Chapter 6: The Femmes of Gula & Invidia

"Hey Haru!" Tsuna greeted with a smile as he walked over to where she had paused to wait for him. She smiled brightly as he approached. "What are you up to?"

"Ah! Haru just thought to go and get some cake since Haru had a sudden urge for it." She answered with a somewhat awkward smile, like nothing could make her happier than getting the said cake. "Would Tsuna-san like to come?"

Tsuna opened his mouth to decline only to pause and rethink his answer. If he went with he could question her, making it seem more casual. "Uh, sure."

"Aiee! Haru is so happy!" The girl exclaimed happily before hooking her arm through his and leading him to walk to the cake shop.

Tsuna walked with her in silence for a few minutes before starting a light conversation. "Err, how was school?"

"Good! We had some tests today and lunch was a little weird but Haru did her best!" She said with a smile as she leaned into him so a group of elementary kids didn't run her down as they went running past, chasing each other and laughing. "How was school for Tsuna-san?"

"Weird." Tsuna answered honestly, thinking about his friends again before a shudder took over when he thought of Hibari. "Hey, have you seen Lambo, I-Pin, or Bianchi-san today?"

Haru shook her head slowly before gasping in excitement and dragging Tsuna to the cake shop's entrance and pulling him inside. He was relieved when she released him, though a little disappointed at the news she hadn't seen the others. So she wouldn't know but maybe she noticed something strange anyway? Couldn't hurt to ask.

"Hey Haru, have you noticed anything strange since yesterday? With anyone? Like Reborn or Gokudera-kun?" He asked slowly as he stared off to the side.

"Haru would like that one! Eh? With Reborn and Gokudera? No, not really." Haru replied with a thoughtful frown before turning back to the clerk. "No, no! All of it please. Why do you ask Tsuna-san?"

Tsuna turned to absentmindedly look at the cake she was getting before replying. "Well, they were acting weird at school today. Everyone was."

He hoped she understood 'everyone' to mean Ryohei, Yamamoto, and Hibari as well and not the whole school population.

"Ooh! This one too!" Haru pointed to the one she wanted before looking back at Tsuna, dark eyes concerned. "Weird? How so? Is there an illness going around?"

"Uh..." Tsuna paused to think about that for a second, scratching his cheek lightly. "Not that I know of. Besides it wasn't like they were sick. They were acting...mmm, out of character."

"Ah? Well, everyone has an off day?" She shrugged, not seeming to grasp that they were acting really weird. "No! All of it—the whole thing!"

Tsuna listened to Haru argue with the clerk for a minute. "I suppose that's true but they were really weird. Well, mainly Yamamoto and Hibari-san."

He shuddered again, remembering the skylark's kiss and how his hands had moved over his body.

Haru giggled as she pulled the distracted Tsuna to check out. "Aren't those two strange to begin with?"

"Yeah, but—eh! Haru? Are you having a party?" Tsuna asked curiously as he noticed the three whole cakes she had. Usually she just got a slice or two for herself.

"Hmm? No. Haru wanted cake so...would have gotten more but don't have enough money—ah Tsuna-san! You want to buy a cake for Haru, don't you? Please?" She begged as she suddenly latched on his hands, looking him in the eye.

He just stared, confused. She was going to eat three whole cakes? By herself? Now Haru was just being weird too—oh no! Haru too? But—

"Tsuna-san?" Haru questioned when Tsuna didn't answer her.

"Haru, why do you want three cakes? Is that a bit excessive?" He asked with a worried frown.

"Haru wanted these cakes because she does!" Haru answered somewhat testily, an annoyed frown crossing her face. "Haru can have as much as she wants!"

Paying for her purchase, Haru collected her cakes and left without another word leaving Tsuna to stare in baffled silence. Huh? Shaking his head slowly he gave the clerk an apologetic smile, though he wasn't sure why, before leaving the shop as well. Had all of his friends suddenly lost it? Why? Was there something he did wrong? Reborn! He announced this break and then everything went weird. If Reborn was the cause then he had to be the solution too!

Gripping his bag tightly, face set, he took off toward home. Even if Reborn wasn't there when he arrived, he was bound to come home at some point.

If it wasn't for the fact he knew Ryohei didn't have an un-extreme bone in his body, he wouldn't make his sister worry like he had, Kyoko wasn't the best actress, Gokudera would never do anything to intentionally upset him, Yamamoto loved baseball too much, and Hibari would never be a part of it, he would have thought this was all a game. A trick, something to once again try to psyche him out. If only it could be but he knew it wasn't. It was more complicated than that. Because nothing in his life was ever that easy.

"Boss?"

"Hiiih!" Tsuna jumped almost a foot into the air at the soft call, blushing at his reaction before turning to see Chrome staring at him with polite surprise of her own. Why was Chrome here? And where were... "H-Hello Chrome-san! Where are...where are—"

"I'm sorry I startled you boss...are you okay?" Chrome interrupted softly with an apologetic frown.

"I—huh? Ah! No! It's fine! I'm fine!" Tsuna dismissed quickly with a wave of his hand. "Don't be sorry! Uh, what brings you here?"

Tsuna looked around to see where exactly 'here' was to see he was close to his neighborhood.

"I wanted…" Chrome suddenly frowned with insecurity as she looked down at her feet.

Tsuna was about to ask what was wrong when once again he noticed the lack of the other two: Ken and Chikusa. "Chrome, where are the others? Did something—"

"They don't know I'm here...I didn't want to worry them." Chrome trailed off slowly before a determined look fell over her face. "I wanted to talk to you, boss."

"Oh?" Tsuna felt his eyebrows rise in surprise. Well, that was different, though kind of nice. He didn't get to see her much. Smiling at her, he nodded. "Okay then."

Chrome stared at him for a second before blushing lightly. "Boss, can I show you something?"

"Sure." Tsuna smiled encouragingly to the girl. He wanted to be friends with Chrome so it was kind of a surprise that she'd have to ask. Plus she seemed normal enough.

Chrome looked around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, before blushing a little more as she gave a small nod of her slate blue head and brought small hands to her uniform top. Tsuna watched with curiosity before blushing brightly when he realized she was unbuttoning it.

"A-Ah! Chrome—what are you—y-you don't have to do that!" Tsuna squeaked, confused, as he quickly covered his eyes. What was she doing? And out in public no less! What if someone saw?

"Boss?"

At the sound of her soft, inquiring voice, Tsuna blinked. Peeking between his fingers he saw she was staring at him with curiosity, like he was the one behaving oddly. Unintentionally his eyes moved lower and he was surprised to see she had actually undone her uniform jacket, exposing the bare skin of her neck and chest though an undershirt kept anything private from view. Lowering his hands slowly, he stared at her now open jacked before meeting her eyes.

"Uh, what is—" Tsuna asked dumbly.

"Boss, look." Chrome said softly as she shrugged the jacket from her left shoulder before pulling the strap of the undershirt down as well.

Tsuna blushed again before noticing a large bruise-like mark just above her breast, next to her armpit. "Eh? Chrome-san, what happened?"

"I do not know...when I woke up this morning I felt weird and then I saw this. Mukuro-sama doesn't know what it is either, but there's something different." Chrome whispered mysteriously. "There is something in our subconscious and it grows stronger as time passes. Mukuro-sama has been able to isolate it in his only so far. Boss, I'm worried."

"Something in your subconscious?" Tsuna questioned with an uneasy feeling. First his friends and now he had this? "Wait, Mukuro has been able to isolate it? How?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but to keep it from effecting me he took it all onto himself." Chrome explained as she fixed her clothes. "I'm not really sure what it is."

Tsuna frowned thoughtfully. "It's trying to take over your subconscious? Like possess—is it a ghost?"

Oh how he hoped not! Just the thought made a shiver of apprehension race down his spine. He hadn't forgotten his little trip into the graveyard where he had met Romeo's ghost and it had tried to suck him and Lambo into the after world!

"Ghost? No, I don't think..." Chrome paused as if listening to something. "Maybe, though not the way you're probably thinking."

Tsuna arched a brow before realizing her pause was probably due to Mukuro. "Hey! You can still communicate with Mukuro—he's able to fight it?"

"I—boss! Look out!" Chrome gasped before jumping back.

Tsuna, instead of heeding the warning, stared dumbly after her before the crack of something sharp meeting his skin was heard followed by an almost mind-numbing pain in his cheek as hot blood spilled forth from the suddenly acquired injury.

Bringing a hand to his cheek in shock, he winced when it stung to touch it before being shoved roughly back, tripping and landing on his butt, something warm and heavy falling with him.

"Chrome-san!" Tsuna blinked when he realized it was her as she pulled away from him.

"Boss, are you okay?" Chrome asked with a small frown before turning to their attacker.

Tsuna turned as well and froze in fear and surprise when he met the familiar face of his friend and senpai. He was so different! There was no welcoming smile or calm serenity...only burning anger and a snarl. A snarl aimed at him.

He tensed in sudden alarm. He was going to be attacked by someone bigger and stronger than him again—and this time he didn't think it would end with confusing kisses and awkward groping. "D-Dino-san?"

-Chapter 6 End-

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Author's Note: Chapter 6 and you get to see three different people!

5/08/2017: This chapter has now been cleaned up and edited a little!