A/N- I feel so proud that I actually updated this week! This chapter actually is shorter than the other recent chapters so far, though I think it's one of the most interesting/emotional. I hope you like it!

Reborn felt as if time slowed down, his heartbeat suddenly extremely loud in his ears. He could only watch as Tsunade fell, her arm instinctively curling around her lower chest where she was shot. It was only the resounding 'thud' of her hitting the floor that snapped Reborn out of his paralysis. He rushed to her and kneeled beside her, beginning to give in to the panic slowly rising in him.

"No, no, no!" he said frantically, "You'll be alright! We just need to get you to the hospital! I'll call an ambulance."

Reborn started to get up, but Tsunade grabbed his sleeve with a surprisingly firm grip.

"No, don't," she said with a soft yet firm voice, "The bullet has already pierced a hole in my left lung, and though my blood is moving sluggishly, there's no way to stop the blood flow. Look at my blood, Reborn, it's completely black." Her voice shook slightly. "I'm not going to make it, and you know it."

She knows exactly how serious her wound is, realized Reborn, but that's impossible! Unless—

His eyes narrowed and he turned back to face her. "You knew," he said accusingly, "You knew you would die, just like your brother did!"

Tsunade didn't answer, but the way she deliberately averted her eyes guiltily answered the question for her.

"Why did you come then?!" shouted Reborn, suddenly angry, "Why did you come knowing you wouldn't leave the warehouse alive?! I would've been fi—"

"No, you wouldn't have been fine," said Tsunade, cutting him off and glaring at him, "You were horribly outnumbered AND unarmed." Her eyes softened a bit. "I came because I knew if it wasn't me, then it would've been you."

"So that's it?" said Reborn, gripping her hand tightly as he sank to the floor next to her, voice rising in volume. "I can only sit here and watch you die?!" He could feel anger building up inside of him. Reborn was nearly 100% sure he knew who shot her, and he would spend the rest of his days hunting that son-of-a-bitch down and making—

"Reborn, listen to me," said Tsunade seriously, her eyes burning with determination, "There's something you need to know."

Hearing the tone of her voice, he reluctantly pushed down his fury and turned to her.

"In the entire history of my family, there has only been one other incident where no one in the most recent generation was able to complete their fate," she explained, "That was because of a major massacre nearly that wiped out the entire family, and out of all the elders that were spared, only one was able to live with the guilt. For decades, my family was believed to be nearly extinct, until one day, a young man popped up out of seemingly nowhere. He claimed he was the reincarnation of Kudo Masemune, and that he had returned to this world to create the legendary sword that was named after him. In other words, he had returned to complete his fate, and after his identity was confirmed by the last living elder of the Kudo family, he managed to revive the family. To prevent that incident from ever happening ever again, Masemune created a series of scrolls that listed what would happen in the event of an 'incomplete generation', stating that the child with the most influential fate would be brought back to complete it. As a child, the lessons of these scrolls were drilled into me and my brother because even though I was considered worthless, we were the only two children of the latest generation since our other relatives were unable to bear children. However, now that I'm dying, my brother will have to return."

Tsunade pulled herself up despite Reborn's protests, wincing slightly. "You see," said Tsunade seriously, "My brother's fate was to change the mafia world. I thought that meant crippling it, preventing it from committing underground crimes that go unsolved, so I tried to destroy criminal companies in an attempt to cut off the mafia's supply line. However, now I know that the mafia world isn't evil, it has only become evil. The mafia was made to protect the common people by taking care of the crimes that the law refused to touch. Years of dealing in the shadows has corrupted it to the point where money is king, and the welfare of the people is nothing but a hindrance. My brother was destined to restore the mafia world to its original goal, which means he'll be born in a position where he'll be able to rise to the top of the mafia. My brother Tsunayoshi will become the world's greatest mafia boss, but he needs someone to train him."

She gripped Reborn's arms, half emphasizing her point, half trying to keep herself upright. "I know what you've been thinking," she said softly, "You've been thinking of hunting down Leoko for revenge. I've studied criminal psychology enough to know that once you start, it'll become an overwhelming obsession, and after you finally kill Leoko, you'll miss the high you got thinking about the death of your enemy. This will cause you to kill again and again, searching for the thrill you achieved with Leoko's murder, only you won't be able to find it. However, by the time you realize that, you'll already be a serial killer, and I refuse to let that happen. I know you've killed people, I have too, but there's a difference between killing out of necessity and killing for a thrill. You may be a killer, but I won't let you become a murderer. That's why I'm begging you to be the one to train my brother. I know you have the skill to do it, and in the years waiting for my brother to reappear you'll be able to move up to a prominent position in the mafia world. As a criminal mastermind, you're already fairly well known, so it'll be easy for you to gain even more influence."

Tsunade looked up at him, her eyes glistening with desperation. "Please train Tsuna-nii!" she pleaded, "You're the only one I can trust to do it right! Please, that's my last request to you."

My last request…

Those words nearly broke Reborn, and he barely managed to hold back his tears as he nodded and let out a choked "I will."

All the tension drained out of Tsunade and she relaxed her grip. "Thank you," she said with a small smile.

She laid back down on the floor, her breathing becoming more and more labored. Her eyes took on a feverish gleam, though when she spoke, Tsunade seemed as calm and collected as ever.

"I really wanted to stay with you, you know," she said steadily, though her voice trembled a bit and tears began to fall down her cheeks, "I wanted to love you and stay by your side for the rest of my life. Yet in the end, even I, someone blessed with the power to change the future of others, couldn't escape my own fate. My existence was for the sole purpose of protecting my brother, and since he's gone, I have no reason to stay in this world. This wound." She lifted her hand up and briefly observed the blood dripping from it before hitting her fist against the floor, suddenly angry, tears now streaming down her face. "This wound should be able to be easily healed with the medical technology we have today, yet here I am, bleeding to death in this damn warehouse! It isn't fair! All I wanted to do was live a normal life, was that too much to ask for?! And yet," her eyes softened and she unclenched her fist, "I'm glad my fate brought me to Tokyo because I was able to meet you."

Reborn finally managed to pull his gaze up from the floor, and when he looked at Tsunade, he gasped in shock. She was surrounded in a glowing shroud that was as golden at her eyes, though there seemed to be a tint of green and black mixed in too. He could suddenly feel her emotions acutely: pain, sorrow, anger, regret…

…and love, pure love for him.

Tsunade chuckled when she saw Reborn's expression, though it became a slightly bloody cough. "I see you've developed the ability to sense the aura that surrounds everything," she said, slightly amused, "That's how I was able to sense the emotions and presence of everyone around me. Unfortunately, that's also how I knew how bad or good your hand was during poker. Luckily for you, this makes it easier for you to find my brother, since he'll have an aura nearly identical to mine. Also, it comes in handy to be able to know where your enemies are and what they're feeling, and when something is potentially lethal, you can feel the death emanating from it too. It may seem overwhelming at first, but you'll eventually learn how to control it. Though this ability is a bloodline trait of the Kudo family, there's a rumor that a non-related member can achieve it if they fall deeply in love with a member of the Kudo family, and the descendent loves him or her back."

Reborn saw a flare of pink in her aura and felt a surge of love from her. Tsunade looked at him, eyes still brimming with tears, though they were a mixture of happiness and sorrow. "I guess you did love me after all," she said.

Reborn squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to let the tears fall just yet. He did love her, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life telling her that she was his world. But now, he wouldn't get the chance. Raising her hand that he was gripping so tightly, he pressed it against his lips, trying to let her know all the things he wished he had the time to say. When he looked up and saw her heartbreakingly sweet smile, he knew that she understood, and that she felt the same way.

"I love you," he said brokenly.

With the last of her strength, Tsunade brushed off the single tear that was running down Reborn's face before laying her hand, entwined in his, over her heart.

"I love you too," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

Tsunade closed her eyes, the smile still lingering on her face.

Reborn felt her heart slowly beat once…

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.

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Twice…

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Then…

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Silence.

A/N- Even though as the author I knew this would happen all along, it still made me pause when I reread it… :'( Anyway, only one more chapter and an epilogue left! Best case scenario? Next chapter comes out tomorrow. If that doesn't work out, then I'm afraid you'll have to wait at least another two weeks. Thank you all for reading, and special thanks to smileysparklea, Okami Endless, and Lite Crystal27 for reviewing!

Read and Review please! You guys are the best!