AN: Please take note that the inheritance ceremony I flashback to in this chapter has no connection to the one in the Manga. This story diverges completely on chapter 153 as did 'Blanco', my other related story. Therefore, anything that happened in the Manga after that point did not necessarily take place in this story's time-line.

Also, on top of regular warnings, this one will have some violence, some blood, some injury. Not too much. Consider yourself warned.

And last, Happy Birthday to Xanxus, it's supposedly tomorrow :] Mine will be the day after, so let the celebrations start early...

...as promised - the long awaited fourth.

Enjoy.

Breaking Dams

If someone were to hear about the fact that the heir to the world's most influential Family, the infamous Vongola the Tenth, was nothing but a peace loving, innocent teenager, they would probably have a hard time believing it. You see, Sawada Tsunayoshi was never the assertive one, all of his actions were in fact reactions and his every choice was practically always influenced by outside sources. That was just the way he was.

Therefore, he allows himself to be led by a leash and follow the path laid in front of him to turn into the fearsome Boss of his Family. In fact, by the time he will get to the point of being aggressive enough to lead with his own power, he would not be in a position to refuse or back out anymore. By that time, he would have too much of a responsibility to leave, too much authority to just throw away with no one but him to sit on the throne. That, and also his friends, the closest of his Family, will be too far inside the inner workings of the Mafia to go back to their old life.

The Sawada Tsunayoshi of this time, ten years into the future, the one the little Boss was fated to become, is someone respected long after his death. He was someone who gave up everything to see that his Family is protected. Those who knew him would always remember how painful it was for him to send people to danger and how he couldn't sleep until he knew they were back home, safe. How difficult it was for him to go against his nature and assert dominance over the other Families. To make sure he would not be underestimated, that he would not look weak and have that reflected on his people and make them targets to petty power plays.

That is exactly why, despite his kind nature, he would kill for his comrades, he would protect them with his life. He did protect them with his life. And that is also why Xanxus could never stop thinking about him.

The road that innocent kid made to become the ruthless protector of Vongola was inspiring in more ways than one. How, against all odds, through countless situations, the boy survived, triumphed and took over as the absolute commander of the massive Family. And Xanxus, as one who was placed under his control, had a front seat view to the phenomenal development, the creation of a Mafia Boss from nothing.

It started with a simple meeting.

July 1st, 20XX, Vongola Headquarters, Rome, Italy.

Short after the incident which was well known in the Family as 'The Ring Battles', the Varia group returned to Italy. It took them the better part of a year to get over their defeat and regain enough pride to look at their situation with calm consideration. With not many choices while under threats, the leader, and therefore the rest of the group, gave their reluctant acceptance to the new reign destined to follow the current one.

Accordingly, as a show of unity of the Family, Xanxus was asked to attend today's event. Standing and questioning all that took place to put him in this situation, he cursed under his breath once again as he looked across the fancy Vongola gardens, rumored to be second to none in the world. The big party was planned months in advance, with people from all continents, and his presence was crucial to the front the Family was trying to put on for the rest of the world. Not denying the internal fighting that took place, the Ninth and his advisers encouraged the rumors with their own lies, making the whole thing a planned tournament of a sort to see who will be the best heir of the two. The assassin's place in this crowd was to make it a known fact that despite his loss, he was still part of the Family, another of the pillars that hold Vongola and keep it strong.

"It is time, our respected guests, to welcome the one we all came here to honor. Please welcome Sawada Tsunayoshi, Vongola the Tenth."

Walking slowly in what was probably a well-rehearsed course, the guest of honor stepped down the stairs. He looked too small in his formal clothing and way too out of it to actually have the notion of what he was even doing there, getting announced formally as the heir of Vongola. But at the same time, the boy somehow managed to gather enough confidence not to falter in his steps. He knows what's at stake if he fails this test. It may also be because of the support from his pet of a Storm Guardian, following a step behind him as his right hand man.

Xanxus was still feeling a bit bitter and somewhat sour about the way the whole ring-fights scenario ended, but at this point, there was nothing to be done. Anything short of killing the boy would not do and to have that done after today would be more than just suicidal, it would be a sure death sentence to the former rebel of the family. An assassin that can't be kept in check is often seen as nothing but a rabid dog in need of being put down, and Xanxus was just that. Still though, for that tiny, scrawny, boy, to be his leader, his superior, was unbelievable. Had he known this would be his fate, to watch as a new era begins, one that he was not the one in control in, he would have planned his revolutions a lot more than he had originally. Perhaps delayed them until this time, when it would be legitimate to crush a weak boss before his time.

"A cute little thing he is, is he not?"

Breaking away from his musings, the scarred man turned his head towards the smug voice that belonged to someone he quickly recognized as one of the higher ranking officers in one of the Family's American allied groups. At some point he worked with this man on overseas 'affairs' but Xanxus did not care to remember his name.

"Little, yes. Cute? Tch. Maybe if you consider young boys to be your preference."

A sideways glance from the man told him he wasn't insulted by the assassin's insinuation. "Perhaps you are too blinded to appreciate the rarity of such potential and power, all inside one small body." licking his lips, the American's eyes gleamed when he looked at the boy."Someone that managed to overpower an experienced opponent such as you, especially in his young age, is worthy to take notice of."

Great, a creep. Coming from Xanxus who was ranked as the third creepiest Mafia member in the world, this was saying something. "Still doesn't mean he is good enough for my bed." Xanxus grumbled, turning his eyes to the young heir as Tsuna stood to accept the Ninth's blessing. Looking over the boy again, from his expressive eyes and quiet stuttering voice to his small feminine hands and short legs, he certainly looked like prey. But not the kind he would enjoy hunting.

Breaking away from the older man without waiting for a reply, Xanxus walked along the shadows. His place was within the darkness, an assassin, a cold blooded killer for his Family and the most terrifying creature to it's enemies. But, it being counterproductive to his being there this evening, Xanxus knew his time in secluded bliss would be short. He had to show his face after all.

Music, more guests, formality, the evening went on. It was when everyone gathered for the Ninth speech that a loud voice shouted across the crowd and disrupted the peaceful banquet. Like everyone, he turned to look at it's source. After that, everything moved fast, like many other things in his line of work.

"Leader of Vongola Family's Varia group, Xanxus, you are a monster in the shape of man and you will pay for the death of my husband!" pulling out a micro pistol from a shiny purse, the woman wasted no time in releasing the first bullet. Xanxus didn't appear affected as he felt it pass by the side of his head, it was not the first time someone decided to take revenge on him for something he did in his assignments for the Family.

'Easy.' he thought calmly, his hand already instinctively reaching to draw his own gun long before the woman had time to press her finger a second time. It was a practiced move for him, second only to breathing. Halfway through his movement, a body barreled into his side and pushed him out of concentration. At the same time another gunshot was heard and Xanxus hit the ground.

Somehow disoriented, the dark man looked at the body covering his.

"What the..." what sort of idiot would try to save him. HIM. Of all people. Who in their right mind would risk insulting the Varia leader by underestimating him through presuming he could not protect himself from a low threat such as this? "Who do you think you are? Huh, scum?!"

Wrapping his fingers in the still figure's hair, he pulled enough to see a pair of pained flame-bearing brown eyes closing. His breath stopped.

A moment of eternity was passing by him as Xanxus realized the one to jump in front of a bullet for him was none other than Vongola the Tenth, that idiotic, naive boy! The blood was soaking quickly into his own clothes and the man somehow knew there wasn't much time until Vongola's new heir will grow cold with death. It was with only his instincts guiding his hand, that Xanxus shot. He shot the frightened woman before anyone could comprehend what happened. Two shots and he turned his gun to the boy on top of him.

How much had he wanted this opportunity. 'Just pull the trigger.' an inner voice whispered, 'Pull it, and everything is yours. At the very last, you won't be serving Vongola under such a shameful leader.' the consideration took less than a second, enough time for the scarred man to know the voice didn't belong to his instincts, but his pride. So instead of pulling the trigger, he pushed the heated barrel of his gun onto the bleeding wound to burn it into a shape that wouldn't let the blood through. A moan was all he heard as the boy was probably far from fully conscious, and wasting no time, he flipped the small body to look for the exit wound. Shit. There was no exit wound. Only a doctor could fix this now and it had better be fast.

By the time the offender collapsed to the ground and he stopped the bleeding, people were already rushing to pull the boy from Xanxus and haul him to the resident doctor. Sitting up, the assassin looked unblinkingly at the almost lifeless body with his full attention, completely disregarding all the annoyances trying to talk to him.

It was on that day that Sawada Tsunayoshi received his first gunshot wound and later, scar, to 'save' Xanxus, of all things. It was on that day that Xanxus' loyalty to the Family was proven as he saved the young heir's life. It was on that day that an interest spiked, a bond was formed, a memory was created and some sort of new, twisted emotion was born.

And it was then, at that moment. When the obsession began.

Images of Gokudera's green eyes accusing him of betrayal were forced into his unaware and sleeping mind, the same way nightmares of this kind usually did. Not making any sense to a mind lacking the awareness to sense, the scene played out flawlessly, like reality itself, and made Tsuna toss and turn in his spider-web like bed. Cold sweat covered the Tenth's body as he looked down the bottomless pit of despair, watching as his friends and comrades fell without managing to help them in any way. His arms did not work, nor did his mouth as he tried calling their names repeatedly. He was only eyes, watching from afar, with no ability to shut himself down against the sight of his two best friends' torment. Screams woke him up, forcing his eyes open to find he was alone.

"They're safe." he mumbled to the darkness, "They are here, they are safe. Both, safe, they are safe." hugging his knees as he whispered assurances to himself until he stopped shaking, the boy thought of just the night before. It was then that he saw the other two stepping into the dining room. A long day it was, returning to base after the fighting and long before the day was over. Closing the last assignments took time and precious energy and running to dinner was the most Tsuna could have brought his body to do. And then he saw them.

A bit thinner than before, somewhat distracted and bearing an air of detachment around them, but Yamamoto and Gokudera were there. They were safe, they were back where they belong. The two didn't eat much and left early, so this morning after seeing they missed breakfast he went with the others to bring them some food.

"So embarrassing..." Tsuna whined, cheeks heating at the recalled memory of people laughing at his reaction to the mention of Xanxus. Slipping on his shoes, the young Vongola got up from the bed in his improvised room, which surprisingly enough, Reborn didn't share with him, and left to get some much needed water.

Banging sounds drifted across the deserted hallways of Underground Headquarters all the way from his destination. Curiously, Tsuna inched with a careful approach into the well-lit room to find himself face to fist with an enthusiastically training Ryohei. With a mindset still fresh from recent fighting, Vongola's heir dodged just in time to avoid having his nose broken.

"Big brother! What are you doing here so late?!" he questioned breathlessly, it was some time around midnight. Sure, not too late, but late enough after dinner that most would be long asleep by then. "And training, seriously!"

A sheepish grin on his bandaged face, the older boy rubbed the back of his head and backed from Tsuna. "Sorry, little bro. Didn't see you there, I thought I was the only one up at this time." Seeing the honest reaction, the young Boss was fast to reply.

"No! Uh... Don't apologize, I was just asking. Really." relaxing a bit more as the adrenaline began to wear off his body by the minute, Tsuna kept walking to get his water. "I was just a bit thirsty, but really, what are you doing here?"

The sound of water running filled the kitchen as Ryohei did the two things people rarely saw him do, both at the same time. Thinking silently. Almost as if contemplating whether to answer or not, the light haired Guardian let a sigh slowly escape his lips. Bandage wrapped fists clenched and lowering his head he answered, tone of voice like nothing Tsuna had ever heard from him before.

"Sometimes in Boxing, some people just have to quit."

He was leaning on the table, almost sitting on it as he placed both palms flat on the wooden surface behind him and looked up at the white ceiling. "I won't go into details, but after getting hit that one too many times, they just can't function properly when on the other side of a fist. They flinch uncontrollably, their reactions stop, and their vision tunnels. They need long treatments to fix this problem and even then it might stay with them for life. The damage could be irreparable, not just on the ring, but in everyday life as well. It doesn't have to be a fist that freezes you, it could be anything closing in on your private space that becomes too much for you to handle."

Quietly listening, Tsuna held his glass in both hands and wondered what Ryohei was getting to. This was the most he ever heard Ryohei talk.

"I've met some of those people, I saw how they changed from normal to half of who they were before." he closed his eyes against some sort of memory unknown to Tsuna. Whatever it was made him fold his fingers back into fists on the table. The semblance of a relaxed posture immediately broken by the small action.

"Yamamoto..." the confused eyes of Vongola's Sun met the Sky's brown ones when he lowered his head from the bright white above. "Yamamoto acted just like those people." he admitted.

Tsuna took a sharp breath. Leaning back on the counter, he let it support most of his weight. He thought Ryohei finished, but the other kept talking, as if not noticing his friend's shock.

"That type of reaction from someone like Yamamoto, his and Gokudera's injuries and their silence. It doesn't feel good to me." pain sparked in the normally bright eyes, "Getting hurt on the ring, you sign up for this, like in everything, stuff happens. But where they were, where the Millefiore took them. I... I don't think there was much fighting going on there, there were no rings."

"Big brother..."

Noticing the almost horrified expression on the younger boy's face, Ryohei shook his head with a small smile that looked more like a grimace than anything. "But what's done is done, and there is nothing we can do to change this." he said with a sense of finality that somehow managed to lighten the oppressive atmosphere that surrounded the duo. "They are safe now, and we can help them, that's what matters. And... I'm here at this hour,training, because it's monotone enough to relax me."

At the depth of the words and non-characteristic seriousness, Tsuna found himself a bit shaken. It seemed they all underestimated the extreme fighter. There was a lot more to his Guardian than he originally thought and he suddenly found himself a bit ashamed in thinking of Ryohei as nothing but a simple minded, loud person.

Not knowing what he could say to that, Tsuna finished his water and left the glass at the far side of the counter for tomorrow. "I think we should go to sleep, we still don't know what we are doing tomorrow." he offered, hoping to show to the other boy that maybe today was already stretching long enough for him. "What do you say?"

The ever-honest eyes met with his again, looking at least a bit lightened of the burden previously shown in them as the boxer agreed. With a nod of his head he pushed from the table and made his way to open the door. "I'll take you to your room, little brother." he said with care, knowing it was just two hallways from his own.

And so their short road back through the metal paths was set.

Uneventful, with silence after the heavy talk, short as it was, they walked and turned until they came to a stop in front of Tsuna's room. The figure leaning on the locked door proved they were not the only ones up at the time and Ryohei's confused glance went unnoticed as his companion choked and blushed brightly.

"Leave us."

Was that an order? The Sun Guardian looked carefully at Tsuna's reaction, then smiled softly at what he saw and ruffled the fluffy brown hair. "Goodnight, little brother, try to get some sleep as well." with that, he passed by Xanxus without looking back before he turned another the corner and left the two to their own devices.

4\6 Done :)

Well, I would just like to say that I'm aware there might be some inconsistencies in the story. Last chapter and this one were done in two different manners and on a completely different mindset. At some point I would probably come back to fix it, but at the moment I don't think it will be very productive. Hope it works out anyway.

And... I guess no reviews means I did something wrong. Still, I will finish this story regardless of any comments situation, I'll never hold updated from readers for recognition. But really, if something feels bad about the story, I can't really tell, so just write what you feel about it or I won't know.

I promised last chapter that the next two chapters (and therefore the story) will be completed and uploaded sometime within the next month. So expect them soon :]