"...I...I killed him?"

Tsuna stared at his hands in shock. They were smeared with blood and dirt. The white of his mittens was now indistinguishable. In desperation, he clawed at them and threw them to the ground.

"Juu...Juudiame?"

Gokudera placed a hand on his boss' shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. He felt the small arm trembling for a second before Tsuna shook him off. He brushed his hand away and started running for the door. He had to get away from everything - the stench of death filled his nose as his feet stumbled over the earth.

His guardians watched him go in silence.

Finally, Gokudera spoke up, "We all make mistakes..."

Ryohei looked at him dubiously and Mukuro chuckled quietly in the background. Yamamoto was still staring at the former enemy boss on the ground when Hibari addressed everyone's thoughts.

"Mistakes, yes - but that was no accident, Herbivore"

Gokudera turned to him with a fist raised, "What are you saying?"

"Did you not see Sawada's face when he struck the killing blow? I hardly think it was unintentional. Our boss has become-"

"SHUT UP!"

Hibari halted with surprise. He'd never heard Gokudera - or any other herbivore for that matter - take such a tone with him.

"My - no, our boss is not a killer! He would never do such a thing on purpose!" When no one responded, Gokudera's anger increased, "What is wrong with you people? You call yourself the Juudaime's guardians? How can you-"

"Gokudera..." Yamamoto's voice was quiet but it cut straight through Gokudera's rage, "Gokudera, I think...I think we're all just a little shocked. None of us expected Tsuna to...to..."

Gokudera lowered his head, "Yeah, I know"

"None of us are turning against him, Gokudera. We just...need time. So does he," Ryohei's voice was heavy.

Gokudera nodded slowly before reaching for the gloves that Tsuna had dropped and proceeding out the back door of the warehouse. Hibari had disappeared before anyone had time to discuss his opinions further and Mukuro left with a cheery 'later'.

Yamamoto was still standing silently next to the ravaged body. Ryohei joined him by his side wearily and spoke quietly, "The boss is changing, huh"

"Yeah, no kidding"

Ryohei clapped him on the shoulder before making his way out the door after Gokudera.

Yamamoto let a few more minutes pass by before moving. What was this feeling? It wasn't sadness...or fear...or anything. He had just seen his boss - his friend - burn the flesh of another human being to cinders: so why wasn't he afraid?

Everything was changing.