Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn
A/N: Thanks to fatesmask, xXHalfPrinceXx, mangopudding, Guest 1, shanagi95, Kingyo, xxOMGgalxx, Kanrei, loveless23, Guest 2, Chi-tanda, Mad3lina, Soul Vrazy, TsunaHibari1827, scarlet rose white, sUSHI SHI SHI SH, Guest 3, Reije, Guest 4, ShiroHachi to KuroHachi, and Ayz283 for reviewing!
The Shadow Demon
"Talking in Italian"
"Speaking in Japanese"
'Thinking'
Chapter 7
Takeshi closed the door behind him as he left the guest room Tsunayoshi was staying in. He sighed before looking up at the other guardian heirs that were waiting in the hall. They were all there except Mukuro, who was probably around but hiding with his illusions, and Kyoya, who hated crowded of all sorts so he obviously wouldn't be here.
"So?" Hayato demanded.
"He's only forgotten the past two months, which also means he remembers nothing of me saying that we were in the Mafia. I didn't remind him of it either so he just thinks he and I are guests here because Reborn and Colonnello saved us which means he can't see any of you. He'll get suspicious if he sees you in the mansion." Takeshi explained.
"Why didn't you remind him that we are in the Mafia?" Lambo asked curiously.
The Rain heir shrugged. "I just thought it would be best if he didn't know at the moment. He didn't question it either why a Mafia Famiglia would save us either. He was distracted by something, I believe."
Hayato rolled his eyes. "Distracted? Of course he was distracted, sword freak! He has a freaking concussion! His head was probably killing him. Who can focus with that?"
"That's not what I meant." Takeshi said calmly, glancing back at the bedroom door than back at Hayato before he started walking away. The others started following him, getting the message that they were beginning to get too loud and Tsuna might hear them. "It wasn't the headache that had his attention. I'm not sure what it was. And that isn't the biggest issue at the moment."
Ryohei frowned. "Is there something EXTREMELY wrong?"
"He doesn't want to stay here. I'm afraid he's going to try to find a way to escape the mansion and end up getting hurt. And we can't stop him because you guys can't be seen and I can't try to stop him from leaving since I'm supposed to act like a guest here as well." Takeshi explained.
"So we have to avoid letting Tsunayoshi see us while keeping him from leaving and getting hunted down by the Millefiore." Lambo clarified, frowning. "That sounds impossible."
Takeshi nodded, stopping at the end of the hallway. "That's why we aren't getting involved. We're going to talk to Giotto about this."
*The Shadow*
On the other side of the mansion, Giotto was sitting in his office with Colonnello and Reborn, two of the Arcobaleno, standing in front of his desk. All of them were completely serious. The Vongola boss leaned back in his chair, frowning as he thought.
"Is there a problem, Giotto?" Colonnello asked.
"I just have a bad feeling about this Tsunayoshi Sawada." Giotto replied.
Reborn raised an elegant brow. "Do you think he is dangerous?"
Giotto shook his head slowly. "No. It's not that type of bad feeling. There is something about Sawada that can't be trusted."
"Besides the fact that the Millefiore is after him for unknown reasons?" Reborn asked, taking a seat on the couch in front of Giotto's desk.
*Demon*
SMASH!
THUD!
A low groaning came next.
Sharp grey eyes stared uncaringly at the pitiful figure below him. The moment the Millefiore agent that Reborn and Colonnello brought in woke up, he strode down to the "torture chambers," as they were dubbed, before anyone could stop him and before Alaude could take his prey from him.
The man that was dragged to Vongola Mansion by the Arcobaleno was sitting in a metal chair, wrists chained to the armrests of it. Kyoya had come into the room, slammed the door shut, and slammed a tonfa into the man's chest before knocking the chair over with a loud thud.
It seemed that the Millefiore agent did not like the idea of being knocked down like that by a brat as he was glaring at Kyoya. "What the hell do you think you are doing, brat?" He snarled.
Kyoya stared at him coldly. He put his foot on one of the legs of the chair and pushed down on it until the chair was righted. With the chair righted, the Prefect walked to the other side of the table, crossed his arms, and stared at the man, who glared back angrily.
It was all a test to Kyoya to see how much this man could handle before he cracked and had to break the staring contest. He wanted to know how far he could go with him before it went too far and killed him. In truth, he wasn't worried if the man died because he was part of the group that chased his prey, Tsunayoshi Sawada, but he needed him alive because he needed information on the Millefiore and why they were after the brunette.
It turns out the man wasn't very strong, in Kyoya's opinion, since he only lasted five minutes before he had look away from his gaze. With that knowledge, Kyoya walked over to the security camera in the room near the roof and smashed it into pieces with a tonfa, instead of the easy route which was to simply unplug it. He felt the Millefiore agent's nervous eyes on him the whole time, causing him to smirk already.
He was going to get his answers.
*The Shadow*
Giotto stared at Reborn and Colonnello silently. Both of them were a part of the Arcobaleno, a special group inside of the Vongola. The Arcobaleno consisted of the eight strongest people in the world. There were only supposed to be seven, one for each type of flame, but the Rain Flame ended up being shared. The eight strongest were the Sky Flame user, Aria (it was her mother Luce but she died early on), the Sun Flame user, Reborn, the Storm Flame user, Fon, the Lightning Flame user, Verde, the Rain Flame users, Colonnello and Lal Mirch [1], the Cloud Flame user, Skull, and the Mist Flame user, Mammon.
They were all the strongest of the Vongola. The strongest of the eight of them was Reborn though. Along with being the strongest, they were also some of the most loyal members of the Vongola. Everything they did was for the good of the Famiglia. Along with being very loyal and trustworthy, they were very helpful with keeping the members of the Famiglia in line and advising the boss when he needed it as they were also very smart, along with being powerful.
As such, Giotto knew that he could talk to them about any problem he was having and not have them go spreading the information around the Famiglia. Which was a great blessing to him. Sometimes his Famiglia was very good at blowing everything out of proportion. At times when information was being spread around like that, he felt as if he was playing the game 'Telephone.' [2]
His guardians were just as loyal as the Arcobalenos, but there were times when he couldn't advise with them, like if they were away on a mission or if the situation was best to be discussed with someone outside his guardians.
Upon noticing that their boss was a bit distracted, Colonnello gave him his full attention once more. "Is something wrong, Giotto?"
At first the Vongola boss didn't reply, still thinking about everything that happened today. He recalled Takeshi saying that he was prepared to die to keep Sawada from being taken by the Millefiore. Hell, he even broke the rule about not letting anyone know he was in the Mafia to keep Sawada safe. Then there was the fact that he showed the boy box weapons. Just how far would he go to keep that boy safe?
"What do you believe they would do if a situation ever arrived where the choice was between Sawada and Vongola?" Giotto asked finally, staring at both Colonnello and Reborn with a thoughtful frown.
"In a heartbeat," Colonnello said, glancing at Reborn then back to the Vongola boss. "They would choose Tsunayoshi."
Giotto sighed in disappointment. "So the Vongola Famiglia that trained them and helped raise them is that easy for them to betray for someone they only consider an acquaintance."
"No, that is not it." Reborn interrupted, drawing the attention of Colonnello and Giotto to him. "The heirs that your guardians have chosen are loyal and trustworthy. They love the Vongola and believe in it. They would never betray it, but there was one mistake you have made that will allow them to betray it and you."
The boss of the Vongola raised a brow. He didn't realize he made a mistake when the heirs were brought in to be trained. They all seemed so happy to be here, to have this family. "And that mistake is?"
"It is not their intention to betray the Vongola Famiglia, but when it comes down to it, they are tied more closely with Tsunayoshi. Do you know why that is?" Reborn asked, staring into Giotto's orange eyes. "It's because you have never given them anything to tie them to the Vongola. They don't have a boss to tie them here. Without their boss, they feel free to do what they wish. You may be the current boss, Giotto, but you are not the boss they are meant to serve and they know it. You need to find your heir now. Your heir will tie them to the Vongola. Their boss will be the center of their world and they would never be able to betray the Vongola then."
"I know I need to find an heir," Giotto snapped back in frustration. People kept telling him to find an heir over and over again. Why didn't they understand that he already knew that, but it was difficult to find a good heir who also had the Sky Flame.
*Demon*
In his room, Tsunayoshi was rolled on his side, staring at the bedroom door. Takeshi had left a while ago to do something. He wished to go with him, but the black haired boy told him it was better for him to stay in bed and rest. Tsuna had agreed because his head was killing him when he tried to sit up and get out of bed. Because of the major headache he had, he decided that if it wasn't gone by tonight, he would stay at Vongola Mansion for one night, but no more than that. He had a duty on the Shadow Demon after all. He couldn't be resting for days because of one headache.
Still, he had had to wonder about Takeshi. The boy wasn't part of the Mafia, yet he was so calm and composed when he was in the mansion of the biggest and most powerful Mafia Famiglia. Then again, this was Takeshi he was talking about. The boy was always calm and composed.
But still, this was the Mafia! He didn't care if they did save him and Takeshi and healed him. The Mafia was dangerous. He may deal with the Underground World as the Shadow Demon, but he never wanted to be inside a Mafia's headquarters unless he was doing his job. Being in one as a guest and being treated by them was not his idea of an ideal night, especially when he was stressing over his secret being found out by them.
A knock at his door snapped him out of his thoughts. He took a moment to calm his heart. Just being in the Vongola's Mansion was worrying him. But to have people just knocking at the door was causing him great worry. He didn't want to deal with all these Mafiosos when he wasn't at full strength.
But just to be careful, he checked his pocket for his box weapon and checked that he had his necklace with all his rings on it. When he was done with that, he looked back at the door that was still closed. "Come in." He called, a bit amazed that the person waited for him to reply. Since this wasn't his house or room, he just expected the person to think that he could just walk right on in.
Then the door opened and to his surprise, it wasn't a male that was coming in. It was a woman that could probably pass as an angel with how beautiful and sweet she looked. She had a very gentle face and bright, emerald green eyes that truly looked like gems with how much they shined. The only thing Tsuna could see in her eyes was kindness and care. Her long, blonde hair was wavy and tied back in a braid, except for her bangs which covered her forehead. She wore a long light purple dress that went down to her ankles with the sleeves of it stopping a few inches before her wrists. Around her neck was a light purple ribbon which was tied into a bow with the extra ribbon flowing down. On her right wrist was a simple white cloth bracelet. To complete the outfit, she wore white high heel sandals.
"Good evening."
Even her voice was very sweet and soft.
This woman caused Tsuna's thoughts to cease. Everything about this woman's appearance and voice screamed that she wasn't dangerous. How could she be in a mafia Famiglia, the Vongola no less? Tsuna just couldn't comprehend it.
"My name is Elena." The woman told him.
Tsuna blinked and refocused on the woman. Before, he was so distracted by her beauty that he didn't notice that she was carrying a tray with a plate of food and a glass on it. "Oh, my name is Tsunayoshi Sawada. Nice to meet you, Ms. Elena."
Elena chuckled softly as she put the tray down on the nightstand. "It is Mrs. Elena, Mr. Sawada. I am married."
Tsuna blinked, but grinned all the same. "But of course you are. I would be quite shock if someone as beautiful as you was still single. And you may call me Tsunayoshi."
"Well, Tsunayoshi, you seem to be quite the charmer." Elena replied, smiling at him. "I've brought you some food, a drink, and from Knuckle, some medicine to help with that dreadful headache you have."
"How did he know about my headache?" Tsuna asked suspiciously, glancing around the room worriedly.
"He's a doctor, of sorts." Elena replied, and at Tsuna's confused look, she elaborated. "He doesn't have a license as a doctor, but he works with injuries a lot and studies often about injuries he hasn't dealt with a lot. Now," She clapped her hands and looked down at Tsuna with a smile. "Do you need my help sitting up or can you do it yourself?"
"I'm fine." Tsuna replied. He rolled himself onto his back and slowly sat up so as not to cause ringing pain to flare in his head again. When he was sitting up, Elena adjusted the pillows so he could lean back on them. "Thanks, Mrs. Elena."
Elena chuckled. "You can just call me Elena, Tsunayoshi. No need to be so polite."
Tsuna smiled a little as Elena put the bed tray over his lap. "Thank you, and may I inquire as to who the lucky man is?"
Laughing, Elena nodded. "Daemon Spade."
'Daemon Spade?' Tsuna looked up from his food, a bit surprised, but looked back down quickly so Elena wouldn't see it. 'She married the Mist Guardian? The pineapple haired freak? Huh, now that I think about it. He and Mukuro share the same type of hair style. Strange.'
"Is something the matter?"
Tsuna shook his head. Forcing a smile in place, he lifted his head and looked at the woman. "Everything's fine. Thank you for the meal."
Elena nodded. "When you have finished eating, take two of those pills for your headache. I'll return later for the tray."
Tsuna nodded his head, watching her leave. When the door closed behind her, he returned to his food with new thoughts circling in his head. Daemon Spade and Knuckle already. Two of the Guardians of the Vongola leader, Giotto. He knew all about the guardians and the leader of Vongola. He did his research on them. Apparently there were six guardians of the Vongola leader. All of them had their own Dying Will Flame. There was the Storm, Rain, Lightning, Sun, Cloud, and Mist. At the center of them was the Sky, which was Giotto. Apparently they were all looking for an heir to take their place some day. He had no idea of who the heirs were though. That was so top secret that it wasn't in any of the files the Vongola had. Truthfully, he didn't care all that much. He rarely had dealing with the Vongola. No one wanted to steal anything from the Vongola, nor did the Vongola ever require his services. And that was the way he liked it.
The Vongola was not a Famiglia that even the famed Shadow Demon wanted to mess with. They were powerful and dangerous. He didn't even know where their mansion was. Maybe when he gets out of here, he can figure out where it is. He doubted he'll ever have to come back to it, but it was still good to know, just in case. Anything could happen in the future.
*The Shadow*
"Give him the medicine?"
Elena looked to the side at Daemon, who appeared to her from his illusions at the end of the hallway. She nodded her head. "Yes, he has the medicine. Don't you think it is a bit much though? He seems like a nice kid. I don't think you need to knock him out."
"It's a trick that will only work once." Daemon shrugged, smiling at her. "But the little heirs are afraid he might try to escape the mansion. Something about hating the Mafia. So they pleaded with Giotto for us to keep him safe and in the mansion."
"But to knock him out?" Elena said doubtfully. "That seems to be going a bit too far. It might upset him."
"If the Millefiore is after that kid, it has to be because he's strong. He can handle the game." Daemon replied.
"Oh, now it's a game?" Elena asked, raising a brow.
Daemon smiled and kissed his wife's cheek. "Always, love."
Back in the bedroom, Tsuna just briefly glanced at the medicine bottle before taking two pills out. He didn't take pills often so he didn't understand what type of medicine this was, but it would work well enough.
If he was a fool.
Like hell he was taking medicine given to him by a Mafia Famiglia. What the hell did they take him for?
"Tsunayoshi?"
Tsuna jerked on the bed in surprised and looked at the bedroom door where Takeshi was standing, grinning at him. "Ah, I see that you got your medicine. You should take that soon for that nasty headache."
Tsuna looked at the pills in his hands before putting them on the bed tray. "Takeshi–"
"I know you don't like the Mafia, Tsunayoshi, but I think we should stay here until they let us leave. You don't want to anger them by sneaking out, do you?" Takeshi replied, approaching the bed with a frown. "Just bear with it that we are here for the time being. Tomorrow, you can be up and about, kay? This place is huge and quite amazing, though we have to be careful not to go places we're not allowed."
'No! No, we don't! I'm not staying here. What don't you understand about that, Takeshi? I don't care about angering the Vongola. Just let me go to my apartment and continue my life of being a thief.' Tsuna cried in his head.
"Tsunayoshi? Tsunayoshi! OI, Tsunayoshi!"
Tsuna blinked and whacked Takeshi's hand out of his face. "What are you doing?"
Takeshi shrugged. "You spaced out." He glanced at the pills sitting on the bed table. "You should take those now."
Scowling, Tsuna looked at the pills. Why did everyone want to force those stupid pills on him? There was something strange about them, but Takeshi didn't know that. He really trusted those Mafiosos too much.
As if reading his mind, Takeshi laughed. "Tsunayoshi, I think if they wanted to kill you, they would have done it while you were unconscious. They're not going to poison you with medicine. Besides, if they wanted to poison," The black haired boy glanced at the empty plate. "They would have put it in your food."
Tsuna sweat dropped. "The fact that you are thinking like a hitman is scary and worrisome, Takeshi."
Takeshi laughed cheerfully. "Don't worry, Tsunayoshi. If I ever decide that to be my occupation, I won't ever come for you."
"How comforting." Tsuna replied dryly.
"It should be."
Rolling his eyes, Tsuna picked up the pills, knowing that it was the only way to get Takeshi to leave and allow him to work on a plan to get out of this place. If Takeshi wanted to stay so badly, he could, but as the Shadow Demon, Tsuna was not going to stick around. He put the pills in his mouth and chugged his water down. Takeshi smiled when Tsuna took the pills, but what he didn't know was that Tsuna actually pushed the pills to the side of his mouth so he wouldn't swallow them.
After supposedly taking the pills, Tsuna laid down on the bed and buried his face in the pillow while Takeshi put the bed tray on the nightstand. With his face buried in the pillow, Tsuna moved the pills around until they were by his mouth. He let them fall out before he sat up again with his hand skillfully moving up to the pillow to cover them and slowly wrap them in his fist without alerting Takeshi.
"What time is it?" He asked as he shifted slightly so he could put his hand under the pillow and release the pills.
"Hmm?" Takeshi pulled his phone out and checked the time. "It is half passed nine. Oh, and before I forget, we stopped at the school to get our stuff." He pointed at a chest at the end of the bed where a backpack was sitting. "Yours is there."
Tsuna nodded. "Thanks. Look," He started, running a hand threw his hair, which caused him to frown slightly. His hair seemed stiffer in the front and crusted dry with something. If he had a concussion like Knuckle said, then did he get an injury that caused him to bleed? He must have. The only thing he could think of that could crust in his hair at the moment was dry blood. "I'm tired and want to sleep. Is that alright?"
"Sure thing. I was thinking of going to bed myself. Night, Tsunayoshi." Takeshi said, grinning.
Tsuna nodded. "Night, Takeshi." Takeshi, being such a nice person, turned the lights off before leaving the room.
Cast into darkness, Tsuna threw the covers off him and crawled to the end of the bed. It was only because of the moonlight shining through the windows that he was able to see where his bag was and grabbed it. With his bag in hand, he moved back to the head of the bed and leaned against the pillows. He shifted the stuff in his bag around until he came across his two phones. He took his red business phone and turned it on. To his surprise, there was one voice mail.
"Tsunayoshi-kun." A sing-song voice said the moment he went to his voice mail. It was an all too familiar voice.
Byakuran.
A/N: [1] Since there is no Arcobaleno curse, I didn't change Lal's flame type so don't say anything about her having different type of flames.
[2] That is such a fun game when you aren't doing it in Spanish. We did a round of it in my Spanish class once so of course the sentence had to be in Spanish!...grr, I can't even remember how that got brought up in Spanish class.