So, so sorry about having not updated this in forever! Things have gotten more complicated since the last time what with my job, preping for university, and getting more into my Doctor Who fanfic than i expected. But here's the next chapter! It's not super exciting, but it is needed in order to get into the Inheritance Ceremony Arc. Please review and let me know what you think though. i hope i kept everyone-my character included-in character.

I frowned up at the sky above me, fingers laced together behind my head as I stared off into the distance and thought. There was nothing in my thoughts that stuck out. There was the fights we'd had in the future—it having been a while since we'd returned, and only a few weeks since my body had healed—Tsuna, what the Vongola guardians were going to do next and what my part in all of it would be, my brother, and what I was planning on having for dinner that evening. Or maybe I should drop by Tsuna's place. It's been a while since I've been cooped up at the hospital and at home with my nagging brother. I closed my eyes with a soft sigh, furrowing my brows when I felt the rumble of the school roof I was relaxing on. He said he had something to give me before he leaves tomorrow too. I wonder what it is. He was… awfully serious. There was another rumble and I pushed myself up with a dark scowl on my face. Deaf and I can still be bothered by something as simple as ground vibrations. What idiot is interrupting my nap?

I got up and brushed some dirt off my clothes, silently hoping it was Hibari that was the one doing so, because I'd rather leave in that case instead of getting attacked for lounging on his roof. When I saw said Disciplinary Committee member fighting a woman with a similar armband, I grew curious; silently wondering if these were the new transfer students I'd caught someone talking about on my way up here. It's my first day back at school, after all. Needed to catch up on the usual playground gossip. But she looks pretty strong to be holding off Hibari like that. I looked around and spotted a number of others heading onto the roof as well, feeling my frown return as I realized my nap was officially over with this new group of trouble makers running into Tsuna and the others. Of course, Reborn had to get Tsuna involved in this fighting and I'm pretty sure Tsuna would have needed more than an ice pack if I hadn't jumped in last minute and blocked both—Hibari's and this new girl's—hits; thus shoving Tsuna to the ground instead of between the two.

"What are you doing?" Hibari asked me with an annoyed look and I gave him one in return.

"I was trying to sleep. You guys were too… noisy."

He scoffed, knowing that I was deaf and 'noisy' wasn't the right word, but I got a feeling that he respected my suspicious hiding of my disability from the group of newcomers and he backed off as I turned my attention to Reborn.

"And I do not appreciate you dragging me into this, Reborn."

Reborn landed on the roof easily, a clear smirk on his face. "It's Tsuna's job as the boss to stop meaningless fights. You being around to prevent his injury was just a coincidence."

Liar. You knew I was up there. I mentally scoffed, spotting Tsuna loudly complaining at my feet, though I couldn't read what he was saying, so I turned back to Reborn.

"They belong to the Simon Family. They're a mafia family invited to the Vongola Inheritance Ceremony."

Things got a little complicated then, what with everyone speaking at once or panicking about things, so I kind of tuned them out and looked over these newcomers who were apparently more than they appeared. The strange woman in the back was who caught my attention first, her odd clothing and the rings around her making me tilt my head in confusion. Uh… she's weird. Alien-chick, it is then. Then I spotted the large man standing not too far from her, looking much like some of the Disciplinary members with his pompadour-styled hair. Buffy the Buff guy. Then there was the ginormous guy with them who had a baby face, but looked like he could stop a semi-truck with his bare hands. Um, he's a tough one to name… Boulder? Seems a bit rude… Eh, it'll work. I spotted one of the guys having a shouting match with Ryohei and snorted. Glasses face. And that left me with the one who had been fighting Hibari and the other by her side.

She was tall. Ridiculously so. And the way her eyes scanned over everyone had me on edge. There was just something about her that set off all sorts of warning bells in my mind. Snake. I mused silently. Like a cobra waiting for the right opportunity to strike. The one at her side though had my eyes softening. He was just… rather sad to look at. Like a beaten puppy on the side of the road. He reminded me a lot of Tsuna and Irie. Low self-esteem, bullied, put down, bitter… I shuffled slightly. Mouse. I winced at the mental connection between his nickname and the female of the group, before turning back to pay attention to Reborn in the hopes he'd tell me something about this 'Inheritance Ceremony' thing I'd just heard of. I was in luck. He'd just begun explaining that.

"The Vongola inheritance ceremony that will take place in seven days will be a ceremony like no other, where Tsuna will officially inherit the title of 'Tenth'."

Gokudera and the others looked excited, but I turned my gaze to a stunned Tsuna, knowing that he might feel otherwise about the supposed… honor. He never wanted to be the boss in the first place. I sighed, pulling a hand through my hair and digging through my pockets before finding a bagel and a small container of cream cheese my brother snuck into my pants' pocket. I began munching on my breakfast as I headed back into the school building, unable to hear what everyone was complaining about anyway, and figuring I could just find out from a single source later; namely Reborn or Tsuna. Class itself went along normally though. Tsuna was rather dead the whole time, Yamamoto was sleeping, and Gokudera was being rather disturbingly cheery, but I was distracted with other things and hardly noticed when it was over, if it hadn't been for the text I'd gotten from my brother to meet him at home.

And could you pick up some milk?

We're all out (^ε ^｡)

I wrinkled my nose at the kissy-face he'd put in, glanced briefly at Tsuna as he packed up his things, and begrudgingly sighed before hurrying home. When I got there though, I was immediately on edge.

"Brother, what's going on?" I asked quietly, having seen my brother with his head in his hands sitting at the kitchen table; looking at a sealed envelope on the surface.

I put the milk away and he remained silent until I sat down across from him and he finally lifted his gaze.

"This is for you." He said, pushing the envelope to me.

I frowned, but took the envelope, opening it and reading over the invitation with an ever growing scowl. Finally, I looked up at him.

"What is this?"

"Exactly what it says it is." He answered, leaning back in the wooden kitchen chair. "It's an invitation to the Vongola Inheritance—"

"I know what it is, but why me? Why did I get one? I'm not a mafia boss."

"No, but you are the daughter of one."

My brows furrowed.

"Yeah, dad was, but they've long since been dissolved. This doesn't make any sense."

My brother sighed, wiping his face. "Yes, but you've already proved to be more than capable of bringing it back should you decide to do so, and your connection to Tsuna has made you a big priority in their eyes."

I thought that over for a moment, the links in my head connecting. "They want me on their side." I concluded. "I'm close to the next Vongola head, have decent enough skills that could potentially make me a dangerous player in the mafia world, and getting me to accept this invitation and stand at Tsuna's side as a proper Mafioso under the Vongola name would be a large benefit to them."

He nodded, before looking at me seriously. "But it is entirely up to you on what you want to do, Natsu. If you don't want to go, then I will do everything I can to hide us away like our parents wanted for us."

"No." I answered, equally serious, but he argued it with me.

"You don't understand, Natsu! Our parents wanted us kept out of this mafia business for a reason! What good would it do you to join them only to get killed because of it?!"

"Then I'll get stronger so I won't have to!" I argued in return.

"It's not that easy, Natsu! With your disability—"

I slammed my hands on the table, standing angrily. "Screw my disability!" I shouted, fury boiling in my veins at the fact my own brother would say something like that. "If you didn't want me joining the mafia, then why did you train me like you did?!"

"It was for your protection!"

"And I don't need your protection! I can make my own decisions and I want to stay by Tsuna's side!"

"And I want you safe!"

"And how is sheltering me away from everything keeping me safe?! You just want me to drop everything and hide like a coward, while there are people out there growing stronger and hurting the people I care for?! Because that's what you're asking me to do by saying this! You're asking me to write up a death sentence for Tsuna, and I can't do that to him! I could never abandon my friends—my family like that!"

"If he's your family now, then what am I?!"

I flinched at that, his words cutting into me like sharp blades, and I lowered my head to take a deep breath before answering.

"You're my brother. And I love you, but I'm sorry." I lifted my head and gave him a serious, stern, and confident look. "I will never abandon him."

"What the hell?! Why isn't every one of the Vongola and Simon here?!" Gokudera yelled angrily as Tsuna tried to calm him down and get rid of the unwanted attention from the other restaurant goers.

"W-Well, it can't be helped, Gokudera. Hibari doesn't like crowds and Lambo went out to play. We called Chrome in Kokuyou Land, but Ken hung up on us." Tsuna looked down at his cell phone in worry then. "A-And I've tried texting Natsu, but she's not responding."

She always responds…

"We tried to call out all our members too, but Julie is out right now, Shitt P. is busy meditating, and our… temporary member claims to have business somewhere."

"Wha—Meditating? Her?" Gokudera exclaimed, his thoughts focused entirely on the mysterious UMA that was Shitt P. "So she communicates with the depths of the Earth around this time of day."

"You're still going on about that?!" Tsuna exclaimed, before turning back to the Simon group with furrowed brows. "A-And a temporary member?"

Adel nodded with a stern look down at Tsuna. "Yes. He held some power over some older members of our group and we were forced to have him accompany us. He is not here for the inheritance ceremony though, and will be leaving before that, so he is of no consequence to this meeting."

"R-Right." Tsuna muttered out and Gokudera went about explaining his plan to have Tsuna kept safe for the inheritance ceremony by joining up with the Simon family.

Tsuna was a bit distracted though, something Reborn caught when he joined them briefly before the Simon family left and the two walked home.

"Distraction could get you killed, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna flinched, chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his neck as he pocketed his phone again; having tried texting Natsu again.

"S-Sorry. It's just… I haven't been able to get a hold of Natsu. I'm worried."

"Hm. She can take care of herself, better than you, anyway."

Tsuna groaned. "I know, b-but she just finished healing! I-I just… I don't want her to end up hurt because of this inheritance mess."

"If you're so worried, let's go to her house." Reborn said, ignoring Tsuna's frantic 'no's as Reborn changed the direction they were heading in.

"R-Reborn! We can't just go barging in! What about her brother?!"

"He returned to his job on a flight a few moments ago." Reborn replied, making Tsuna cringe at the thought that Reborn had eyes and ears out on his friend and her brother.

They soon arrived at Natsu's home though, Tsuna's concern over his friend battling out his need to leave her alone while at home, and he went to ring the bell, only to remember she was deaf and knocked instead, in the hopes she'd somehow notice that. Reborn though had his narrowed eyes scanning around, getting the feeling that someone was watching them. Or more specifically, Natsu's home.

"She's not answering, Reborn. Maybe we should just—"

"No." He said sternly, alerting Tsuna that something more was going on, though the way the hitman climbed through one of Natsu's windows was not appreciated by the middle schooler.

"A-Ah! Reborn! W-We can't just go breaking in!"

Tsuna begrudgingly followed after him though, only to come face-to-face with a rather sharp looking blade.

"Eep!"

There was a resigned sigh and Natsu lifted the blindfold she had been wearing with a scowl.

"Why are you two breaking into my house? I could have killed you."

Reborn smirked at her. "You didn't answer the door."

"I'm deaf. I never answer the door." She replied, though there was a bit more bite in her tone than usual, Tsuna noticed.

"I-Is, um… Is everything alright, Natsu? You weren't answering your phone a-and why were you wearing a blindfold?"

"Training." She grumbled, turning away from him and heading to the kitchen, where she harshly stabbed her knife into the kitchen table before grabbing some coffee for Reborn. "And I left my phone on the table in the living room. Forgot about it."

Tsuna noticed she didn't answer his first question, but before he could ask again, Reborn spoke up.

"Come spend the night at Tsuna's. Mama wants to see you."

"W-What?! B-But Reborn—"

Reborn sent him a glare and Tsuna begrudgingly went quiet, looking out the kitchen window suddenly as a chill went up his spine.

"You've noticed it, haven't you?" Reborn hummed, sipping his coffee as Natsu rubbed at her face.

"Yes. Though I'm not going to go and drag it over to Tsuna's with me."

Reborn frowned at her, but Tsuna was the one who insisted now.

"No, you need to come to my house, Natsu."

Natsu gave him a look. "You were against it a moment ago."

Tsuna shuffled at that, but looked out the window again with an uncharacteristically serious expression. "Yes, but… I don't like you being alone… Please, Natsu."

It was Natsu's turn to grow uncomfortable, and she hesitantly gave in, a bit of pink dusting her cheeks.

"F-Fine. But stop making that… face."

Tsuna blinked, confused. "What face?"

Natsu groaned as Reborn let out a soft chuckle and the trio headed back to Tsuna's home, slightly on edge about the pair of eyes they knew was on their backs.

"Only a bit longer, my sweet. Oh, how long I've waited for this chance. And what better way to do it than to incriminate someone in the process? I knew those connections I had with the Simon family would come in handy. Now I can take out two birds with one stone." The man chuckled, letting out deep laughter as his teeth shone in the dark night; watching Tsuna, Natsu, and Reborn leaving the home to another destination.

"Now, if only I could take care of that brat as well. The Vongola pest has proven to make things difficult already, if her battle with Lance is any proof. And to think, if they hadn't shown up when they did, I might have very well finished her then."

He hummed in remembrance of him lifting the dagger to finish her off that night that Lance failed him, but pushed the thought from his mind.

"No matter. I will make sure she has a fitting end." He smirked, brandishing that worn photo of a woman. "Just like her mother."