A soft knock roused Tsuna out of his light sleep. He pushed himself up with a small groan, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up. The room he had been assigned was one of the most luxurious in the entire building, a fact that had hardly surprised him. His bed was large and wide, with heavy blankets made of soft cloth and nearly a dozen perfectly fluffed pillows of several shapes and sizes. It looked comfortable, and it had been…for about the first ten minutes. Compared to the simple bedding of his room back in Japan, this bed felt like an inescapable sea of cotton and foam, his body sinking straight down whenever he attempted to shift his weight. The result was a long night of throwing extra pillows about the room, kicking heavy blankets off to the side, and desperately trying not to suffocate in his sleep.

"Come in," He called out to whoever had knocked, trying to look presentable as the door swung open gently. A man stepped in quietly, allowing the door to click shut behind him as he bowed his head respectfully.

"Pardon the intrusion, young master," He said quickly, his back and shoulders stiffer than a plank of wood. "The Ninth asked for you to be awoken. Your guide has arrived."

"Oh," Tsuna blinked, his hands dropping from his face. He hadn't been expecting to get started right after waking up. "Thank you." The man nodded curtly. Tsuna could see his eyes roaming over the state of his bed, clearly wondering about the mess of pillows littering the ground around him.

"Would you like my assistance in getting dressed?" He asked suddenly, making Tsuna's jaw drop.

"Um, no, that's…I-I'm fine!" The boy responded quickly, waving his hands frantically. Again, the man simply nodded, though he seemed to be suppressing an amused smile.

"I'll leave you to it then. You'll find your closet has a few outfits for you to choose from already. You will be supplied with much more once the tailor has had a chance to get your measurements."

"I brought my own clothes along, though…" Tsuna trailed off as he gestured toward his suitcase…which was no longer there. "Eh?"

"The Ninth insists." The reply was short and clipped, making it clear that this wasn't something he could discuss. "I'll wait just outside the door and show you to the foyer when you're done."

As quietly as he had come in, the man stepped back out, not once raising his head. Tsuna sat still for a moment, letting the conversation roll over in his head, before getting out of bed. It was a bit disconcerting that they had seemingly confiscated his belongings, but he was certain the Ninth meant well. He would ask about it later.

As the butler had said, his closet already contained several outfits, all of which were formal. Crisp button down shirts lay perfectly folded to one side, while several well ironed suits hung on the other. His eyebrows rose as he peeked behind the door and found a dozen ties looped around hooks, already tied into wide nooses. He couldn't decide whether he should feel flattered that someone had gone to the trouble, or offended that they didn't think he could tie his own tie. Shaking his head, he walked over to the shirts and yanked a baby blue button down from the pile before stripping his shirt off. Luckily, he had decided to simply sleep in the clothes he had worn the previous day out of sheer exhaustion, and he wasn't about to relinquish the only pair of jeans he had left. After buttoning up the shirt, he decided to take another moment to roll the sleeves up before stepping out into the hallway.

"Are you ready, young mas-?" The man nearly choked as he looked over, pulling a sheepish smile out of Tsuna. He had clearly been expecting the full suit ensemble, but he recovered quickly, clearing his throat and gesturing down the hall. "Right this way, young master."

As Tsuna followed him, he began to feel more and more self-conscious about his clothing decision. Did a day out in town really require a suit? He wondered if his friends had already left, and if their clothes had been stolen in the middle of the night as well. Would they all be wearing full formal attire? Perhaps Italy was different from Japan, and he would stick out like a sore thumb. He made a point to remember the way to his room, just in case he ended up regretting his decision to wear jeans.

"Straight ahead," The butler came to a stop and gestured to his right, where the hall opened up into a large and lavish sitting area. The doors of the entrance were wide open, leading to a set of steps. From where he was standing, Tsuna could just barely see the top of a burly man's head, causing him to swallow nervously.

"Thank you, um…" He turned to thank the butler properly, realizing that he didn't know the man's name.

"Arlo, young master," He bowed deeply again, taking the cue to introduce himself.

"You don't need to call me that," Tsuna said quickly, uncomfortable with being called 'Young Master' all the time. "Just Tsuna's fine. I'd prefer that you do, actually."

"Very well," Arlo agreed as he stood, though he seemed hesitant. "I will be waiting here upon your return, young- er, Tsuna…" Tsuna laughed as the man's face practically contorted, turning to leave upon the other's ushering.

As he walked across the foyer and stepped through the doorway, he discovered there were actually two men waiting outside with their backs turned to him. They stood closely to each other, shoulders nearly touching, like sentries guarding a treasure.

"Excuse me…?" Tsuna tried to hide his confusion as they turned to face him. "H-hi, I'm Tsuna…I thought I was just supposed to have one guide today?" They shook their heads, and the smaller man on the right spoke up.

"Pardon us, Tenth. Your guide is just outside the gate. We're not permitted to allow anyone outside of the immediate family within the building." They stepped aside, giving him room to pass by. "Go ahead."

Tsuna ducked past them with a small nod, walking down the steps and towards the gate as quickly as he could without actually running. He could practically feel their gazes drilling into his back. As he passed through the front gate, he came to a stop and looked around blankly. There were only two more men out here, wearing identical black suits, just like the last two. The one closer to him shifted his position upon noticing Tsuna's arrival, and Tsuna realized there was a smaller boy sandwiched in between them.

"Good morning, Tenth," The third guard greeted. That was what Tsuna was deciding to call them. For now, they would all be Guard 1, Guard 2, Guard 3, and so on.

"Good morning," Tsuna replied cautiously, beginning to worry once more that suits were simply the standard of dress in Italy.

"I hope you don't mind us detaining your guide out here, rather than allowing you to meet her inside." All three of them turned to face him, and he quickly realized his mistake in assuming the third figure to be male. The length of her hair had thrown him off, but a glance at her figure was enough to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Tenth," She greeted curtly as she lowered her head, although she didn't bend down any further than that. "Yoroshiku."

Tsuna blinked in mild surprise as he returned the sentiment. Compared to the lilting accent of everyone else that had spoken to him so far, her fluency in his native tongue sounded almost alien. Alongside that, her lack of formality was incredibly out of place compared to the way everyone else had been treating him, like a king. As she lifted her face once more to meet his gaze, he made a note of her eyes; they were a dull green, hardly outstanding even when paired with dark hair. While her facial features all looked suitably foreign to him, however, there were hints of Asian descent everywhere – particularly in her eyes.

Stepping back, she gestured for him to follow her as she began walking away from the large estate. It took a few tries for him to fall in step beside her, underestimating the length of her stride every time. She walked with such a sense of purpose that he kept falling behind her automatically, instinctively allowing her to take the lead.

"I'm afraid your original guide grew ill recently. I was asked to take his place. Paolo does his job well – I'll do my best to follow in his footsteps." She explained as they walked. She had a curious way of speaking, keeping her phrases short and clipped. She maintained a low voice, but he had no trouble hearing her, as she enunciated each syllable so clearly she sounded almost robotic. It was as if she was doing everything in her power to save her breath and ensure that she wouldn't have to repeat herself.

"I don't mind," Tsuna said with a faltering smile, unsure of how to respond to her. "Um, I didn't catch your name earlier."

"I didn't give it." Her answer was brusque and uninviting, filling the air with a cold and awkward silence. After a moment, she finally continued, as if she had to dedicate a good deal of thought to her response. "Just…call me Riko."

"Riko?" Tsuna repeated, picturing the kanji in his head. There was no way of knowing which characters her name used, but he had a vague idea. "That's a pretty name." She glanced over her shoulder, giving him a calculating look.

"…I suppose so." She replied cryptically, once again leaving Tsuna at a complete loss for words. Was he supposed to spend the entire day with this? "Have you eaten yet?"

"Eh?" Her sudden question took him completely off guard. She stopped and turned to look at him directly.

"Breakfast," She articulated. "Did you have any?"

His stomach suddenly grumbled at the mere mention of a meal. Taking this as an answer, she nodded and began walking again.

"We'll stay local today, close to the HQ. We have a car at our disposal, but the outskirts of the nearest town are within walking distance. Do you have a preference?"

Tsuna took a moment to glance around them. It was a nice day with near perfect weather, and Italy's scenery was something else altogether. It was hardly even a choice.

"I'd like to walk, if you don't mind…?"

"Not at all," Turning back around, she resumed walking briskly. "In that case, it'll be this way."

Tsuna's stomach growled once more in response, and she doubled their pace.

By the time they finally reached the town, Tsuna was starving.

Riko had wasted no time in pointing out the nearest building that served food, before ushering him straight inside. He must have been looking bad if the way she sat him straight down at the nearest table served as any indication. They were at a cozy little bakery called the Dolce La Bambina, which was small in size but apparently very popular. Once she had ordered, Riko rejoined him at the small table she had managed to snag from a couple that had just been leaving.

"I hope you like eggs," She said, sitting down across from him. "They're famous for their omelets." Tsuna was hit with a sudden pang of homesickness as he thought of his mother's cooking.

"I love omelets." He replied, a touch of melancholy in his voice, though he quickly shrugged the feeling off. It had barely been a day since he had left Japan; there was no reason to miss it yet.

"Good." It was clear that she hadn't missed his depressed tone, but she refrained from commenting on it as she leaned back in her seat. Once again, there was nothing but silence to fill the space between them, and Tsuna found himself fiddling with the prongs of his fork idly. While the lack of conversation made him fidgety and awkward, Riko seemed perfectly at ease with it, her posture relaxed as she casually scanned over the room. Rather than shifting back and forth uncomfortably, he decided to take this chance to examine her a little more closely.

Though she looked tranquil, her body was far from being free of tension. She seemed to reflexively curl her fingers into fists, and her forearms remained firmly locked across her midriff. Despite the thick black cloth of her coat, he could see her shoulders and neck were stiff and rigid. It was as if she was incapable of letting herself loosen up and relax, and Tsuna suddenly found himself wondering just how deeply involved she was with the mafia.

As he began to scrutinize her facial features in an attempt to gain access to whatever she was thinking, he saw her eyes suddenly lock onto something across the room. The transformation in her facial features was brief, morphing back into a reserved expression as quickly as the other had appeared, leaving Tsuna very little time to attempt analyzing what it was that he had just witnessed. She uncrossed her legs and shifted slightly, moving her fingers to the hem of her shorts. She didn't seem to be paying attention to him, so he moved just enough to get a glimpse of her trying to tug the dark denim further down her leg. The pale outer surface of her thigh was adorned with an intricate black tattoo on it, its shape vaguely resembling a flame.

Curious about what had brought on the sudden change in her, he turned around, trying to find whatever she had seen. It took a few sweeps across the bakery, but he suddenly caught sight of a tall man sitting in the back, dark eyes fixated on the two of them. A shiver ran down Tsuna's spine, and he turned back around, only to be met with another intense gaze sitting right across from him. Gulping, he struggled to meet Riko's eyes, which seemed to be searing straight through his skull. It was a short string of incredibly subtle cues, but Tsuna's intuition was telling him that something weird was going on - sinister, even.

"R-Riko?" He asked cautiously. "Is everything alright?" She looked away as soon as he spoke and pushed herself to her feet.

"I'll go check on our food." She said without answering his question in any way. Her footsteps on the way over had been heavy, but the sound had been that of confidence and surefootedness. As she walked over to the counter now, the thick soles of her boots crashed into the floor like mallets against a drum.

Turning around yet again, Tsuna searched for the man he had seen just a moment earlier, but the table he had been occupying was now glaringly empty. A half-finished cup of coffee sat in his place, still steaming, while a newspaper lay askew over the side of the table. The sight set Tsuna on edge, enough to make him jump with a small strangled sound when Riko returned and touched him on the shoulder. She looked back to normal, like she had calmed herself down while she was away, although she gave Tsuna a curious look as he tried to settle his hammering heartbeat.

"The owners would like to meet you." She said hesitantly. "Are you…alright?"

"Y-yes, I'm-" Tsuna flushed in embarrassment, but looked at her in confusion. "Wait, they want to meet me?" She nodded, only serving to further his confusion. "Why?"

"You're the Tenth." She replied, the answer short and succinct like it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are they part of the mafia?" Tsuna asked, his eyes widening at the prospect. "Like…hitmen? D-do they poison their food too?!" As Bianchi's poison cooking came to mind, his stomach turned over at the thought of eating their 'famous omelets'. While he was panicking, Riko's eyes found the ceiling, clearly displaying her waning patience.

"No. They're a married couple that owns a small business. That's all." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "The Vongola is a powerful family. It basically controls these parts. The Mafia and the community function symbiotically; the people provide business. The mafia provides protection and services. Your predecessor has…done a good job. He's maintained peace and welfare. The Vongola Family isn't made up of just hitmen – it's everyone that they take care of as well."

That's almost exactly what the Ninth said in his letter, Tsuna mused. It had been a nice idea at the time, but it hadn't begun to sink in as a reality until now.

"Will you come and meet them now?" She asked in an openly impatient tone, rubbing her neck as though talking this much caused her actual discomfort.

"But I don't speak Italian…" Tsuna protested meekly, causing her to roll her eyes.

"What do you think I'm here for?" She snapped, urging him onto his feet. Together, they walked across the floor of the bakery and approached the counter in the back.

"Scusi," She got the couple's attention over the counter, making a quick introduction in Italian. It was impressive how easily she transitioned between the two languages, although Tsuna supposed that was to be expected of an interpreter. "Tenth, Signor and Signora Donati."

"It's nice to meet you," He said meekly, unsure of himself in this situation. Riko relayed his words quickly and confidently, however, giving him a false air of self-assuredness. The couple behind the counter made loud exclamations, beaming at him. With a quick exchange of words, the woman flew into the kitchen excitedly while her husband took Tsuna's hand in both of his own, shaking it firmly as he intoned what could only be kind sentiments.

"He says they've been eager to finally meet you after hearing the rumors that have been circulating," Riko translated quickly, pausing every now and then to listen and try to catch up to his fast-paced verbiage. "It's a, uh, an honor for their humble shop to…um…" She suddenly let out a short laugh, looking simultaneously flustered and amused.

"W-what?" He asked nervously, wondering if he was somehow the cause of her laughter.

"I'm sorry, Tenth, just a moment. He's going too fast for me."

"Oh, okay." At least they weren't making fun of him.

As she cut into the baker's long winded introduction, Tsuna marveled at the expression she was wearing. He hadn't seen her smile even once all morning – in fact her default expression could really only be described as a poker face. Her sudden show of genuine happiness while interacting with this couple had taken him completely off guard.

"Ah, okay," She coughed lightly, composing herself as her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. "It's an honor for their humble shop to be graced with your presence and they hope you enjoy your stay."

As she spoke, the baker's wife emerged once again with several boxes in hand. She began speaking just as quickly as her husband had been, setting the boxes down on the counter and gesticulating wildly.

"They would like to give you food on the house, as a welcoming gift. They've included our order, along with some breads and desserts." Riko translated, peeking over the counter as the woman started pointing to them one by one. She took a moment to glance up at the couple, giving them a grateful smile and a nod while Tsuna gaped at the spread in front of him.

"A-ah, eh…" He scratched his cheek, at a loss for what to say. He was overwhelmed by both their generosity and their near idolization of him. "Th-thank you. That's really…very kind of you two, and I appreciate the sentiment. Everything looks delicious."

He shot Riko a nervous look, wondering if he was saying the right things. He supposed so, because as soon as Riko finished relaying his message, Signora Donati exclaimed loudly in delight. Leaning over the counter, she took his face in her hands and planted a kiss on each of his cheeks, which immediately grew hot while he stammered incomprehensively, the gesture taking him completely off guard. Beside him, Riko was clearly having a hard time hiding her amusement as she watched the exchange.

"Alright, you're free to go now," She said after exchanging a few final words with the couple, stacking the boxes onto the counter. With one last brief thank you, Tsuna hurried out of the store with Riko on his heels for once. Once they were outside, she chuckled slightly and asked, "Was that really so bad?"

"I didn't realize there were people here that…thought so highly of me. I didn't expect anyone here to even know who I was." Tsuna let out an exasperated breath, still trying to let that sink in. Based on what they said, he was practically a hero here. It was like a dream come true, except for the fact that it felt like a nightmare to him.

"Start expecting it. If people had a face to attach to the stories, they would be surrounding you in the streets right now." She found a small bench and set the boxes down, inviting Tsuna to take a seat there.

"I…kind of knew that, I guess." Tsuna murmured, thinking back to his treatment in the headquarters. He was suddenly very glad that he had chosen to forgo the suit, as the casual attire seemed less likely to be attached to a title as grandiose as "Vongola Decimo". The only person that hadn't actively treated him like royalty so far was Riko, though he wouldn't exactly say he preferred her company. Still, it was somehow easier to relax around her than it had been around any of the staff back at HQ. He had to wonder what made the difference.

"So if you knew the rumors, why didn't you react like them?" He voiced his thoughts as he sat down, regretting them almost instantly. She gave him what he thought was an offended look, although it was hard to tell since she had regained her nigh-emotionless expression.

"…I don't put much stock in rumors." She finally said. "I only trust what I know."

"Do I measure up to the grand tales, then? From an objective point of view, I mean." He was kidding, partly, but also a bit curious. She shot him a sideways glance, almost looking as if she was sizing him up.

"We'll see." She finally said. "Eat up. There's a lot more that I'm supposed to show you."

Reminded of his still empty stomach, Tsuna didn't have to be told twice.

By the time they finally returned to the HQ, the sun was setting and Tsuna's legs were practically quaking with fatigue. They had spent the entire day walking, visiting one shop after another with each one bearing some form of gift that he couldn't find a way to politely refuse. Though he had ultimately enjoyed the tour, it became difficult to carry on as the gifts continued to pile up. They had to call on a chauffeur eventually, both unable to walk with their arms full of presents, and they ended up having to drive back.

He let out a weary sigh as the car rolled through the front gate and up the main driveway, looping around to stop directly in front of the building's entrance.

"I'm…sorry about all this." Riko apologized stiffly as they got out, staring in amazement at its nearly overflowing state.

"That's okay," Tsuna laughed, trying to reassure her despite the fact that he was just as horrified by the turnout. He was about to thank her, but was cut off by a boisterous call.

"Tenth!" Turning around, he found Gokudera grinning at him from the entrance, like a dog waiting for its owner's return. The bomber was quickly joined by Yamamoto and Ryohei, along with Bianchi, Reborn, and Colonello.

"Oh," Tsuna jogged up the steps quickly to greet them. "I'm sorry, guys, did I keep you all waiting?"

"We all just got back recently too," Yamamoto said brightly, chipper as ever. "We thought we'd welcome you back since we didn't get the chance to see you this morning."

"My sister dragged me out before you had even woken up," Gokudera growled, shooting the young woman a venomous glare. She responded with a serene smile, unbothered.

"We'll be having dinner soon." She told Tsuna in a pleasant tone.

"Oh! Um, hang on just a second!" Dashing back down the steps, he ran back to where Riko was attempting to help the driver unload the gifts. "Riko!" He called out, getting her attention.

"What is it?" She set one hand on the roof of the car, pulling her head back out to look at him.

"It looks like the other guides are all staying for dinner. Um, would you like to join us?" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm actually not sure if it's even my place to invite you, but I thought it would be a nice way to thank you for showing me around today."

Straightening up, she glanced over the hood of the car to look at his friends. The muscles around her eyes tightened as she took in the typical scene, watching as Gokudera and Ryohei yelled at each other while Yamamoto laughed at the argument. There was a subtle undertone of shock hidden in her expression, and she turned away quickly, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Thank you, but I should really be going. I'll be here to meet you in the morning." She spoke quickly, suddenly in a hurry to leave.

"Ah, well, okay." Tsuna shifted his weight from one foot to the other, wondering if his friends' rambunctious behavior was actually scaring her off. "Um…thank you. For today. It was fun."

She paused for a moment, before bowing her head again, like she had that morning.

"It was my pleasure, Vongola Tenth." As she straightened, he couldn't tell if the shadow of a smile he saw was real, or a trick of the light. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Y-yeah! See you tomorrow!" As she walked off, Tsuna pushed out a breath through pursed lips before turning around to rejoin his friends.

"Everything okay?" Yamamoto asked as he walked back up the steps.

"Ah," Tsuna replied with a nod. "I just thought I'd ask my guide if she wanted to join us, but she had to leave."

"Your guide," Bianchi repeated, fixing him with a curious look, hidden behind the tinted plastic of her goggles. "What's her name?"

"Eh?" Tsuna tilted his head in confusion. "Riko. Why?"

The woman stared after Riko's retreating form for a minute, her brow furrowed.

"Aneki?" Gokudera asked, now curious as well. He knew when Bianchi's behavior was strange, and he knew that it usually had a cause behind it. She hummed thoughtfully for a moment, before shaking her head and turning back to them.

"It's nothing. She just reminded me of someone." Stretching her arms out to encompass all of them, she began to usher them back in. "Let's hurry up and get to the dining hall. I helped cook, and I don't want to let the food get cold before you all have a chance to try it."

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm sorry for the late update and my brief hiatus - my laptop finally decided to die out on me, and it took quite a bit of time to realize that I needed to buy a new one rather than try to fix the old, and then I had to wait for the new one to ship and I had to transfer all my old data onto the new one, and it was just a mess. Thankfully, I'm finally settled back into a regular routine, and more than ready to start writing up a storm again! As always, thank you for reading and leaving kind reviews, and I hope you enjoy!