AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for your patience. Chapter 5 of Oncoming Storm is here for your reading pleasure (I hope).

This chapter introduces a few new things and also introduces a few old friends from Haru's Resolve. I have to admit I always feel a bit of uncertainty when I post a big battle scene, but they're always so much fun to write ^_^

Thank you to everyone that has read this story so far and I hope you're enjoying it. The next update should be up sometime between now and April 17th and then I will likely be returning to the every other week schedule I was keeping previously.

As always, Katekyo Hitman Reborn! isn't mine, it belongs to Amano-sensei. All the original characters and the story line are a product of my imagination.

Thanks for reading (and reviewing if you've time ^_^).

Please look forward to my next update.

Target 05-02: The Lightning Ring

The Underground hadn't changed since Haru had initially come to it with Dani what felt like years before, the visible weaponry, the screaming vendors, the multinational crowd, but it wasn't nearly as scary as it used to be. Haru glanced up at Gokudera and saw a scowl starting to form. "You knew this was here and you haven't told us anything about it?" he demanded, glaring at Haru.

Haru lifted her chin and met his eyes. "It's a secret I'm being trusted to keep and I didn't have permission to share it," she said. "Besides, I bet Reborn-san probably already knows about it."

"He does," Madame Cho confirmed. "He hasn't chosen to tell you for reasons of his own, you would do well to back down."

Gokudera took a deep breath and forced his temper down as the two women led the way through the crowd. His eyes were everywhere at once, taking in the various shops, weapons, and people and inwardly shaking his head. This was not a place he expected to find underneath the quiet town that Namimori appeared to be.

"You didn't think the Vongola chose to put a potential heir here for no reason at all, did you, Gokudera-san?" Madame Cho asked.

"Well, I…" Gokudera trailed off.

"You'll find a Vongola face further down the strip," Madame Cho added. "But I wouldn't suggest looking right now. This way, please."

Gokudera stuck close to Haru as they followed Madame Cho down the street. "Who exactly is Madame Cho?" he finally asked quietly, leaning in close to Haru's ear to be heard.

"The Thirteenth Head of the Hanatachi Clan," Haru replied.

"Holy shit."

Haru giggled at his exclamation then abruptly sobered. "My mother was a member of the Hanatachi Clan before I was born."

"I thought you said your mother was an elementary school teacher," Gokudera said.

"She was," Haru replied. "I didn't find out about this part of things until over the winter."

They stopped outside of a rundown shop with a depiction of a butterfly being stabbed through with a needle on the sign. The sign still gave Haru pause as her mind reconciled what she knew of the Hanatachi Clan to its meanings, but they were a Mafia affiliate. She shuddered again as she saw the gun pointed at her in her mind's eye and shoved the thought defiantly aside. She couldn't let that get to her right now.

"Are you okay?" Gokudera asked as Madame Cho opened the door and walked in, holding it open just long enough for the younger two to get by the edge of the door without it slamming in their face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, this is familiar territory," Haru said and a brilliant smile lit her face as a woman in full facepaint emerged from the back. "Akai!"

The woman started and then smiled back. "It's been a while, Haru, how are you? And who is this visitor? Your boyfriend?"

Haru's eyes went wide and she shook her head vehemently. "This is Gokudera, he's Tsuna-san's right hand man. He's a friend."

She used the word 'friend' a bit uncertainly; she wasn't exactly sure what to call the silver-haired hitman to be honest. Some days they got along well and she did consider him a friend, but, other days, they were at each other's throats and she never wanted to acknowledge his existence again. Then there was the factor that he was her teacher in the intricacies of the Mafia world—did one consider one's teacher a friend?

"Please treat me kindly, Gokudera-san, I am Akai," her tutor said and bowed.

"Good afternoon," Gokudera said with an awkward bow, not quite sure what to do with all the Japanese formality.

"We'll be going to the back conference room Kenta," Cho informed the man behind the counter. "Please send word to Giannini that the Vongola Storm Guardian is meeting with us on his own terms. I wouldn't want the Vongola to mount an unnecessary rescue party. There are other things that they need to keep their eye on."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kenta nearly hit his head on the counter and Haru shook her head and caught the sleeve of Gokudera's jacket. "This way."

"I wouldn't call it my own terms, I don't even know how the hell we got here," Gokudera grumbled.

"The Vongola have their own way to get here," Madame Cho said, glancing at the teenagers over her shoulder, "as do all Famiglia and Clans that reside here. Most of the shop fronts are just for cover including the Vongola Machinist Shop."

They headed down the hall to the door with the intricately carved butterfly Haru remembered and she stepped ahead to open it for the Hanatachi Clan Head and Cho gave her a smile and allowed her to do so. She continued holding it for Gokudera and the teenaged boy looked down at her questioningly. "It's called being polite to one's teachers," Haru said. "Get in there. The door's heavy."

Gokudera passed the rest of the way in and Haru followed, the door shutting behind her. Madame Cho settled gracefully at the head of the table and gestured at a couple chairs next to her. "Please, be seated. We are awaiting two others."

Haru looked at Madame Cho questioningly as they sat down. "Dr. Tanpopo?"

"For one," she smiled. "The other is one who will prove useful to you and the current problem we're facing."

There was a knock at the door and it opened revealing a boy that was nearly their age, at least Haru thought it was a boy. He stood just a little taller than her with black hair that fell just past his shoulders and crystal blue eyes that seemed to crinkle in a perpetual smile. "Good afternoon, Madame," he said bowing deeply at the leader of the Hanatachi clan.

"Welcome Nakayama-san, please, take a seat, I will offer introductions in a moment," the Madame smiled at him. "Thank you for coming on short notice."

"It was my pleasure," the boy murmured.

A few minutes later the door opened again and Haru greeted the butter-haired doctor with a smile. "Thank you for coming, Dr. Tanpopo. I'm sorry I couldn't treat you to tea at the café today as I promised," Madame Cho said.

"We'll have to get tea another day then," Tanpopo smiled. "You're looking well, Haru. I haven't seen you in a few weeks."

"I've managed to avoid injury for the time being," Haru said with a smile that immediately died as she remembered what happened on the way to the meeting.

Gokudera watched the new people and the Madame and moved in closer to Haru on instinct as the dark-haired boy's eyes rested on Haru for a moment then turned to Madame Cho. "Miura-san, Gokudera-san, please meet Nakayama Yukihiro-san. Nakayama-san, Miura Haru-san and Gokudera Hayato-san."

Nakayama bowed from his seat, a smile flashing across his fine-featured face. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Please treat me kindly."

Haru bowed herself and repeated the pleasantries and Gokudera mumbled something that could pass for a greeting, but he did not relax even when Akai brought in tea before Madame Cho finally addressed the matter they'd come to talk about.

"There have been rumors of a lot of foreign strangers moving into our territory here in Namimori and we've suffered at least three losses at their hands so far," Madame Cho said. "The intelligence net here in Namimori leaves much to be desired as we have yet to find out who exactly these people are and what their primary target is. Nakayama-san is the son of a dear friend and ally of mine and he's been very kind to offer his services to help us get to the bottom of this."

"My family has been in the information trade for generations," Nakayama said. "We are happy to offer our assistance to get these foreigners off our beloved soil. I only just arrived a little over a week ago and have only started to get the framework of the network in place. It will take a few days to finalize the details, I do hope you will be patient with me."

"Why did they send you to Namimori?" Gokudera scowled.

Nakayama smiled. "Because I'm the best they had available. I do assure you, despite my age, I am quite capable of taking care of what needs to be done."

He turned a brilliant smile on Haru. "I am looking forward to working with you, Miura-san," he said and then directed a darker look at Gokudera. "You have little room to speak, Gokudera-san, did you not nearly allow your junior to be shot merely an hour ago?"

"Hahi!"

Haru's gasp echoed in the room and her hand flew to her mouth as she looked at Nakayama who smiled at her. "That is merely a glimpse at my skills Miura Haru-san. I would be careful on your way home today; the shopping district is turning into a dangerous place."

A silence fell over the room and then the doctor cleared her throat, looking between Nakayama and the young Vongola.

"I will be serving as one of the liaisons between Nakayama-san and your group, Haru," Dr. Tanpopo said. "Please be sure to let all those involved know where to find me. My clinic is santuario; it should provide a safe enough place for information to be exchanged without compromising any of our networks."

The teenagers nodded and Haru couldn't help but keep sneaking looks at Nakayama before dragging her attention back to the meeting.

It was getting dark when Haru and Gokudera emerged into the shopping district and, after removing the blindfold, Kenta bowed to Gokudera and Haru. "Be safe on your way home," he said and vanished into the dispersing crowds.

"I don't like that Nakayama," Gokudera growled. "How the hell did he know about that?"

"I don't know, but we're going to need all the help we can get if we want to help Tsuna-san fulfill his mission for Kudaime," Haru said and shivered a bit, her eyes going to the gathering clouds on the western horizon. "We'd better get back, it's going to storm soon."

Gokudera nodded and the two made their way towards Haru's house, Gokudera would be damned if he was going to let Haru walk by herself at least this evening. She seemed to have recovered most of her equilibrium in the meeting, but every now and again he'd see a barely discernible shudder shake her form. Finally, he caught her arm and she glanced up at him in question.

"It's okay to be scared," he finally said after a long moment of silence between them, "but you can't let it keep you from functioning."

"I know," Haru said. "I need to get back to the house, Chrome-chan is coming over to study for the Takanamori exam with me tonight."

Gokudera released her arm and stuffed his hands in his pocket spitting on the ground behind her as she started walking. "Stupid woman," he muttered, his eyes on her back.

Haru focused on the sidewalk ahead of her, remembering to look around as Gokudera had reminded her to, but her mind was racing a million miles per hour as she tried to reconcile everything that had happened so far today.

Both were so preoccupied they were caught completely by surprise as the ground beneath their feet exploded.

Haru was the first to regain her feet and her hands immediately dipped into the outer pocket of her bag to pull out her "playing cards" and the ring on her finger began to spark as she channeled her Dying Will Flames into the cards and threw them at the feet of the men closing in on them and watching them explode, shrapnel leaving cuts on her arm and cheek as she moved in front of Gokudera. She pulled out her box and jammed her ring into it to activate it and the electrical vines sprang up from the ground to block the next incoming attack.

Haru used the momentary lull to race to Gokudera's side finding him slightly dazed from the impact of his head hitting the building that the ground explosion has thrown him into. She reached down and caught his arms. "Gokudera!"

The Storm Guardian shook his head and immediately winced. "What the fuck is that?"

Haru helped him to his feet and turned, pulling the electrical vines back and trying to catch her breath as she pulled out her hair pins and flung them at the man at the forefront of the attacking force. He dodged and caught one of them with a smirk and broke it in half. "You'll have to do better than that," he said and sprang forward.

"Haru MOVE!"

She broke instinctively to the left as sizzling dynamite flew through the air and exploded around their enemy. Gokudera took the front of the attack having activated his Vongola Gear as the dynamite hit their enemy. A purple tinged shield parted and the men moved forward again. "What the hell?" Gokudera growled. "Bastards—"

Haru pulled out the smaller pins and spread them and fed more of her Flames into them and flung them at the ground at the attackers feet causing lightning to chain upwards and three men hit the ground.

She settled behind Gokudera her chest heaving as Gokudera attacked.

There was a crunch behind her and Haru flung herself to the ground with a screamed warning for Gokudera as another man came from the rear. One of Gokudera's bone shields caught the attack and Haru maneuvered herself behind the man and swept his feet out from underneath him and kicking him in the head as he came down. She came to her feet and reached for another card and it arced towards another enemy catching him in an electric current just enough to knock him out.

She activated her box again and the electric vines sprang up around their battlefield as Gokudera took down the rest of the men.

There was a searing pain around her left ring finger as the last attacker fell and she cried out and looked down watching as the shattered pieces of her mother's ring fell onto the sidewalk.

"Haru, are you okay?" Gokudera demanded, once he'd assured himself that the guys were down for good this time.

He crossed the space between them and Haru bent down, her eyes filling with tears as she gathered the pieces. "Did your ring break?" Gokudera asked.

"I-I didn't know they did that…" Haru said, her hands clenching around the pieces.

"They only broke like that if the flames were too strong for the ring's ranking," Gokudera said quietly.

Haru's eyes went wide.

"We'll have to take it to Giannini-san and see if he can fix it," Gokudera said. "For now, let's get you home."

"O-Okay."