alias requires no explanation. It's secretly one of her favorites, and one she rarely uses; the Miura surname is one her mother's relatives use in their more clandestine work.
The moment she lays eyes on Sawada Tsunayoshi, Reborn's instincts scream that there is something terribly broken in the child. Something off. Whatever that something is makes her skin crawl, makes the hairs on the back on her neck rise. It's not an attempt at Sky attraction or anything of the sort. She frowns, lowering the brim of her fedora as her mind grapples with possible causes like a squirrel with a particularly stubborn walnut.
Twenty-four hours into studying the boy's routine she's made several interesting observations but lacks an answer as to what is setting off her instincts. It takes a handful more days and a little discreet breaking and entering to reveal the likely reason.
At first glance, the Sawada boy appears as chronically clumsy as her last student. Make no mistake— Tsunayoshi is clumsy. It's a symptom of his actual issues and not a true lack of coordination like it is for Dino. Tsunayoshi has a profound hypersensitivity to others' emotions.
Reborn confirms her hypothesis by spending a lovely Thursday terrorizing Tsunayoshi— Dame-Tsuna, the other children call him— by intermittently directing just a flicker of murderous intent in his direction. By evening, the child is a bruised, bloody, and paranoid mess.
She feels not even a smidgen of guilt.
Really.
After all, 'Dame-Tsuna' is always a bloody mess by the time he returns from school.
The boy trips over his feet every time even a miniscule amount of ill intent is directed in his direction. He flinches away whenever someone nearby has an emotional outburst— teenagers are moody little things, aren't they? Worse yet, the closer Tsunayoshi feels to the person emoting, the more likely he is to stumble in response to the slightest change in mood; that certainly explains his tumbles down the stairs every morning.
"What an unfortunate child," Reborn comments idly, perched in the tree outside Tsuna's bedroom window, watching him ignore his homework in favor of manga. What an unlucky child you are, Tsunayoshi, to be so blessed with intuition. To be that annoying man's son. To be the Vongola Nono's preferred heir... Things would go so much better for you if Xanxus decided to seriously pursue the position of Vongola Decimo, wouldn't they?
I suppose we'll see what my Sky thinks of you eventually.
Unfortunate is right... He's a twitchy little thing. Leon is, of course, correct.
"The child's natural response to his ability is problematic, yes, but that's fixable... Given the empathy and sensitivity of his intuition, he's probably a Sky. They're the only Flames on record that have intuition that borders on prescience. And yet, not even a flicker of Flame from him." Not even when he's being bullied by his classmates. Where is your spine, Tsunayoshi? Where is your resolve? Has something happened to you to make you this way, or are you just a natural invertebrate?
"The boy's intuition is impacting his grades, as well. He's so hyper-focused on his surroundings that learning anything seems next to impossible. Well, that and his abysmal self-esteem." He seems resigned to failure... Hm. It won't be my first time teaching the unwilling.
Threats of bodily harm are good for encouraging focus.
The chameleon's 'helpful' comment elicits a chuckle from Reborn. "Ever the devil on my shoulder, old friend? No need to take things out on the boy before he does something stupid. As much as I'd rather not have to train Sawada Iemitsu's son, I'm a hitman of my word." If Timoteo goes back on his word, and breaks the terms of the contract first, that would be a different matter.
Though I likely wouldn't leave the child to the wolves entirely. Tsk... How soft-hearted of me. Reborn has long ago accepted this aspect of her nature.
"This is something I promised to do in exchange for our young dragon's freedom." And Reborn is the sort that will walk through the very gates of hell for her Sky. Because her Sky was worthy of that level of loyalty. Because her Sky would do the same for his people.
Let's take a closer look. There's no point in teaching him to be a Vongola Don if he's not a Sky, right? The Vongola are always ruled by Active Skies. And we know better than to take Sawada senior at his word.
What they have observed so far is rather... discouraging.
Sawada Tsunayoshi is a naïve, civilian child. An innocent, fluffy little kitten, bumbling through life and tripping over its own is far more of a hot mess than Dino Chiavarone ever was.
Even with enthusiastic tutoring I can't be certain the final product would be— well, never let it be said I would walk away from a herculean task. And as much as I despise involving children in the mafia, there is no escaping fate for Sawada's brat. Really, there never was hope for him to avoid the dark world entirely; he would have been found and exploited by either Vongola or Vongola's enemies eventually.
As promised, Sawada Tsunayoshi is a Sky.
Reborn frowns, and narrows her focus, squinting through the Leon-Magnifying Glass. The boy is an Active Sky and someone has— not smothered, but somehow caged? — restricted his flames. A tendril of Sun slithers from her right hand and into the child's chest, seeking to analyze the block.
She stills at the familiar feeling. He froze the boy's Flames?! She clamps down on her instinctive response; no need to wake the boy with her rage. It wouldn't do to make the wrong impression. No... No, that might have left the child catatonic, maybe even killed him. A prison of ice, with his Flames intact behind it. Biting back a frustrated growl, Reborn retreats to the windowsill, then out the bedroom window, soundlessly closing it behind her.
She's well hidden behind the thick green foliage of a tree, keeping a careful eye of her new student when she finally allows anger to twist her features into a scowl. Because this? This is yet another complication she doesn't need.
Timoteo Vongola, what the hell made you think that was a good idea?
She indulges in an annoyed huff, muttering under her breath. "What a headache." Leon climbs up her arm and settles on a shoulder, tail curled possessively around her neck. At least now we know what the problem is. Digging through hospital records might tell us when his Flames were suppressed.
Reborn hums noncommittally, mulling over and discarding ideas.
Asking Sawada senior to do anything genuinely helpful is out, and I doubt that halfwit knows that technique anyway. Timoteo will be too busy to fly down here and fix his own mess, and it would be a security nightmare, besides.
It's obvious they plan for me to release the boy's Flames with Dying Will Bullets. Or the pills—not that they know I have 'acquired' their precious Dying Will medicine from the Varia. Sure, those bullets can force someone to transition from Latent to Active, but for someone with forcibly suppressed Flames?
There's no guarantee either would work in this situation.
Besides, it's not the best plan for the boy to associate releasing his Flames with a loss of control.
Perhaps the cage will break after one forced activation with the bullets. I could probably keep him alive if something went wrong, but... risky. Regrets or no, he could simply drop dead immediately if the cage strengthens in response to higher Flame output instead. Sun Flames might work for a very brief boost, just to see how the cage responds.
Then, if Dying Will Bullets and such are a loss… Could another Sky weaken it?
Really, there's only one reasonable option if shooting the boy isn't an option— and whether everyone else thinks it's reasonable is not Reborn's problem.
Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste...
Humming the song softly under her breath with a wicked smirk, she sings along in her thoughts.
Hm. And on that note: karaoke. Not a bad idea. Either the boy learns to stand up for himself— unlikely if I try it early on— or he sings in front of his crush. That's one way to desensitize him to speaking in public. A win either way; I'll add it to the list.
Earlier today, she'd arranged for a ridiculous-looking advertisement for tutoring services to be delivered to the Sawada home. Reborn might have written it in blocky letters using a red crayon, just for shits and giggles. What does it matter? The paper has been Mist-laced by a Varia mook— the Sawada matriarch will see what she expects to. Iemitsu has already called home and informed his wife about having arranged for a tutor anyway.
Riiing!
The timing is just right— the littlest Sawada tumbles down the stairs just after Reborn pushes the doorbell with a Leon-baton. The chameleon retreats immediately back to his favorite perch and the pair wait patiently as Sawada Tsunayoshi fumbles with the doorknob. Seconds later, the door opens to reveal a scruffy, half-asleep waif in wrinkled seafoam green pajamas, the mild abrasion on his right cheek a clear sign of his early morning scuffle with the stairs.
It's eight in the morning and the kid is still in his pajamas... This just gets better and better.
The child blinks at the apparently empty doorway before mumbling, "Uh— good morning?" in a questioning tone.
"Down here, Sawada Tsunayoshi." What would be a rather sarcastic drawl coming from an adult sounds remarkably benign in the childish voice of the World's Greatest Hitman.
"H-huh? A little kid?"
Not quite. A beatific smile, "Ciaossu. I am Reborn, and as of today I am your tutor. Please treat me kindly."
A tutor from the depths of hell, some would say.
Tsuna immediately puffs up like a popinjay, "What?! I don't need a—" The Sawada matriarch bustles into the hallway from the kitchen, at exactly the right moment, "Oh? Tsu-chan, did your new live-in tutor arrive already? I was going to tell you about him over breakfast!"
"Ciaossu, Sawada-san." Reborn tilts her hat and flashes her most charming smile. "I am Reborn. I apologize for arriving a little earlier than planned."
Sawada Nana blushes and giggles, "My, how precious!"
"Mo-om! He's just a bratty kid playing some kind of game, or it's a scam, or—."
Nana ignores her son's complaints entirely. "Oh~! You must be a genius, little man, to have finished school at your age! Please come in, Reborn-chan! We're just about to have breakfast, will you join us?"
"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Sawada-san. Could I trouble you for some coffee?"
"So polite, too! You simply must call me Mama." The woman chirps back, beckoning their guest into the kitchen.
"Only it if that's what you'd prefer, Mama." A much more sinister smile in the befuddled Tsunayoshi's direction causes the boy to freeze up with a squeak.
Breakfast is quiet, with Reborn serenely complimenting Nana's cooking as she eats.
She chooses to lull the boy into a false sense of security, telling him she'd evaluate his abilities after school. "You'd better hurry, though, Tsunayoshi. You wouldn't like to be late, right?"
The piercing shriek and mad scramble for his school uniform, knapsack, and then finally the door that sentence elicits is a thing of beauty.
She follows him. Another day of gathering blackmai— err, discreet observation wouldn't hurt.
And, of course, she must ensure she's on hand to 'encourage' her new pupil return home in a timely manner after the school day ends.
Sawada Tsunayoshi is tired. School is always so very exhausting, and being caught by his new, terrifyingly unnatural baby-tutor and dragged home by his collar is just the cherry on top of his exceptionally shitty Monday. Between being harassed by the usual bullies, forgetting his lunch, and failing another math test... Tsuna is so, so tired.
"Sit." The crazy, possibly homicidal— was that a real gun the kid was waving around earlier? — tutor demands, and Tsuna wordlessly crumples into the sole chair in his room, hunching forward. His so-called tutor is just above his eye level when standing on the desk in his room.
Reborn can practically read the boy's thoughts from his expression."Oh, yes. Definitely homicidal." Reborn smiles slowly, as she deliberately makes eye contact with her new student. "While I'm an exemplary tutor, my true line of work is cold-blooded murder. I am the World's Greatest Hitman. Just one more reason to be polite," she advises.
"Erk—" Tsunayoshi shudders uncontrollably, choking on the scream he'd been about to release.
"But I digress. I'm sure you're wondering why I've been contracted to be your tutor... You see, while I am here to bring your school grades up to par—stop squawking protests, your scores are abysmal and 'Dame-Tsuna' is truly an apt nickname— I am also here because you're the heir of a very powerful family."
"F-family?" Repeats said heir while making a remarkably accurate impression of a deer in headlights. "I don't know anything about that; you must have the wrong person."
You don't know anything about anything, brat.A rather grumpy Leon retorts, tired of the constant shrieking already.
Reborn suppresses an anticipatory smirk, "You're the candidate selected to be the next head of the infamous Vongola Famiglia of Italy." And then, a touch more glibly, as she braces for the high-pitched shriek that she knows is coming, "Welcome to the Mafia, brat."
She never was one to break news gently.
"HIEEEEEEEEEE~!"
The resulting wail of terror and complete, hysterical meltdown is actually more impressive than Reborn expected. It's as beautiful as Verde's expression all those years ago when she walked in, dressed to the nines in an evening gown for a mission with the i prescelti sette. The only thing better was accidentally shorting out Skull's brain when he barged into her room, walking on her shirtless as she calmly dug a bullet out of her shoulder. A bullet she'd taken for his sake.
Reborn relishes in the chaos.
She lets the boy panic for a few minutes before reasserting control and giving a more detailed explanation of the situation— complete with a family tree depicting his relation to Vongola's founder, visual aids, and several close calls with bullets to keep her student compliant.
Eventually, the kid stops panicking, takes the hints Reborn has provided, and starts to use his brain. "Wait... even if the Ninth's sons are dead, why am I the heir? Isn't there anyone else available? Shouldn't it be my Mom or Dad before me, anyway?"
Finally!
"Good question." Reborn praises— he can retain information under fire, and there's some ability for logical reasoning in that remarkably empty head of his as well— "Sawada Nana married into the family. And Sawada Iemitsu is ineligible."
"...Ineligible?"
"His current position in the business makes him invalid for the position of heir." Reborn answers with a sly smile. "It's a family business, after all." After all, despite Iemitsu's vehement protests, she is permitted to answer questions about Vongola, including CEDEF, so long as the boy asks direct questions. Manipulating the conversation so that the boy thinks to ask those questions is fair game.
Her answer triggers emotional meltdown number two of the afternoon.
Eventually, Reborn's patience wears thin. "Are you done panicking? There's no point in complaining or trying to run. Even if you cut ties with everyone you know immediately, changed your name, and moved to a different country... You'd be hunted down. It wouldn't even be particularly difficult." Her eyes glint with malice, and as she points out his only option is to cooperate. "With a pedigree like yours, there's no escaping the clutches of the dark underbelly of the world."
"We've delayed long enough. Make a list of questions to ask later. For now, we will start with your mathematics homework..."
02. Seal(ing) the Deal
The boy has internalized it, the fact that he is useless, hopeless, and dull. He's not nearly as stupid as he tries to be. There are moments of brightness, insight, that cannot be wholly attributed to his gift of Intuition. Tsunayoshi is a Sky, but Flames do not make you who you are, merely give light to aspects of your personality.
Reborn feels almost optimistic regarding the child's future survival, as long as they can resolve the issue of his suppressed Flames.
Unfortunately, it seems the cage adapts after all.
Trying to stimulate Tsuna's Flames with her own pushed the boy into a day-long coma. The Sawada matriarch calls it exhaustion and proceeds to ignore her 'tired Tsu-chan who's been working so hard' after thanking Reborn for her efforts to shape her 'Dame-Tsuna' into a functioning member of society.
Not in those exact words, but regardless, her actions do not endear the woman to Reborn.
No friends, a family that barely acknowledges his existence... Tsunayoshi does not have much of a support system. No, it's more accurate to say the child doesn't have a support system at all.
Stop it. She chastises herself with a scowl. You're his teacher, not his guardian, Reborn. You don't even like Sawada's wimpy brat.
Luckily, it's not a weekday—Reborn knows better— and the boy had already completed his homework and some appropriately grueling physical exercises. The latter involved a liberal application of threats of bodily harm but no actual maiming, of course.
In the afternoon, once the younger woman is out of the house, and likely to be so for several hours, Reborn slides a mobile phone from a hidden pocket within her suit, a slim state-of-the-art contraption, and dials.
"Morning." A familiar voice rumbles sleepily from halfway across the world. "Update," comes the order in an imperious tone, "And it better be really fucking important to wake me up, or I'll burn you from the toes up."
"Afternoon, really. Late night?" She replies, a playful lilt to her tone. "And my work is getting more troublesome by the hour." It's a secure line, and she can afford to be direct, but where's the fun in that?
The person on the other end of the line pauses, betraying his surprise. "—the fuck? Ren. Didn't expect to hear from you so soon." An awkward pause; Reborn is not exactly his subordinate and is unlikely to let rudeness slide.
"Hm. Perhaps it is I who wants an update." Reborn gestures, and her scaled partner crawls down her arm and onto Tsunayoshi's pillow, following the silent request to monitor the boy as she talks. "For example, how's that new project you're working on? Any progress?"
Xanxus is not one to sit idly and would never allow himself to be caught in the same trap twice. He's been studying the technique that had been used to imprison him with near fanatical devotion since he was given the green light to train. And if Viper had helped retrieve the appropriate research materials? Well. What did Don Vongola expect? "Some." Reborn smiles as she listens to her Sky elaborate.
"—Surprised you're asking after it. Need the data for something?"
"Or something. How quickly can you be ready for a live trial?"
Another pause, and Xanxus sounds almost incredulous. "...On a human subject?" More accurately, angry and incredulous. Ah, but Reborn's Sky is no fool.
"Exactly. And, before you ask that next question, yes."
"Fine. Give me a week or six to practice on less sensitive subjects." Reborn almost feels pity for the poor souls that end up volunteering. "Anyway. Iemitsu's brat as pitiful as you expected?"
"Worse than Dino, but he has— an acceptable excuse. Almost. The situation isn't entirely hopeless. Are you caught up on paperwork?"
"Sure. Trash are monitoring me, but dio santo they're fucking awful at it. I'll use Mammon's minions."
It wouldn't be difficult to cover your absence for a short time; there are enough Varia Mists familiar with your demeanor and habits, and Mammon has ensured the lot are reasonably trustworthy.
She does not deem it important enough to inform Tsunayoshi of the upcoming chaos yet. She does, however, drill him about any major illnesses in early childhood, deducing that the cage has been in place since elementary school.
A Sky, Flame-active long before puberty— so much potential! And so much time wasted... Either you saw him as a threat to your sons' inheritance, or Sawada has a rather unsettling amount of influence.
03. Concern(ing) Directions
The boy's inability to externally channel Flames actually gives Reborn some breathing room. She can focus on torturing him into decent physical condition and passing grades without having to split her focus even further... And even if she does not explicitly tell this to Tsunayoshi, they work on improving his emotional state as well. Tsunayoshi is a Sky, if a caged one, and Harmonization is possible even for Skies with pitifully weak Flames. Given humanity's (or at least, the Mafia's) current understanding of Flames, and from her own experience, finding guardians could help stabilize the boy.
In Namimori, there are a handful of Lightnings with potential, an exceptional but emotionally troubled Rain on the edge of going Active, an extremely enthusiastic Active Sun... a few prospective Mists as well. The only elements she will definitely have to 'import' from elsewhere will be a Storm, and likely a Cloud. The Hibari boy is both highly territorial and unlikely to bond with Tsunayoshi given his temperament.
If it was possible, I would have Tsunayoshi travel. It is always good to have friends that can offer different perspectives. Hm, but that can't be helped at the moment.
One thing at a time.
She knows just where to start. Shamal's pet project is an ambitious Storm with some knowledge of the Mafia within the appropriate age range— one likely to become a professional saboteur. One destined to remain unaffiliated if Harmonization does not blindside him into a famiglia. Assuming he lives that long... Shamal would prefer the brat outlives a mayfly if possible.
Reborn, having changed into her pajamas—a lovely mint green set with large, white polka dots— slips into the child-sized hammock set up in the corner of Tsunayoshi's room, fluffing her marshmallow-soft pillow. When she can trust the boy not to get himself murdered overnight, she can move in to the quarters she's set up next door... maybe in a year or two.
Leon flicks the light off, then scurries over to the hammock to join his partner, curling on top of the blanket, positioned on Reborn's stomach.
Night, Ren.
Reborn gives a gentle stroke down the chameleon's back in appreciation of his hard work today.
Right before Reborn nods off, a hesitant voice disturbs the evening calm.
"Reborn?" Tsuna wavers for a few seconds, before biting his lip and strengthening his resolve, asking, "Why did you introduce me to Gokudera-san?" Because it was an introduction—even if there was terror, and explosives, and running away involved. Even if he somehow managed to save the scary boy's life— admittedly, due to the brutal training Reborn has forced him through— and the Italian now insisted on calling him Tenth.
"Oh?" The sickly-sweet quality to the tiny hitman's voice evokes an instinctive terror in the teen— as it implies a sinister smile Tsuna cannot see in the dark of the room. "Are you questioning my training methods?"
"No! I'm... it's a serious question."
"Hm." An honest answer for an honest question, then. "Just this once." Because you won't appreciate it.
"You needed a friend your age to push you to improve," comes the answer, delivered in a blasé tone. The puppy is already Mafia, and so very close to going Flame-active. An element without a Sky is a stray dog. This is as much for his benefit as yours, brat.
"I don't!" She can hear the indignant child sit up in bed, then pause, think over his actions, and slither back under the covers. "I mean, I can make my own friends."
Because it's worked so well for you so far. Can we get some goddamn sleep already?!
"Really?" The hitman responds, voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you say so. Still, that's not the main reason I introduced you two." Reborn bares her teeth in the facsimile of a smile, "Surprise. Not everything is about you, kid."
"Eh?"
"Take a stray puppy home, feed him, and he's yours forever." Gokudera Hayato needs you as much as you need him. Do you understand, Tsuna?
"...Good night, Reborn."
It's nice to see that my efforts aren't going to waste.
04. Raining (on my Parade)
The only suitable Rain in this town within the right age range will require a delicate touch. It's not the fact that the boy is a bit emotionally fragile—it's not difficult for someone of Reborn's caliber to see past the smile to the lonely, isolated child beneath— but the fact that his father has connections to the underworld.
Yamamoto Tsuyoshi. Retired wetworks specialist. He'd spent over a decade and a half as a freelancer in Japan, occasionally meandering over to other predominately Asian countries, before settling down, marrying, and starting a civilian business.
The accursed children, the i prescelti sette, are recognized worldwide, Reborn most of all. So, when she steps into TakeSushi a little after the lunch rush, there is a second's pause to the slicing sounds coming from the kitchen area.
Reborn orders, eats her delicious meal slowly after surreptitiously checking for poisons, and when the room is empty of other diners, settles her bill and begins a conversation. "Yamamoto Tsuyoshi-san, Shigure Soen Ryu. Retired."
"...And what brings one of the World's Greatest to my humble restaurant?"
"Besides some of the best sushi in the country?" Lips curling into a wry smile, Reborn tilts her head. "I think you can guess. Even retired, you keep an ear out for trouble; Namimori is not so large."
"Forgive me for the impertinent question, but... You've never been a father, have you, Reborn-san?" Tsuyoshi's knife cuts with the same precision as it did before the conversation began, nary a pause in the chef's work. "I would rather Takeshi-kun pursue his own interests."
"Hm, I wonder." The smile fades, as dark eyes regard the older looking man with curiosity, "You would say that, even though he almost jumped from the roof of Namimori Middle this morning?" Tsunayoshi, despite being terrified of heights, had been 'gently' goaded into intervening. Tsuna had performed admirably under pressure, though she and Leon had had to prevent the two boys from slipping off the edge of the roof; Takeshi had picked a rainy day for his breakdown. She knows for a fact that the school administration remains blissfully unaware— barring the Disciplinary Committee— so nobody would have gone out of their way to inform Tsuyoshi of the incident.
"...I see." The knife is set aside, "Thank you for notifying me."
"Hm." A pause, "But I suppose it's ultimately the kids' decision what happens." The hitman shrugs, and slides out of her seat, heading towards the exit.
"You are wrong, by the way." The fact that I too have been both mother and father to a child is the only reason I approached you today. "Have a pleasant evening, Yamamoto-san." She tips her hat to the sushi chef, flashing a toothy smile that is somehow utterly devoid of any positive emotion. The door shuts behind her with a near-silent swish.
"Good evening to you as well, Reborn-san." The reply echoes in the empty restaurant.
05. Mirror (Shards)
She'd been watching them for a few weeks, the completely, impossibly, perfectly adorable child in the cutest tailored suit and the most trouble-prone lackwit of a boy in the town. There was something weird going on there, and Miura Haru is determined to make sure the toddler— his name is Reborn, right? – is protected from any negative influences.
And maybe make a new friend in the meantime.
Reborn-chan likes to cosplay, right? She'd seen him in various costumes, but usually just that snappy suit. It's always nice to have friends that share your interests!
When the mismatched pair are close enough to her house, she slips from her hiding place in the bushes, starry eyed at being so close to Reborn, and ignoring that troublesome Sawada boy altogether.
"Hahi! My name is Miura Haru! You're Reborn-chan, right? I watch you walking past my window all the time. Can we be friends?" She asks eagerly, practically vibrating in place.
Okay. That might have come out a little weird, but maybe he didn't notice?
"Sure." The reply is blasé, with just a hint of a smile. Definitely a smile and not a smirk; toddlers don't smirk. "I know, Haru-chan lives in that red brick house, over there." He knows her! The adorable, perfect little angel knows her name and where she lives!
Mou, but Reborn-chan is super cute. And so smart for his age!
"So adorable! We'll be the bestest of friends, I promise!" She hugs herself with both arms and squeezes. "Reborn-chan, can I hug you, like this?"
"No." And the illusion shatters. "I'm a hitman."
You're a—wait. Shit. A suit-wearing baby with a yellow pacifier named Reborn. That's the name of one of the Arcobaleno... maybe I should go with Reborn-sama instead of Reborn-chan, then?
Still... who knew the Arcobaleno are so cute?! Cuteness overload!
Despite the embarrassing mishap, Haru plays along. She's been taught that much. "Eeh! What sort of violent nonsense have you been filling this little angel's head with, Sawada, you reprobate?!"
"HIEEEEEEE! Reborn why are you always saying weird things?!"
"...Any relation to Miura Kimiko?" Reborn asks with an amused expression, when Haru pauses her angry diatribe.
Of course, the hitman already knows the answer; but it's always good to double-check. The few blood relatives she has left use 'Miura' as their surname if they're aware of and involved in the underworld. They also know Miura Kimiko as one of the oldest and most well-connected members of their far-flung family— not a Famiglia, never that. Nowadays, the Miura focus on developing Flame technology; Reborn even pointed a few of the more brilliant ones in the direction of Verde. There's always a bit of discreet information gathering on the side— industrial espionage at the very least— but her Mamma was their last true information specialist.
Pressing her index finger against her lips, the girl muses out loud. "The author? I think she's a cousin." Shrugging, she adds, "I've never met her though. Dad doesn't really talk about his side of the family."
"Miura Kenji's daughter, then. A pleasure." Like Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, her very distant cousin Kenji is retired... mostly. It's interesting his daughter seems knowledgeable enough to know of the Arcobaleno but not enough to recognize one without the truth being made very, very obvious.
"E-eh. Right. Ah! So, can we really be friends, Reborn-sama?"
Reborn cackles internally.
Oh? This has the potential for embarrassment, both for Tsuna-chan and Haru-chan.
Reborn is completely shameless in her pursuit of chaos and breaking people's minds.
She is also trying so, so hard not to get attached... keep trying, Ren. Keep trying.
Right, so good news and bad news.
Good news, I am still committed to writing this. Bad news, I'm in the third year of medical school— which translates to semi-regular twelve-hour workdays, and then studying on top of that. My free time is going to be minimal for the next year plus. So, if I update, it will be very slowly. Snail like. Sloth like. You get the picture.
This is a bit shorter than I planned, but I figured I'd throw you guys a bone before disappearing again.
