DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN AND GUILTY CROWN. I DO NOT EVEN OWN ITS CHARACTERS which is such a shame...

A/N: Hello there! I'm so sorry I broke my promise, I wasn't able to do it since something came up and I just had to finish it first. Then these past few days, I had a lot of appointments and the like since school is near... My apologies... Anyways, let's get on with the story. Also, I want to warn you that this may also contain some OOC-ness.

Chapter 5

Crisis

It was already past ten in the morning when Inori came to. The sunlight has already pierced through the curtains covering her window. She found herself in her room, lying in her bed, and was still wearing her flowery red leotard, with an open chest, with red petal/leaf-like fabric streaming down her arms and also from her waist down to her heels. Without moving an inch, she shifted her eyes to her arm.

There were still a few drops of blood staining her dress.

She rose and sat upright. For a while, she idled, and then stood up and walked towards the bathroom. She paused at the sight of her closet and gazed at it. She then took out a towel and proceeded in the bath.

Why?

She draped the towel over a hook suspended in-between the bathroom's mirror and the shower curtains. She gently untied her hair and let it hang down to her chest. She idled for a moment and a recollection of what happened during their mission struck her. She was shaken by the words of the man with side-swept golden hair and fierce brown eyes who carried a whip as his weapon.

'They're not my slaves, and they aren't some lackey or underdog! They're my precious subordinates! They're my friends!'

As his last words rang repeatedly in her head, she took off her clothes and put them on the laundry basket sitting beside the bath's door. She moved the shower curtain aside and entered through. As soon as she moved it back to screen herself, she turned the shower on.

As it started pouring water, she closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. She tried to comprehend what he meant. Unfortunately, he was the target, and hearing his words gave her the more reason to dislike fighting him, and killing him. She knew he didn't say it for show, since she figured he didn't know her at all. She knew he just voiced out his feelings, since he was offended with what their members shouted at his...friends, calling them underdogs and lackeys for the Mafia. She was confused. Gai always said that the Mafia can never be trusted and they're just plain dirty nobles who only cared about harbouring wealth, power and fame.

Suddenly, Gai's face flashed in her memory. She remembered the way he looked after they finished their mission.

Why did he look upset when I used it?

Noticing her hair was wet enough, she applied shampoo.

We were clearly outmatched because of the flames, so I figured I should use it but...

She washed the froths away, and then applied conditioner next. After a while of massaging it on her scalp, she rinsed it thoroughly.

Was he mad because I revealed it without his order? Was I being disobedient?

Next, she gently rubbed soap over her body. She scrubbed the skin on her neck, going down to her chest and breasts down to her stomach. As she was putting soap all over her arms next, she suddenly paused.

Did he figure out that I might hesitate? Did he guess that I...tried to save our target?

As she stressed herself with the thought of upsetting Gai, she slowly continued covering herself with soap. After rubbing her back and then her legs, she let the cascading water to wash away the lathers.

Gai... What is he thinking? When he hesitated to tell me, when he told me not to go... What is it?

As the water poured down, she remained still, her thoughts going deeper. As the water drops traced her shape, she remained quiet trying to solve the mystery behind Gai's strange behaviour towards her. And it took her longer in the bath as she mulled over it.

It was five o'clock in the morning when the phone in the Sawada residence rang relentlessly. It was still too early, and Tsuna's body felt heavy as he was still sleepy. He reluctantly went and grabbed the noisy device and answered yawning. "Hello...?"

Tension shook Tsuna when the man on the phone spoke.

It was Gokudera Hayato.

He was stirred by the news Gokudera told him. His eyes widened as he stammered replying to him.

"Okay... I'll come quickly... All right, got it..." he ended the call. His body was trembling, and his face clearly displayed his terror.

"What is it, Tsuna?" Reborn, still on his bed (swing), asked. His squeaky, baby-like voice couldn't hide his anxiousness.

"Reborn... I...can't go to school today..."

Reborn was bothered. "What happened?"

"Gokudera-kun called, and he said that..." he gulped before continuing. "Dino-san was in the hospital..." his face can't be painted, his body stiff.

Reborn frowned. He jumped out of his bed (swing) and landed near Tsuna's feet. "Stop dawdling around and get moving. Let's go see him." he commanded.

Quickly, they changed clothes. Tsuna didn't even think about taking a bath or even eating breakfast. The sun wasn't even out yet though its rays started peeking. He took a quick wash on his face and a quick gargle. After he dried his face with a towel, he just shoved it over his bed and then hurriedly ran down the stairs. Quietly, he sneaked out of their house and dashed towards the hospital. As they were running, Reborn noticed that Tsuna seemed to be leaping the rest of the way. "Tsuna! How was Dino?" he dared ask.

Tsuna's face looked even graver as he heard his question. "Gokudera-kun's voice...was shaking..." he wheezed. "This was like...when Yamamoto was attacked...during the quarrel with Shimon..."

"But this time, it's not Shimon." Reborn reassured Tsuna, but it didn't do well to relieve him of his tension.

=/=

By the time when the hospital emerged on their sight, Tsuna remembered the horror of almost losing Yamamoto. He recalled Yamamoto's face that time, and the damage to his body. He pleaded for Dino's survival and wellness as if God wasn't able to hear him.

As soon as they reached the emergency room's location, Gokudera, Yamamoto and Romario met them. Romario was all wrapped up with bandages and was in a wheelchair too. Tsuna, terrified with Romario's condition, quickly ran towards the said room. As soon as he opened it, he saw the doctors and nurses squirming around Dino. As they hurriedly put the oxygen over his mouth, performing methods that would at least take him away from death's door, the doctors looked frantic.

Dino was bloody all over. His face looked pale and it seemed he wasn't breathing anymore.

Tsuna froze as if his heart stopped beating. His feelings violently swirled.

The nurses who noticed him quickly pushed him away, and tried reassuring him that they'd do whatever they can to save him. Tsuna, unable to contain his fright, cried and hollered as he was pulled away from the room and the door shut close.

"Dino..." Reborn muttered under his breath. His squeaky voice trembled in anger.

Tsuna gazed at the door of the emergency room. Gokudera, sitting on a chair with his hand under his chin and fingers crossed, was gritting his teeth and wasn't able to say a word. Even Yamamoto, leaning against the wall near Gokudera's seat, with his arms crossed, and was always carefree whose smile never faded away from his face, couldn't even utter something. They didn't know what to say to comfort him. Especially they knew how upset Tsuna was when something like it happened during the quarrel with the Shimon Family. Now that it was repeated, and it looked more fatal and disastrous, they figured Tsuna is severely heartbroken and on the verge of breaking. They felt restless and fearful as they thought so hard as to think of a way to soothe his stress. If they don't hurry and think of anything and started acting, surely, Tsuna would break.

Romario approached him. "Vongola Decimo... We're sorry to have caused you trouble." he apologized. His voice was shaking and his tone suggested his despair. Tsuna slowly turned to him and was still wearing his frightened face. Romario looked down. "We clearly outnumbered them, and they didn't possess any weapon that could go against our rings and flames but..." Teardrops bit by bit soaked his slacks. "We were wrong. We failed to protect our boss." he quietly wept.

"Romario, don't fret." Reborn, holding a phone near his ear, spoke. "I already told the Ninth. The Medical Staff of Vongola is coming via sonic jet planes. We'll make sure our allied family's boss survives." he declared as he kept the mobile. "They'll come in time. They'll be able to save him."

"Reborn!" Tsuna yelled both in anger and fright. They all turned to him, Romario's face was wet with tears, and the rest wore restless faces. "I didn't know Dino-san was in Japan! Why is he even here?"

Reborn slightly tilted his fedora and covered his face as if avoiding Tsuna's eyes.

"We're here for investigation." Romario interrupted. He wiped his tears away with his arm, and his face, scowling. "Another family wants Vongola out of the Mafia World." he revealed.

They gasped. Another serious problem has sprung.

"Tenth..." Gokudera broke in. "I...really don't want to and it hurts my pride too but..." he gazed into Tsuna's eyes. He then looked at Yamamoto, Romario, and Reborn respectively. "Let's ask for help... Let's ask Enma...and his Shimon Family for assistance." he declared. His shaking voice indicated a slight hint of hesitation though, but his determination surfaced from his tone.

"I refuse!" Tsuna protested. "I won't allow any more damages... I won't allow anymore of my friends to get hurt!" His surging rage was mixed with sheer determination which kindled his 'flame' without taking any dying will bullet or dying will pill. "I'll go, and settle this myself!" he declared.

"No, Dame-Tsuna!" Reborn landed a swift kick on Tsuna's face but he managed to withstand it and to remain standing firm in his place, though his head remained turned. The baby then took ground before him. "Don't act too rashly! You're doing exactly what the enemy wants! You're already falling prey to their laid trap! How are you going to settle it without even knowing who did it?" his squeaky voice reverberated through the area.

Silence...

Tsuna's flame shrivelled and slowly died out, leaving a trail of smoke slowly vanishing in the air. He hesitantly turned his head and look at Reborn, for his eyes were already welling up with tears. "But I..." he sobbed. "I'm afraid!" he finally voiced out. His teary eyes gazed at Reborn's. "I'm afraid, Reborn!" his friends and even Romario quietly looked down and gritted their teeth. They couldn't stand the look on his face. They were unable to accept the fact that they couldn't help Tsuna, whose shoulders were already too heavy for him to even move.

Forced of becoming the boss of the strongest and largest family, Tsuna has met and befriended so many people, good and bad, and he treasured each and every one of them, friend or villain. They didn't notice how much pain it inflicted him whenever one of them was hurt or was put to danger. They didn't notice that he blamed himself for every problem that occurred and for every damage that has been done. He carried all of it himself, trying to protect those he loved and he cared for.

Reborn kept quiet as Tsuna continued, and was still sobbing.

"I'm afraid... Reborn..." his voice has weakened, and he started shaking. He wrapped his arms around him. "I'm afraid that I might lose my friends... I'm afraid of putting Enma in more trouble. He's been through a lot already. I... I can't involve him with this kind of thing! And...my friends..." he started to shiver violently and his voice shook intensely. "If our enemy truly wants to take down Vongola, even Kyoko-chan and the others might get involved! I don't want to risk any of them! I'm afraid to risk my friends!"

"So you're saying you can't bet your pride on it?"

They were startled. It was a familiar voce but knowing whose voice it belonged, they figured it was not so realistic. The softness and weakness of the tone, followed by a huffing sound, he must've run a reasonable distance. They twirled their heads towards the man. He was breathing heavily, his body slouched, his hand resting on one knee while the other clutched his chest, his knees shaking in exhaustion and he was covered in wounds and scratches. Seeing his red hair and crimson eyes whose pupil engraved similar symbol as his ring's crest, they were shocked.

"E-ENMAA?"

The sound of cascading water gradually faded as Inori spun its switch. She then grabbed for the towel hanging beside it and dried herself. Wrapping it around her body, she went out of the shower and proceeded out of the bath.

She opened her closet and was about to reach for her school uniform when she remembered she's already late for school.

She bit her lip. She wanted to see Haru.

She took out a plain black one-piece dress with a pink ribbon hanging below the dress's bust. After wearing her underwear first, she then put on the dress. She advanced towards the mirror and took her hair brush then combed her hair. She then tied them into pigtails and finished it with a clip.

After gazing at herself on the mirror, she decided to leave. She opened the door and found Gai standing in front of her. He looked like he was about to knock. She was about to open her mouth when Gai thrust a photograph in front of her face, which in turn muted her. A teenage boy with red hair, crimson eyes with a peculiar symbol, and band-aids over the bridge of his nose and on either side of his cheeks was in it. He looked gloomy in the picture.

"He's our next target." he declared. Inori just nodded. "When do we kill him?"

"We weren't ordered to kill him though." Gai moved to the living room and slumped himself on the sofa. He stretched his arm on the chair's back support and examined the image once more. "That brat said we investigate him."

Inori closed the door behind her and followed him. "Where do we find him?"

"He's a student of Shimon Middle School, but apparently, he's moved here in Namimori Town and is now entering Namimori Middle School because of the recent earthquakes." he threw the picture towards the desk in front of him. "He looks so young and incapable, I can't believe a word that brat told me." he grumbled. His face formed a frown. "His exact orders were: to investigate the man in the photo and to figure out his motives. According to that Mafia brat, that gloomy guy on the picture is a Mafia Boss, and their sources had little information about his family."

"And if we accomplish it?"

"He said nothing, which means we're not to touch him and his family members. We just have to report our findings." he leaned forward and looked at Inori. He narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "By the way, our client wasn't pleased with the outcome of our mission earlier."

Inori held a straight face.

"But he said it was fine, so no worries." he slightly grinned. "I knew it would happen though, so don't fret, Inori." he unexpectedly giggled. "When I saw the target's face, I knew I shouldn't take you, especially you were happy yesterday."

"Gai... What do you mean?"

"You're aware of happiness, and our last target, that blonde was smiling in that photo. I figured you'd hesitate to do the job." he calmly explained as he gazed at her. Inori looked down blushing. She felt embarrassed for a job failed. She cared deeply of obeying Gai's orders, and now that she had failed to perform them, she felt guilty. "Gai, I'm so-"

"Sorry won't cut it." he broke off her sentence, his voice was commanding. She was startled, and felt upset with Gai's reply. Gai stood up and patted her shoulders which surprised her once more.

"Is what you thought I'd say but actually, I was glad you refused to comply with my orders." his voice was soft and calm. He was also smiling. "Though, I was a bit shock myself too." he slightly giggled. He moved across the living room and opened the cabinet beside the television. He took out some documents and put them in the desk.

"If you did kill him, I'd feel guilty for it." he said as he went for the sofa and took his seat. "He's our target, yes, but only because we're employed and were commanded to do so, but I have other plans in mind." he grinned at Inori before he searched through the pile of papers. "That brat who bosses us around does pay well but, I sense something elusive from him. He's trying to do something, but he won't spit it out." he beamed as he found what he was looking for. He took it and presented it to Inori. Her eyes widened as she saw the written document. "See that? He's lying, and he's trying to use us Undertakers, which is his greatest mistake."

Tsuna and his gang went to school. Since they arrived late, they received a little beating from Hibari Kyoya. They didn't say a word about Dino though, because knowing him, he'd just go and seriously kill him. But most likely, he might go off somewhere and investigate by himself. Definitely, though he won't admit it, he'd go find the culprit and bite them to death.

=Earlier that same day...=

"Enma! You're covered with wounds! What happened? Were you attacked too?" Tsuna asked nervously. His fear cannot be contained.

"Well..." he huffed. "I was eating this takoyaki...and a dog tried to steal it. I tried to run away but they multiplied. I didn't know where they came from, and I got bitten..." he explained as he wheezed. "So...I decided to see a doctor first..." he finished.

Silence...

"Honestly, what's with you?" Gokudera, breaking the silence slightly giggled.

Yamamoto chuckled. "Enma, I didn't know you always go to school so early."

"By the way, Tsuna-kun, why are you here? And who's that man in wheelchair, someone you know?" Enma innocently asked. Unaware of the seriousness of the situation they're in; he just made the atmosphere heavier after his entrance.

"Enma, how much have you heard...?" Tsuna's voice was still shaking. Enma looked at him with worried eyes. "... 'I'm afraid to risk my friends' is what I've heard so far..."

=/=

Reborn and the others did not say a word. Everyone was quiet too until Tsuna explained everything to him and all those times, he was shaking. He understood how Tsuna felt, since the same thing has happened to their family since their first boss continuously, but not until now. He consoled him.

"So, Tsuna-kun, don't be afraid to risk your friends. We're not just endangering ourselves just because you decided too, we're risking our lives to also protect you, our friend." he calmly said. "Put your pride on the line. Don't be afraid, Tsuna-kun. We can handle ourselves." he looked at Tsuna since he was quiet and noted that his quivering had slightly regressed. "Let me help." he finally voiced out. Tsuna gasped and looked at Enma wide-eyed. His face clearly displayed his fear, and he's implying that he refuses the idea.

Enma insisted. "I...I want to fight...to protect my friends too!" he declared. Tsuna's eyes widened in both shock and admiration. "Tsuna-kun, let me fight side by side with you! Let me help!" he continued. Though Enma was timid, his crimson eyes shined with pure determination. Tsuna brushed away his shameful look and drew a small smile on his face. He nodded, and as soon as they were settled, Reborn suggested them to go to school, since they still had time. Reborn remained to stay and watch Dino and his family member survivors.

To be continued...

A/N: Yay, I managed to make this chapter much longer than the previous one! Hooray! x)

So, wondering about the Funeral Parlor's skill? Let me answer it now, they don't have any ring nor flame power. Their plain fighters here and since there is no void genome and virus and of course, no Endlaves, I figured they'd be helpless against the Mafia sooo~ I decided todo something about it but it can wait. I'll tell you on my next chapters for sure~

Oh, I want to apologize since my story seemed to be slow but please be patient. I'm trying to weave everything into place so, yeah, sorry again.

Anyways, look forward for the next chapter! Please feel free to suggest or anything, I do need some help too~