Ch 5 Training
"Controlling a whip is not that easy. You might hit your friends or even yourself." Dino started his class. Hane, his subordinate Romario and him were at an open area near the hills. He specifically chose this comfortable, relaxing venue with mild temperature for Hane.
"Don't you mean yourself, Dino-nii?" Hane giggled and taunted.
Embarrassment flickered in Dino's eyes. He scratched his head and replied, "Romario is here. It won't happen!"
He drew a piece of rope out fromthe outer pocket of his jacket and handed it to Hane, "So it's best to practise with this first. Now try to hit that cross on the rock over there."
"Okay." Hane took the rope and inhaled deeply. She stared at the spot and put all her concentration on it and her right hand, then flicked-
"Ouch!" Dino's face was hit and he groaned in pain, covering it with his palms.
"I'm so sorry!" Hane rushed close to check on him. "Are you okay, Dino-nii?"
"Yea, I should probably stand over here." Dino rubbed his now rope-marked left cheek and walked until he was ten feet away from Hane. "Okay try again." He yelled.
"Alright." Hane raised her hand and started to focus again. This time, she did hit the rock, but far from the cross. She tried again. Slightly closer to her target.
"You lagging behind, Baka-Hane."
Hane was startled by Reborn's sudden appearance(and so did Dino) She moaned, "When did you get here?"
"I've been here since the very beginning." Reborn grinned and replied.
Hane's eyes widened, "Seriously? Where were you?"
"I was a tree." Reborn answered with a cunning smile. "Looks like you need a little push to get it right."
Hane was immediately alarmed. She stared at Reborn with nervousness in her eyes and her whole body tightened up. "Don't you have your own student to teach?"
"He's training with Basil." Reborn whipped out a set of machines. "You miss once, I blow you up once. You may use your power to minimize the effect, but I'll set off three extra bombs for training purpose. That's fair, isn't it?"
"What?!" Hane wailed, and Dino was instantly reminded of his miserable life with Reborn when the same thing happened every time he did a math question wrongly.
"Start or I'll bomb you now."
And Hane flung the rope out. Thankfully, she hit the target this time.
"I told you all you needed was a little push." Reborn said, and ordered Dino to hand her a whip. "Now use the whip, same rule."
She followed, and of course, missed. Reborn bombed her, and a dozen times more until she hit the cross accurately five times in a roll.
"I'll let you be for today." Reborn finally nodded. "Now it's time to practise your Zero Shield."
"...What's my Zero Shield?" Hane wiped off the sweat on her face and asked.
"Your ability to block a flame attack by emitting the wave of None around your hand to dissolve flame energy." Reborn replied. "None shield would be a stupid name so I decided to name it Zero Shield."
"Why do I need a name for it?" Hane grumbled.
"Because then I wouldn't be repeating "Practise your thing that blocks a flame attack by emitting your wave of None around your hand to dissolve flame energy" every time I need you to practise." Reborn glared at her. "We'll need Tsuna and Basil's help for this, but before that I'd like you to think of the possibility of a new technique."
And that got Hane interested. She had only been thinking about merely blocking attacks whenever she needed, and didn't really consider methods to use it in better ways. She was not into fighting.
"Is it possible to extend the area of effect?" Reborn said. "For now you concentrate them around your hands, but if you could extend them, you can create a flame-free area and protect your allies."
"But then I'll need great power to be emitting wave constantly." Hane pondered. "And the people within the area would be affected too."
"Here's what I'm thinking." Reborn sat down and drew on the ground. "What you have to do now is to extend the area to as large as possible, and doing it as quickly as possible. When there's massive attack, you emit large extensions of waves at an instant to protect everyone, just for that second.
"You're right!" Hane exclaimed, but then got confused. "But, why are you so concerned about flame attacks? The only ones who could do that are Xanxus and Tsuna."
"Not for long." Dino said, frowning. "I have gathered some information, and I have a feeling that very soon, Vongola would not monopolize flame ability."
"Alright, I'm on it!" Hane agreed, and though she would not say it out loud, but she very much felt like Reborn was a genius.
Reborn bought them to where Tsuna and Basil were practising. The latter was still energetic, but Tsuna was already so exhausted that he was lying on the ground moaning whining in pain.
"I'm back, Dame-Tsuna. Are you slacking"
"Hiieee!" Tsuna hopped up in panic. "Reborn! Dino-san! Hane-chan!"
"You're going to fight Baka-Hane." Reborn ordered.
"Stop calling me Baka!" Hane protested, and was ignored.
"Ehhhh! Fight Hane-chan?" Tsuna looked at Hane with his harmless brown eyes.
"Don't go easy on him." Reborn reminded, and shot Tsuna with the bullet.
Tsuna's flame lightened up. His eyes were crystal-clear orange burning with resolution, showing his astounding strength and calmness. Hane was very much amazed by how much potential Tsuna had. Under his weak, cowardice look hid the will to protect his family. He was like an entirely different person. A true mafia boss.
Hane knew that beating him was not as easy as she thought it would be. She took a glance at Reborn, and again secretly admitted that he was an excellent mentor. She tightened her whip and charged in, her whip flinging across Tsuna's waist. He easily avoided it and tried to give her a flame-strengthed punch. Hane held out her left hand and directly took it on. Tsuna's flame on his right hand was extinguished, and he panicked a little, yet swiftly propelled himself with his left flame and pushed Hane backwards against the cliff. She softly yelped, but attacked again, this time aiming at Tsuna's stomach. It hit him and he groaned in pain, throwing his left fist against her. She ducked under Tsuna's arm and struck his shoulders with her elbow. Tsuna bore that hit and turned around, this time flinging his flames across her face. She dissolved it at total ease.
Hane threw a piece of rock at Tsuna with her whip, but Tsuna battered it into shattering pieces with a simple blow. He flew and in an instant, he was at her back. Hane knew he was behind her but could not respond quickly enough. She took a hit at her back. To minimise the effect, she rolled over to Tsuna's side, and by the way, gave him a heavy kick. It sent Tsuna right to the cliff. Rocks tumbled down-though not because of her kick but because of Tsuna's flames banging at the stones. Before Tsuna could react, her whip had reached him again.
"Ahhh!" Tsuna's flames finally went out.
"You're still not good enough, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn commented. "But not too bad. I'll call it a day."
"How am I gonna beat Xanxus if I can't even beat Hane?" Tsuna wailed in desperation.
"Hane is more well-trained than you are, and she had an advantage over flame users." Reborn slightly encouraged him. "You cannot beat Xanxus at this state yet, but you're getting there.
"Yea, Tsuna-kun. You did really well. A dozen times better than I thought you would." Hane patted his shoulders. Tsuna gave her a weak smile, not sure whether he should be happy or feel looked down at.
"Jaa, see ya, Tsuna-kun!" Hane waved goodbye, then had Dino and Romario bring her back to Hibari's home.
