Summary: Read above

Beta: momorona

Rating: T might change to M in later chapters

Disclaimer: Only the plot of this is my idea

CHAPTER 6

For one who had been part of the underworld for so long, making use of his surroundings was what he was used to in his line of work. This particular habit usually helped him against his opponents, allowing Reborn to be successful. So why not reuse this method once more for something minor like now? It wasn't like it would be a futile attempt, to what he knew of. And with that, the hitman decided on his search for things that he could make use of. Little Tsuna could be seen curled up in the hitman's strong arm, fast asleep while the man himself glanced about for some materials to create a makeshift attire suitable for the toddler.

It didn't take Reborn long to get the things he needed in this bedroom. A pair scissors and a pillow case he had taken off the bed the hitman had woken up from. With Tsuna asleep on his lap, after careful adjustments of his hold on his part, Reborn snipped off holes large enough for a toddler's head and arms to slip through. For the time being, this would be temporary until he could either get the too-large t-shirt washed or find a nice set of clothes for the boy. It was better than having Tsuna butt naked all over the place.

Reborn started to place it onto the toddler, making sure his movements did not wake the other. But he need not be worried about it, seeing that Tsuna slept like the dead.

He must be exhausted from the morning's events. And after that trauma, whatever it was, must have tired him out a lot.

Judging by the position of the sun in the cloudless sky, Reborn observed that it would most likely be sometime in the early afternoon. Probably after twelve, hearing the street filled with civilians going about their duties. There were also the unmistaken sounds of a market nearby as wings of birds fluttered close by his window. Wait. Weren't they… Reborn did a double take, noticing for the first time that they were indeed opened. He did not remember having to undo the lock, having been away from this room the entire morning. And to add to the list of mysteries, Reborn could see from a glance around that there were additional items compared to before.

It was as though someone was messing with him, causing confusion and unrest as though on purpose to the number one hitman. This had become a serious and complicated matter as he placed the sleeping toddler to rest on bed. Reborn's lips paused while standing before the desk, dark orbs glued to the shiny metallic surface of the familiar equipment laying on a piece of folded parchment. His entire body grew tense, seeing the semi-automatic pistol he had used the very first time way before his career as an assassin. It was the same pistol he used for his first kill, the only weapon he had nicked at that time when being attacked by some unknown men. Reborn was barely only twelve at that time.

But now, as he continued to stare, his attention soon turned towards the parchment, wondering what was written there. It was most likely for him, seeing how obvious it suddenly appeared and laid there in the open as though they knew Reborn would catch sight of it right away. There was even a full magazine beside it, an additional supply in case the bullets ran out dry.

The hitman picked the folded parchment up, already steeling himself for what was to come. Whether it be good or bad, Reborn was ready for whatever was thrown at him. But it certainly did throw him off at the shortest message he saw the moment the raven unfolded it. It was neither good nor bad. It was neutral, a warning of the sort in a sense.

Just in case.

That was it. Three letters in an elegant cursive handwritten response to him. Whoever the writer was, Reborn could not recognize. Though he was still hesitant about having it, the familiarity of having a pistol was enough to set him at ease. At least Reborn wasn't defenseless now. He quickly slipped the folded parchment into his suit's pocket, the very same one together with the pocket watch as he wore back his clothes. Reborn did not waste another second, pocketing the pistol together with the magazine. While that was happening, the hitman did not notice a presence watching him from the shadows by the door way, carefully making sure it was not seen within Reborn's experienced sharp eyes.

A small smirk made its way upon his lips before the unknown figure soon disappeared back into the shadows soundlessly, never to be seen after that.

A freshly made cup of espresso sat on the same working desk Reborn had found the pistol and parchment earlier. Said man himself was seen seated before the furniture, contemplating over the message repeatedly in his head while turning the parchment over here and there for any clues. Tsuna continued to sleep on without a care on his little back, small mouth hanging open while his head was full of fluffy mass of bed hair. The only sound other than the traffic outside was the toddler's soft breathing. And as Reborn turned the parchment for the nth time, he finally, and at last, placed it back onto the desk with a soft frustrated sigh.

Nothing really told him anything about it. Even for such an old method, to him, of writing a message, the parchment itself looked new, the material freshly taken from having bought perhaps just recently. There were no marks or crease on it, the edges undamaged, the ink wasn't smudge yet crisp and clean on the surface. But it did told him that the writer was most likely to be of a high class status, judging from the way it was being written.

That was all Reborn knew and it wasn't saying much about this mysterious person.

He would have to investigate more on this later. Because right now, the hitman planned to check back the area where he last found Tsuna. He wanted to know what it was that might have caused the toddler to break down like that, to appear this distraught enough to have Reborn wonder if it ended up scarring Tsuna mentally for life.

But even with the plan of heading back to the area, the hitman could not bear the thought of leaving the toddler asleep here alone unprotected. It wouldn't be wise to leave the boy by himself, even he knew that. So his only choice was to carry the brunet along with him. Hopefully the other would be far too deep in his sleep to be awake to see the scene again. With that decided, Reborn quickly drained his coffee in a few large gulps, leaving the empty cup before picking the sleeping toddler up into his arms carefully. Even while being unconscious to the world around him, Tsuna automatically burrowed his face against the crook of Reborn's neck and slept on while the man himself adjusted him slightly in his hold.

With a final glance around the room, Reborn soon left with the toddler, wondering if this mysterious person would leave him another message and objects again. He would just need to find out later.

It didn't take him long to get to the scene from what Reborn remembered once he tried to retrace his steps when searching for the brunet earlier. There were a few times he went in the wrong direction, which wasn't surprising seeing as he was in such a large maze-like place to begin with. But after the sixth turn around a corner, up ahead was the destination he was looking for. There was no mistaking of the eeriness right at the end, the dark stains along the walls and the growing mess the further he went. Now that Reborn wasn't frantic with worry over the boy, the hitman noticed that the corridor appeared narrow, the dimness causing the walls to give the hallucination of them closing in. It would have made one feel uneasy and claustrophobic, the lacking of windows made things harder to see clearer on his surroundings. Reborn was already used to scenes like this before.

But it did not meant that he would be used to the sensation it gave off. That annoying unease it made him feel. Because such feeling always made him be on his toes, his body tense, his ears and eyes on the lookout for any assassins after his head. This kind of location allowed his opponent to hide and blend into the dark easily, making it hard for him to see by eyes alone. And if he made the mistake of giving the other a moment of opening, Reborn knew well enough that he would be dead before he could find out the direction of the attack.

The hitman adjusted Tsuna again, making sure that the toddler was well protected and hidden from view of any attackers with his large body and arm. He even had the pistol out at the ready in hand just in case –like the message told him earlier. Reborn knew he was starting to feel a little paranoid about this, his heart beating a mile a minute. But past experiences caused him to react instinctively to such situation as this. And he had a clear knowledge that this type of scene usually targeted the weak at heart, causing them to hallucinate from fear. Though he managed to steel himself for this, Reborn silently admit that it was somewhat starting to affect him. And that did not mean he was weak at all. There was just something off about staying too long within this area. How was it that he felt normal earlier while searching for the boy compared to now?

Why was it that it was different for the second time?

Reborn decided that it was time to stop and head back rather than approaching further. It wasn't the fear that was stopping him from proceeding; it was his breathing that was making it difficult for him. The air around him was lacking in oxygen and also the fact that there was the painful sensation of someone squeezing his lungs. He was also starting to feel dizzy, his stomach turning and making him want to throw up. And as cold sweat covered him like a new layer of skin, soaking his dress shirt, Reborn felt as though he could pass out any moment. All these were affecting him fast within minutes.

I need to get us out of here, quickly!

Face paled while gasping for breath, Reborn stumbled to the side unsteadily, that same arm holding the pistol rest against the wall for balance. He could feel Tsuna trembling hard against his hold even while asleep, making him wonder if this unusual sensation affecting him was the cause of what happened earlier. Reborn would have to think about this later because getting away was his number one priority at the moment. But he had a problem.

His limbs suddenly felt too heavy for him to move fast enough to leave.

All Reborn could do was sit at the side with his back against the dark stained walls, eyes unfocused and half lidded while struggling to breathe. While being unable to move, thoughts of 'What if this is the work of a Mist user' or 'Some sick bastard decided to mess with me, thinking it is funny to see me struggle' ran through his mind. They were both possible scenarios but he had too many enemies to pin these on. Too many possibilities against him from his opponents and yet, no answer came to him.

And as his vision grew blurry while only his pathetic breathings could be heard loud in his ears, Reborn noticed a dark figure approaching him from the left. He could not make out the details on said person, his mind screaming at him to move, to lift his arm that held the pistol in defense. But none obeyed him.

Reborn felt himself falling, eyes rolling back into his head just as the unknown figure stopped before him.

"…you shouldn't have been here in the first place."

Reborn blacked out after that.

And the next time Reborn woke, it was already evening. He found himself back in the same bedroom, Tsuna sleeping soundly against him. He had his arm over the toddler's little body protectively, the pistol gone from his hand. But one look over towards the desk told him that it was back there again. However, he was right about his earlier thoughts. There was another message from where the weapon was being used as a paper weight over it. The room was currently lacking in light but the pale moon made up for it, illuminating only some parts of the place. It shone down through the opened windows, bathing the folded parchment and pistol in its pale glow like a miniature spotlight. Reborn wasted no time to get off the bed, mindful of the sleeping young toddler and leaving him there, and headed quickly over towards the desk.

He made a grab for both, went up towards the opened door of the bedroom and checked outside for any individual around. But alas, it was just him and Tsuna. The corridor was empty of any soul but strangely, Reborn did not remember lighting any candles while he was unconscious to the world. Someone must have done it, even carrying them back here. Someone strong enough and obviously male and most likely the owner of this place.

It was no surprise to him now but why hide from them? Was there a reason to do such a thing like this? It did not appear to be an enemy, seeing as he was still unharmed; minus the weird sensation he was experiencing earlier, and giving him a pistol to add to the list. Any assassins would have finished him off by now or on the spot when he was being found. Chopped his head off clean from his shoulders and give it back to their bosses as evidence that they managed to eliminate the number one hitman. But Reborn was still in one piece.

He winced slightly, feeling a headache blossom within his head the more he tried to make sense of all these. And as Reborn headed back in, he shut the room's door and lit up a new candle by the desk. It seemed that the owner preferred the old method of light than the electricity in this generation if he wasn't wrong. He sat by the desk, already unfolding the new parchment while wondering what the writer would tell him next. Was it another warning again?

This time, there wasn't even an explanation on why from such response.

Whatever you do, don't head back to the end of that corridor. No human should step foot in there.

All Reborn could do was pinch the bridge of his nose with a soft sigh. But the second part of that response made him curious. Just why was it phrase in such a way? He could understand if the writer wrote it as 'No one' but human? There was something off about this. From what he had gathered ever since he had woken up, Reborn quickly searched for a clean piece of parchment and managed to find one, he started to write down in point form of a short list.

He wrote:

Woke up to find dame Tsuna as a toddler
No pacifier of the Acobaleno curse on me
Entire place turns out to be a maze
Bookshelf turns out to be some sort of map
Bathroom can only be found at the second floor
Potted plant of tomatoes in kitchen's top cabinet
Some objects shouldn't be found in this current timeline yet but are here
Unknown corridor at the end giving weird symptoms to the receiver
Might be the same reason for dame Tsuna freaking out badly
Messages and objects left by unknown person
Most importantly, too many rooms in this freaking place

These were what he knew of with no answer to any of them. He could understand if this mysterious figure had an odd way of placing his stuff at unusual places. Reborn couldn't even figure out the mindset of said person, finding everything too unexplainable for him to get what was going on. Just what was the other thinking? Was he friend or foe with a scheme in mind?

But most importantly, would it be possible for him and Tsuna to return back in their own timeline at all?

A/N: Feel free to vote on who that 'myterious person' is. Hurr hurr hurr… I'll see if any of you managed to get it right with the one I have in mind. The only clue I can give: He's part of the mafia. Whether he's canon or not, I can't say since well… *coughs* that's enough of hints I've given.

I won't reveal the answer till it's time to bring him into light in the story. Good luck guessing~