A/N: Changing just a bit of detail and so uh

I lied (it wasn't on purpose I promise).

—

It's weird.

His dreams had always been the same but this time something was off.

It went on like usual, the party, the massacre, losing his sanity, and now the white space. The knife appeared before him and he is supposed to grab it and try to plunge it through his body before he wakes up.

It should end like that.

Before he could reach the knife, something equally as sharp was thrown in his direction to make him jump back, distancing himself from the kitchen utensil. Confused, he turns his head to where the mysterious flying object came from but he is met with a white wall. What is going on?

"How pitiful… look at you, reduced to a sobbing mess. A feared informant in the underworld but nothing more than a lost child."

Sora's eyes widen. He let the words sink in and it shook him to his core. No, it wasn't the meaning behind those words, it was the voice.

"...Surprised? A sick person means vulnerable enough to be affected by outside factors, although this is the first time it happened to you."

Then, that voice materializes in front of him in a form of a human being.

Chestnut hair, deep blue eyes, olive skin covered in bandages… It's like having an identical twin. His carbon copy kneels in front of him, gently caressing his hair like a mother comforting their crying child.

"Poor child… exposed to such cruelty yet so innocent and unaware of their intentions… don't worry, patience is key to finding the answers. But, proceed with caution. After all–"

The other leans in close to his ear, gently wrapping their arms around his shaking figure, and whispers.

"–the answers you seek, what would you do if it validates your fears? Is it for better or for worst? This question is for you to ponder."

His other self stands up with a laugh before bursting into black feathers.

And the dream ended there.

—

It took him a few days to recover from his fever. During one of those days, Gokudera and Yamamoto dropped by to check on him with the bomber making it clear that he's only there because his beloved Juudaime asked him to.

"Hm? But you seemed restless all day with this worried look on your face-"

"SHUT UP BASEBALL FREAK!"

"Who knew you had a cute side-"

"YOU SHUT UP TOO SLEEPY BASTARD!"

It was also amusing to see Gokudera stare at his small alien figurine displayed on top of the refrigerator. Sora bought it since it was so out of place in the sea of cute animal sculptures in an antique shop in Rome. Seeing how the bomber seemed to have taken a liking to it with his interest in UMAs, the informant gave it to him.

Although it took several minutes of persuasion, Gokudera gave in and mumbled words of gratitude which Sora grabbed as a chance to tease him.

"You're being very cute today-"

"I TAKE IT BACK!"

Yamamoto on the other hand, supported his current weak body and offered to get stuff for him. He forced Sora to sit and do nothing while he handles the cleaning and food. His dad heard about him getting sick and gave him some of the most delicious sushis he has ever tasted. The informant has never met the old man but he likes him already.

As for Gokudera, if he wasn't sick, the bomber would have slapped the plastic bag with medicine and healthy drinks on his face. Due to his harsh and aggressive exterior, everyone would expect him to not care but in reality, he's a big softie on the inside.

It didn't go unnoticed how Gokudera scanned the entire room to make sure Sora won't accidentally hurt himself. Storing his necessities nearby so he doesn't need to use a chair to get it from a top shelf. The visit from the duo warmed his heart and he thanked them as much as he could for their kindness. Guilt settled in his stomach from his recent avoidance of the trio, and he took this as an opportunity to apologize.

"It's okay! You have your reasons and it must have been hard." Yamamoto warmly smiles at him while ruffling his hair. This guy gives nice head pats.

"Tch. Make sure you don't do it again. Juudaime looked so heartbroken." Gokudera rolls his eyes at him.

The duo prepared to leave and before they did, Gokudera leaned close enough to make sure Yamamoto won't hear them.

"I'm not an idiot. As long as you don't hurt Juudaime, I'll leave you be. I don't exactly know who you are or why you are here but you're definitely not a normal civilian." Then they left.

This left him stunned and he bit the inside of his cheek.

It won't be long until his true identity gets exposed.

—

Sora heard of I-Pin who may or may not have almost killed Tsuna after mistaking him as her target. If he remembers correctly, the little girl is the Storm Acrobaleno's disciple. He also heard about her deciding to live with the Sawadas during her time here in Japan. The more the merrier, he guesses.

He was a bit bummed out that he didn't get to meet an Arcobaleno's disciple until he ran into her while he was walking home from restocking his fridge. He sees her looking around, confusion is evident on her face. He approached her and kneeled to her level, giving her a small smile.

"Are you lost?"

She nods, being wary of him.

"I-Pin right? I'm Sora, Tsuna's friend. Did he tell you about me?" It took her a while to process his words and she nods, deeming him trustworthy.

"Tsuna-san told me you were sick."

"Yep. I'm going back to school tomorrow and I heard about you when they visited me. What's wrong? You seemed confused."

Then she proceeds to tell Sora how she's still adjusting to her surroundings and just got back from training in the park. She was about to walk home but got confused with the sea of people and she still hasn't memorized the way back to the Sawada Residences. With a nod, he carries I-Pin in his arms and made a detour.

While they were walking, Sora told her how it was amazing of her to train but she should be more careful. Giving her pointers by pointing out landmarks or distinct objects for her to tell if she is going the right way which I-Pin greatly appreciates. He also told her to not go outside much without an adult just to be safe.

A few minutes later, they finally arrived and he rings the doorbell. The door opens with Tsuna trying to control a whining Lambo. He seemed surprised by his sudden visit. Even more when he noticed I-Pin in his arms. Sora briefly explained the situation and Tsuna thanked him. The storm disciple jumps off his arms and bows in a way that's tied to Chinese culture, arms in front of her with her tiny fist against her open palm.

"Sora-san, thank you! If it wasn't for you, I-Pin wouldn't be able to return home."

"It's nothing. Just remember what I told you okay?"

He gave her a warm smile and patted her head before she runs off to deal with the cow child's tantrum.

"Sora-kun! You look better. Again, thank you for bringing I-Pin home."

"Well, I'm well enough to go back to school tomorrow and like I said, it's nothing." They said their farewells and before he could leave, the other boy calls out to him. He looked a bit hesitant before speaking.

"Um… is it okay if we walk home together tomorrow? I-It's been a while after all… but it's okay if you don't want to-"

"Sure. See you tomorrow then. Don't be late." Another smile and Sora walks home while Tsuna stands there with a similar smile plastered on his face, happy to see him up and going again.

—

Besides I-Pin, Sora has also heard of their encounters with a loud senior, Sasagawa Ryohei, Kyoko's older brother. Just from their stories, he can already feel his ears ringing. Another guy with good intentions but a bit too loud for his liking. The day he returned to school was also the day of Tsuna's boxing match with Ryohei.

"YUKIHIRO! IT'S EXTREMELY NICE TO MEET YOU!"

Good lord save his ears. But he's nice so he'll give him a pass.

It was kind of funny to see almost everyone waiting for Tsuna in the gym. Even Haru is there as if they can't wait to see him kick ass or get punched into the pearly gates of heaven. He was a bit thankful for Gokudera's absence so he can do his job without his piercing gaze.

Seeing Reborn dressed up as a boxing coach with his blue elephant headpiece is cute if it wasn't for the fact that the infant can literally send your soul flying with one punch. The match starts and his red notebook finally breathes after being stuck in bed for a few days.

This whole match proved Ryohei's candidacy as Tsuna's future Sun Guardian and he can't help but whistle at seeing him unaffected after being shot by a Dying Will Bullet.

"Join the team, Sawada!"

His physical capabilities are no joke. If Tsuna wasn't in his Dying Will Mode, he could've seriously accumulated multiple bruises from his punches. The entire battle was interesting and seeing Ryohei get up and ready to fight even after being punched out of the ring is amazing in itself. They were supposed to continue until an obnoxious group comes barging in, once again another set of fools treating Kyoko like a trophy.

Maybe he should update that list he gave to Hibari several days ago.

It broke into a fight and Sora watched from the sidelines with Bianchi and the others, still in his recovery phase. Even if he was in top condition, he doesn't think he'll be much help considering he's more of a defense kind of guy. To no one's surprise, Tsuna and the gang won with Gokudera arriving just in time to help.

After all that is said and done, he noticed the time and remembered that he needs to take care of a few pieces of paperwork to make up for his missing daily reports. He said his goodbyes and left the gym.

"Little bird."

Shit.

He seriously doesn't have the time or the physical capability to deal with the bloodthirsty teenager at the moment.

So he booked it.

Of course, Hibari chases after him with his tonfa out, probably thinking it's a game of cat and mouse because it is. Since they're near the tall school fences, he let the prefect catch up to him. With a swing from the tonfa that was meant for Sora's stomach, he jumped just in time to use the attack as leverage to land on the gym's second-floor balcony.

"Sorry, Hibari-san. Not really the time."

With a not-so-apologetic forced smile, he climbed up to the roof to reach the top of the school fences and jumped down.

And holy fuck did it hurt his legs. He was dumb for that one.

While he runs home, Hibari stares at the fences with an amused smirk but frustration is evident in his eyes. Next time, he'll definitely catch him.

—

A few more days have passed, Tsuna and Sora are walking home together again. Gokudera and Yamamoto are both busy so it's only the two of them this time around. They didn't really talk about anything. Just a comfortable silence between them.

"What the-" Tsuna says, looking at the row of men in black suits in front of his house.

"... Well then, I'll be on my way-"

"Sora-kun!" The scared boy whines and pulls him back by grabbing onto his bag strap.

Sora is having a little bit too much fun teasing the boy so he faked a sigh and grabbed his arm, dragging him to his house, already knowing the identity of the Sawadas guest.

"Welcome home, Tsu-kun! Sora-kun is here too! We have guests!" Nana said happily while poking her head out from the kitchen.

"Tsuna… are you secretly rich or what?" He knows the answer to that but decides to tease him more anyways.

"Sora-kun please…"

They both headed to his room and the door opens with a dramatic introduction to Dino Cavallone, the current mafia boss of the Cavallone Famiglia, allies of the Vongola and Reborn's former student.

The moment Dino started insulting Tsuna, it takes all of his willpower not to snort since those words used to apply to him except for the money part. Damn, rich people.

"–and who might you be?" Everyone's attention turned to Sora. He has already informed Dino to act like strangers since Tsuna and his family have no knowledge of his identity and purpose. But hearing him ask for his name is kind of funny.

"Yukihiro Sora… you have a lot of friends and they all wear the same thing." Dino had to hold back a laugh, trying to maintain his composure. That was when it clicked to Tsuna that Sora isn't supposed to be there.

"T-That's right! Sora-kun, why don't you help Mama? She's been asking you to visit so!" The Vongola boss pushed the informant out of the room before closing the door in his face. Sora shook his head, amused.

Oh, Tsuna… when will you notice? He wonders.

"Sora-kun! It's been a while! How are you feeling?"

"Hello M..Mama, I'm doing fine."

He tries to ignore the woman's soft laugh at hearing him still struggling to call her Mama. When they first met, she insists he call her Mama but having no parental figure, uttering a foreign yet very common word is a bit hard for him. He's getting there but it will definitely take a long time for him to say it comfortably and naturally.

They chat while they prepare for dinner, he chops up the ingredients while she does the actual cooking. Mostly Nana starts a new topic while Sora tries his best to give her a pleasing answer. Their conversation went from checking on his condition to what Tsuna and the others were up to in school. He had to make up a believable story on the spot to cover up the fighting. He will definitely ask for extra pay from Iemitsu for this.

It wasn't long until the food is ready and the rest came to join them to eat. Sora was about to leave but felt obliged to accept Nana's offer to stay for dinner.

He wasn't really that surprised with Dino's messy eating considering he's still trying to learn how to properly use chopsticks… and the fact his subordinates are nowhere to be seen. Debuffed Dino is all kinds of disaster. When they started talking about Tsuna's family, he acts like he doesn't know anything, ignoring the curious glance from the Cavallone boss.

The moment the older man tripped, they both had a staring contest. A familiar scene. Sora stared down at him with judging eyes while Dino returns the stare with an almost pitiful look.

"... On a flat surface? Really?"

"L-Look here-!"

Dino tries to defend himself while Sora continues the judgmental stare, It's funny how similar this is to the first time they met. Imagine a mafia boss tripping on nothing in front of an 11-year-old who is giving him a death stare. Those blank eyes screamed "Pathetic" and Dino does not want to relive that memory.

Then there was the thing with Lambo and Enzo but he was told to stay in the living room, trying to save him from the stress and suspicions which is nothing short of amusing to the informant. It was already very late at night and Sora was offered to stay the night but politely refused, saying he has something to do in his house.

"Oi Tsuna, a good mafia boss makes sure their family is safe, especially during the night."

"O-Ow! I got it so stop kicking me!"

Sora was about to protest but decides against it after Reborn gives him a look. He sighs, knowing the infant will trail them to make sure no one lands a surprise attack on Tsuna. He said his farewells to the people in the house and he leaves with Tsuna. A midnight stroll with someone is nice. Namimori is especially quiet at night so it was a somewhat healing experience.

"Sora-kun?"

"Hm?" he hesitates for a bit, the boy speaks.

"This is a selfish wish from me… if you don't mind, I really want you to join us when going to school or walking home. It's already a lot for you to join a growing group of people hanging out together so I thought it would be okay to ask you…"

Tsuna tries to say more but his words failed him. This is his way of saying he wants to know him more. He wants to see Sora slowly stop looking so scared and guilty when he tries to express his happiness and fun when they hang out.

"I know you are in some kind of situation and I don't know what you've been through but, seeing you hold back… I want to see Sora-kun just act like a normal teenager, a friend who is simply having fun."

That stopped the informant in his tracks, his eyes widen as he stares at Tsuna. This boy is scarily perceptive. Is it the infamous hyper-intuition? He knows just from observing that Sora is battling himself for multiple reasons, preventing him from truly relaxing and having fun especially when he is with them. Silence fell between them and Tsuna started to panic, thinking he crossed the line.

"I'm sorry! Never mind what I said! I sound forceful and I shouldn't say such things to you-"

"Okay."

"H-Huh?"

"I said okay. Although… It'll take me a while to do that, I hope you don't mind waiting for me." Sora says with a sheepish smile which Tsuna responds.

"O-Of course! You don't have to force yourself! We'll always wait!"

Will you really? Sora asks but shakes the thought away. It wasn't long until they arrived in front of his house and they both bid their farewells before the informant calls his name.

"Tsuna."

"Yes?"

"... Someday, I'll tell you everything, as a sign of my gratitude."

Tsuna gives him a big smile at that, telling him to take his time since Sora's comfort is a priority and not worry much about his selfish wishes. They bid each other goodnight and Reborn appears to scare the daylights out of his student, walking back home together.

He threw himself to bed and their entire conversation made him think that maybe it was okay for him to get closer. He has known them for quite a while and he can tell they are all good people with their own little quirks. Just this time, let him break the rule of never getting attached during missions.

He has finally met a group of people he could consider friends and he has been a fool for far too long, sabotaging himself and it's finally time for him to let go a bit of that cool act little by little. It will take him a while but it will be worth it in the end.

The fear of being rejected is forgotten for the time being.

That is something for his future self to deal with.

—

The next morning, Sora is walking to the Sawada residences, keeping his word in joining the gang to walk to school. He arrived a little early and is met with Dino's subordinates bowing to him. He nodded at them to acknowledge their greeting.

"Sage, it's been a while."

"Romario, you seem to be doing well."

Memories of him listening to the countless stories of Dino's clumsy self flash in his mind, Romario doing a fantastic job as the right-hand man. He has nothing but respect for him, seeing a glimpse of how stressful and anxiety-inducing it must have been. The older man is one of the few people he allows to treat him like a kid, an uncle who listens and understands his rebellious nephew.

"I heard from the boss that you have no plans to join the Vongola and Decimo's family is in the dark about you."

"Yep. I don't think it will be long until the time is right."

A few minutes later, Tsuna and the gang finally arrived and made their way to school. Dino and Reborn silently watched them leave before speaking.

"I heard from the external advisor that you're tasked with convincing the kid to join the family. How is that going for you?" Dino asked.

"Not good. The brat is stubborn to a fault but after hearing the numerous rumors about his background, it isn't surprising."

When the CEDEF took Sora under their wing, it was only natural to look into his background but they were met with nothing. No past records whatsoever, not even a birth certificate is found. It doesn't help that the kid refused to say anything. They tried everything to persuade him but seeing him answer with a blank stare, they decided not to push further.

The sudden appearance of the mysterious kid spawned multiple rumors. Some say he's an illegitimate child from an allied family, or he's probably a well-made robot considering his silence and almost automated responses, while others say he's simply an orphan but that wouldn't explain the zero information before he was taken by the CEDEF.

"I know he's going to be very important in the future but, no matter how terrifying and incredible that informant may be, he's still a kid. Corner him too much and we'd wake up one day with him disappearing on us."

Dino frowned after saying that. Personally, he isn't sold on the idea raised by Iemitsu. The kid himself screams trust issues and do they think he'd join the family when they finally tell him the real reason he was sent to Japan? It's going to be a mess and he can only hope it goes well.

He knows that feeling too well.

Forced into a role you do not wish to play.

—

They were supposed to arrive at school a couple of minutes ago but here they are kicking ass while Sora helps by swinging a pipe to hit the back of the delinquents' necks. Seeing Tsuna tied up within a second and dragged away by a mysterious car means one thing, it's Reborn's fault.

Here they are infiltrating an abandoned building under the guise of saving Tsuna but it screams "test" all over it. Like always, the Vongola boss arrives just in time with Dino trailing behind. He was about to be relieved that this whole mess could end until he realized his subordinates are absent, which led to them getting smacked in the face by the older man's whip.

Great.

They barely managed to get to school in time and this time, Sora has to excuse himself from joining the trio at Tsuna's house since even more paperwork is knocking on his door. He's almost done and he can finally hit the deck.

A few days passed and during soccer, skull marks appeared on Tsuna's body and Sora could only stare at it in horror. To the panicking boy, he interpreted it as him being scared of what it may mean but in reality…

Why the hell is that pervert here?

How that man managed to escape jail time is beyond him since the guy doesn't even age-check before hitting on every woman he sees. He took that as a cue to avoid encountering the guy as much as possible.

Fate hates him so while he was walking home from buying his necessities, he came across Tsuna with Reborn and Shamal, hearing all about how he can't even talk to his crush for three minutes.

Personally, if it were him, he wouldn't let it slide.

"Tsuna… don't you think it's time to always bring extra clothing with you?"

"Hiee—!"

Sora gave Reborn an unimpressed look and the infant threw the extra clothes at him and gave it to Tsuna. One day the poor boy is going to get arrested for public indecency. Although the one who actually deserves to get arrested is in front of him.

Before they left, Sora gave Shamal a death stare before saying.

"Gross."

That pissed off the old man and he ignores his protest while he drags Tsuna to his house.

—

Back in the CEDEF Headquarters

"How's the brat?" Lal asked, after reporting the success of her mission.

At the mention of the informant, Iemitsu gave a defeated sigh. That in itself is an answer and the Arcobaleno can only sigh in return. The kid suddenly stopped sending his daily reports and they got no update about his well-being until Reborn sent them a brief email.

"That kid… he's been more of a headache than before."

The sudden demands for extra payment for undisclosed compensation caught them off guard. Iemitsu had no choice but to fold since he doesn't want to get on his bad side more than he already have.

Lal glanced at the calendar and frowned, it's been so long since Sage left for Japan and she can't help but worry. The brat is already on his rebellious streak but a part of her kind of supports that behavior although she would never admit it out loud unless she wants unwanted attention.

She's been watching over him since he arrived in CEDEF so it has been a long time coming.

Before she leaves to rest in her chambers, Iemitsu calls out to her and her frown deepens at her boss' orders.

"Rokudo Mukuro… warn him about his arrival."

—

For the next couple of weeks, with the burden of paperwork no longer present, he happily returned to watching over the candidates and taking note of their progress. All of them have been improving their physical strength but in regards to fight synergy and thorough planning and strategy, they still have a long way to go.

A lot of things happened as time went by until he was invited to this Vongola-style new year celebration which he declined. His agreement to hang out with Tsuna and the gang only extends to their mundane life and not whatever they're up to.

He has always steered clear of any sort of huge gathering so he used this time to chill in the comforts of his room. It has also gotten colder so he needs to be extra careful. This also meant he had to pass from the snowball fight and from what he heard, it seemed like fun but possibly getting sick at a time like this would backfire on him.

Although this time, he was dragged to Death Mountain by Reborn. Their agreement is as long as he can peacefully watch over the gang, then he'll agree. It's also important for him to join them to record even a tiny bit of improvement, especially on Tsuna's part. He did his best to hide his presence. If they see him lurking around during their mafia business, suspicions will grow.

Well, it ended horribly. Tsuna ended up going to the hospital for his injuries and somehow, Haru, Kyoko, and the kids got dragged into it. Thankfully they're unharmed but Sora can't help but worry since they will eventually face even worse situations in the future.

The real question is, when are they going to tell them?

—

"Little bird."

Can this guy just go away?

Sora was supposed to visit an injured Tsuna but instead, he was met with Hibari staring daggers at him. Reborn purposely left out the teeny tiny fact that the injured boy was moved to the same room as the disciplinary chairman and he wanted the world to swallow him whole at that moment.

Seeing that the sick guy is not trying anything funny, he excused himself inside, placing Tsuna's food on the table, and sat there in silence.

A very uncomfortable silence in the room until Hibari spoke.

"You… why?" The simple question caught him off guard and he understood exactly what he was asking,

"For my own benefit. It just so happens that our goals aligned and decided to do what I did."

It's true. It's basically them using each other for their own advantage. It just so happens that the pros outweighed the cons which led to this very strange relationship between them. If it wasn't for the unnecessary chase they would have had this conversation weeks ago. It was clear that they held this respect for each other which led them to rely on their strengths. Sora's information gathering, Hibari's physical prowess, and his gang of delinquents made a terrifying combination.

Silence filled the room once more but this time the tension decreased significantly. They finally got a better understanding of each other and they have an unspoken agreement to continue this strange business-like relationship.

Tsuna finally entered the room, looking more injured than ever and he stares at the duo who is sitting there in silence, both returning his stare. Hibari looked amused while Sora gave him a "took you long enough" face.

He doesn't know how to make of this weird situation, let alone two people he least expected to get along with each other after that fiasco in the reception room. But as long as they're not at each other's throats craving for blood, then he's fine with that.

When Sora came home that day, there was a piece of paper left in his mail.

"Kokuyo Land."

—

Everything started going downhill with Ranking Futa's appearance.

Tsuna took him in after being asked to protect him. The Mafia is after the poor boy and he can't exactly refuse. His rankings were either embarrassing or endearing. The gang managed to save the boy from being captured and surprisingly, Nana and the girls didn't question the whole floating and book thing.

It works in their favor so they won't complain.

That was when Tsuna questioned something else.

"Hey… has anyone seen Sora-kun today?"

That got them thinking and even Reborn said he hasn't caught a glimpse of the boy. Said boy also skipped school for the day which is a bit unlikely since he was so determined to get back on his feet. They tried to pass it off as him being busy with something again but the pit in his stomach says otherwise.

That pit seemed to get heavier with the sudden attacks on Namimori Middle School students. It sent everyone into a panic and on guard. So far, the ones being targeted are the disciplinary committee members so he thinks he's safe in that regard. Broken pocket watches are left on the injured students and they seemed to be counting down to something.

He thought he was safe until Ryohei also got attacked.

Another student came to him with news that Mochida and the others were also attacked within 24 hours and his heart started beating out of his chest. The fact that Sora is still missing in action but his injured body is nowhere to be found… it must mean that he's safe right? Just busy?

He fails to convince himself.

—

There he stands, in the middle of a wrecked room. What can one expect from an abandoned establishment?

"Kufufu… I've been waiting for you."

Red and blue eyes glow in the dark, amusement evident in his piercing gaze as he looks at his guest with a fake smile.

"Finally… we meet once again, Hiiro."

—

Sage's Daily Report.

Searching… failed

Searching… failed

Searching… success

Open the email? Yes or No?

Yes

…

…

…

From me to you.

…

There's an attached document, open? Yes or No?

Yes

…

…

…

Iemitsu can't help but stand up from his chair in shock.

—

A/N: :D