Yay~ Time for Mukuro's appearance! Such an interesting character! And this chapter is meaning some real serious business!

Geez, had I left the previous version as it was then this chapter would actually be in the twenties instead of the teens.

And in other news, I'm playing with the original sketch that I have for Ashlynn (Though I think I made her too pretty. Not that that's bad or anything~). You can expect it uploaded within the next week or so on Ashlynn's character Bio on Deviant Art (There is a link to that page on my profile). I will announce when it has been uploaded~.

~My Reviewers are so sweet to me. They're practically writing me essays and making me blush when I read them~

LunaticSheep: ...holy crap~ I can't believe you guessed it...I seriously wasn't expecting anyone other than my Beta knowing that until well after the Future Arc and you called it with only a few vague offhand comments.

Yes, no need to worry. I am not going to end the fic at the end of the Future Arc. Definitely going on to the Shimon and Arcobaleno Arcs [Which are amazing by the way]. And as for taking Lambo's place as Guardian, yes she will. Although he is an assassin, albeit a loud and clumsy one, he is still a very, very young and naive child that shouldn't be going against a man more than four times his age in a battle to the death. So when it's time for the Ring battles (just a few chapters away) Ashlynn will be chosen over Lambo. It's alright to try to guess what is going to happen in the future; sometimes you'll be spot on and sometimes I'll think it's a great idea and I'll fit it in~ And you can be sure the little tidbit about working with Verde is a good one~ Thank you~ :D

Sorry for the delay and I Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween~


In a battle all you need to make you fight is a little hot blood and the knowledge that it's more dangerous to lose than to win.

- George Bernard Shaw


There was a perfectly reasonable explanation why she went to school armed with weapons hidden on her person and wearing the lovely arm guards that Lussuria had given her. Along with having the dagger Hibari gave her strapped to the back of her bra beneath her uniform and having the pistol and it's holster stashed in her bag until the end of the day. All that plus her jade chakram bracelets, the four small chakram bangles on her wrists, along with the two crystal bracelets that she bought with Ran during last years summer festival.

Yes, Ashlynn found it was perfectly reasonable to be prepared for the days events. The reason? The rumored accounts of someone attacking the prefects of Namimori along with a few of the Junior high students and sending them to the hospital. Which could only mean one thing.

Mukuro was in town looking for Tsuna by fighting through the list of the strongest Junior high students.

Ashlynn's leg bounced as she tapped her pencil on her desk and kept looking at the clock on the wall waiting for the day to freaking end already. She hadn't planned on actually going to school this morning in favor of going with Tsuna to go see Ryohei who would no doubt be hospitalized from fighting Ken late last night or early on his morning training run since Reborn had told them to take the morning for individual training.

But before she could find Tsuna she had run into Hibari who had just seen them...

"You're going after the one responsible." A statement since she really didn't bother asking the obvious.

"Hmph, of course. This person is encroaching the order of Namimori and has attacked those affiliated with me and Namimori Junior High. And as of this morning there are at least two hostages. The one in charge and any associating with him will be bitten to death."

Hibari threw a red cloth in her face and she grabbed onto it before it fell to the ground. Like the band around his arm except the one in her hands had the kanji for 'Outside Deputy, Omnivore'. She looked up and noticed that he was walking away and jogged to catch up with him. "Why give this to me?"

"You will keep an eye on Namimori High School for any suspicious characters."

"Aa." Ashlynn rummaged through her bag for a safety pin to secure the red cloth.

Hibari nodded. "I have found that the attackers are from Kokuyo Jr. High thanks to the loud boxer."

"Ryohei. You said two hostages; do you know their identities?"

"Sawada Fuuta and Cross Suzume."

A snarl tore out of her lips before she could help it. "You're sure about that? Birdy got permission to go on a school trip for the last three days and is supposed to be back tomorrow. Are you telling me that that was fake? Shit~! Hibari-san, I'm going with you."

Hibari halted and stared her down. "No, the Elementary trip was scheduled before the summer break. The leader of these mischief makers no doubt took advantage of it and took another hostage. You will see to the high school while I am gone. This is non-negotiable, Omnivore."

"Bullshit! I'm go-!"

Ashlynn's back hit the wall behind her and a tonfa was smashed against the wall next to her head while his other arm caught her shoulder and his leg between hers kept her in place. Hibari glared. "Do not make me repeat myself, Omnivore."

Ashlynn glared back but the boy didn't pull back. And she knew very well that he wouldn't until she gave in. But that didn't mean she'd like it or make it easy. "...Fine. But if you're not back by the end of the school day then I'm coming in after you."

"...That is acceptable but not needed. Go to school Omnivore Ashlynn." Hibari released her and continued on down the road.

Ashlynn watched grimly as Hibari walked on towards Kokuyo knowing that it indeed was needed especially if he had been stung by one of Shamal's mosquitoes. So she ended up going to school and it seemed her class was caught between being annoyed by her nervous tapping and fear because of the red armband pinned to her uniform.

"A-Ashlynn...? Why are wearing that on your arm? And...why does it say 'Outside Deputy,Omnivore'?" Ran asked nervously.

Ashlynn looked down at her arm to the red armband safety-pinned around the short sleeve of her uniform. She gave a mental sigh. She knew that there would be a lot of questions pointed her way because of it. And now Ran was asking and waiting for an answer along with the rest of the class, judging by the sudden silence, as they waited for Morooka-sensei to come in and start class.

"...Hibari-san threw it at me earlier this morning and demanded that I keep a look out for anyone who appeared to be suspicious around the school. I'll be reporting to him the second I get out of here."

"But why? Why w-would he do that?" Ran wondered.

Ashlynn sighed aloud this time."...Hibari-san and I...have a sort of accord with each other, an unspoken agreement if you will, which is perhaps his reason for giving me the red armband of leadership. I guess 'Omnivore' is fitting since that is what he calls me. I think there was only one time he's ever addressed me by my name but he added in Omnivore like it was a title."

"...And how did you come to an...accord?"

"He's a very important patron at Fukano's and the reason why we stock so much shortbread and coconut juice. Out of all the current employees that work there I am the only one save for Boss Lady who can walk away from the encounter unscathed so I am the one that he goes to for it even though I work in the back room. Basically, I spend a lot of time in his presence and he doesn't mind me or perceive me as a major threat to him or Namimori."

"I don't think you should have worn it let alone taken it, Ashlynn."

"Oh?"

"You haven't heard? A bunch of the prefects have been sent to the hospital and a couple of the junior high students as well. If those attackers see you wearing that you might end up as a target too even if it doesn't say 'prefect' on it. I think you should take it off. Everyone here knows you have it now so you don't have to show it while you're here."

"Perhaps. But even now as we speak Hibari-san went after the one who is responsible for this mess."

Ran smiled relieved. "He did? ...Then you should be fine then if Hibari-san is taking care of it. So I guess you'll be okay wearing that then. Question: Why does he call you 'Omnivore'?"

"I've wondered that too sometimes. I guess it's because I spend a lot of time with him. I've evolved from a herbivore to an Omnivore by being around him, a carnivore. That's the best explanation that I can think of...though it makes me seem like a Pokemon..."

"I bet the only way he'll see you as a carnivore is if you start biting people to death."

Ashlynn nodded and returned to her impatient nervous tapping, annoying Morooka-sensei to the end of his fuse and looked like he was about to throw her out by the veins on his face. She still continued tapping. By now she was sure that Tsuna was going to find Gokudera fighting Chikusa and the Yamamoto would save them...she grumbled. Sometimes she wanted to write down the series of events of each episode so she could remember everything that was supposed to happen. But there was just too much of a risk that someone could come across them and use them against the family and she couldn't afford for that to happen.

Wait a second...maybe if she annoyed Morooka-sensei and he threw her out...she could get a move on to Kokuyo center and find Hibari. And according to a map she had seen a while ago, it would take awhile to get there on foot. Damn, Hibari probably planned it that way...

Ashlynn started clicking her tongue loudly despite Ran's frantic glances her way and the looks of fear from the other students. She ignored them in favor of glancing at the clock again and started to tap on her binder, kick the leg of her desk and click her tongue every three seconds and continued the patter until Morooka-sensei's face turned an odd shade of red in frustration.

"That's it! Get the Fuck out of my class you little shit! Obviously you have something much better to do than focus on your education! Get out!" Morooka yelled throwing the eraser in his hands to the floor. Ashlynn didn't waste time shoving everything into her bag and rushed out of the room before anyone could stop her from doing otherwise. She made a quick detour to the locker room to drop off her bag after strapping the gun to her thigh and the sharp chakram bracelets that had previously been hidden in on of the pockets. Once sure she had everything accounted for that she needed and the rest laying locked up in her locker, Ashlynn booked it out of the school and towards Kokuyo Land Center.

Ashlynn ducked behind a low billboard as she crept closer to the run down premise and spied Tsuna along with Reborn Bianchi, Gokudera, and Yamamoto. Reborn turned her way and she nodded and made a motion to indicate that she would go around the back while they entered through the front gate. Reborn nodded before he leaped to sit on Yamamoto's shoulders and they moved in. Ashlynn silently counted back from twenty before jogging along the uneven ground alongside of the surrounding walls keeping close to the support of the wall so she wouldn't slide down the hill to the trees below.

"Welly, well, well, well. Looky what we found creeping around~."

Ashlynn froze and looked up at the wall and saw the silhouette of two figures and quickly moved out of the way as they jumped down from their perch.

"You seemed so shocked~. Did you really expect that no one would notice your presence while the other group of misfits go straight through the front entrance? How stupidly foolish~." The first voice that had spoken scolded her, a stocky tall male with short curly brown hair with olive skin and to her slight disgust he wore large gauges that showed a gaping hole through the slightly hanging ears. He reached behind him and pulled out of his green Kokuyo uniform two throwing axes.

The woman with him giggled hanging off his arm with a chain whip in her other hand as she flicked her head to move one of the many shoulder length braids in her dark orange hair out of her face. She too wore the green Kokuyo Junior high uniform. "What do you think, Yann? Shall we cut her to pieces and present her head to Mukuro-sama? I think she'd make such a lovely ornament hanging from the ceiling, don't you think? And I do like those pretty arm guards she's wearing~. Let's get them?"

Ashlynn barely had a moment to blink as the two immediately charged at her and she stumbled down the uneven ground and downhill to the very bottom to more even ground so her footing wouldn't slip while fighting uphill. The man, Yann, the back of her mind helpfully supplied, threw one of the throwing axes where her head should have been before she ducked and sidestepped him releasing the chakram bracelets from the beaded jade form and swung the weapon at the man's back. The hit didn't come as she had to jump back as the woman cracked the chain whip and left a bleeding welt on the back of her legs. Yann stepped in closer and swiped the ax at her stomach cutting into her uniform through the light tank top and a shallow red line appeared across the expanse of her tummy and another shallow slice at her shoulder while the woman moved around out of the way taking the opportunity to land hits with the chains and throwing the wayward axes back to it's rightful owner while Ashlynn was preoccupied with her partner. Thus Ashlynn sustained more injuries than her two smug opponents as her legs looked a bloody mess and the back of her uniform was in near shreds. So far her arms weren't so bad thanks to the armor guarding them. Ashlynn resolved to call Lussuria when this was over to thank him again for them.

Ashlynn cried out as Yann hooked one of the axes into the back of her shoulder and dug the blade into her skin while pulling her forward to slam a knee into her stomach and an elbow dropped her to the ground. He crouched in front of her and wrenched the weapon out of her body then yanked her head up by her hair of her ponytail and crooned to her with a sympathetic expression as if he were comforting a crying child who just had a nightmare. "Is this all the strength you can muster? You know this isn't as fun as I thought it was going to be. Of course you're still going to die but if you can't entertain us then you'll be hurting a lot more than you are now~."

Ashlynn glared.

Yann looked amused. "Your weapons are interesting and you have spirit, I'll give you that but that doesn't help you very much if you won't act on it."

"What are you doing, Yann? Flirting while I'm right over here within sight and hearing distance?" The woman called out with a pout.

"I'd never do that in front of you Sanem, you know that~ Just like you don't with me while I'm in the vicinity." Yann chuckled kicking Ashlynn in the side then walked a few paces back as the woman, Sanem, tossed him an ax he had launched earlier. "C'mon. Get up. See how nice and generous I am? See? Here I am: Giving you a chance to fight back instead of outright killing you while you're down. Get up~. I still want to play~."

Ashlynn huffed and got back on her feet. Yes she was a little grateful he was giving her a fighting chance but the fact that his friend kept giving him back his weapons when he threw them away was really pissing her off. And Sanem didn't stay in one place for too long and if she tried to focus her attention on the orange haired woman then her partner would no doubt push for her complete attention. She needed a way to get rid of Sanem and there were only a few options that might actually work.

Before Yann could taunt her some more she charged in switching one chakram back to its' bracelet form and slipped the smaller one into her fist snapping at her opponent with the metal and her lightning flame which would be the first time she'd ever used it in a combat situation. Yann's eyebrows rose as he felt the shock and grinned.

"There we go~."

She didn't give any reply in return save pulling open a minuscule compartment no larger than her pinkie finger on her weapon and hooked it into the band that held her arm guards to her hand before twirling the larger chakram on her other forearm and sent it soaring up to where Sanem was beginning to stop from jogging.

Sanem jumped over the spinning projectile and giggled placing a hand on her hip not even noticing the fact that the wire was between her legs. "Sorry~! You missed! And now your short one large weapon!"

She only glanced at the giggly woman as she tugged harshly on the wire to bring the chakram spinning back in the direction it came from. She didn't really want to see what would happen if the woman continued to be unaware of her surroundings. Ashlynn grazed the side of Yann's face with the small chakram as she smacked away one of the axes with the larger wheel. He ducked back to keep from having metal lodged into his face and froze with wide eyes as his partner screamed and bawled as Ashlynn's chakram bracelet returned back into her possession and the wire rewinding itself inside the weapon.

"Sanem!" Yann yelled and Ashlynn allowed him to go sprinting up the hill. She decided that, yes, it would not be any help whatsoever to say, 'See? Look how nice I am letting you try to attend to your partner instead of attacking you while you're distracted.' Not a very smart idea to taunt someone who had their partner/supposed girlfriend be crippled in their presence.

Since Sanem had only jumped once over the circular weapon and didn't notice the wire attached to it she obviously didn't see the need to make sure that it couldn't come back in her direction while her back was turned. So like in the fight against Zabuza in 'Naruto' when he has Kakashi trapped in the water ball prison, Sanem had done the same except for dodging the projectile from behind and it had cost her dearly as she screamed for Yann as she tried to do something about the fact that her legs were no longer where they should have been supporting her. The sharp edge of the chakram had sawed right through them leaving Sanem with nothing beneath her thighs but blood spurting from the where the limbs had been cut. She cried yelling for Ashlynn's head as she continued to lose blood faster than Yann could even try to help her. Nothing he seemed to do worked and as Sanem's yelling died down into whimpers he stared Ashlynn down with cold fury. He grabbed Sanem's chain whip on the way down.

"I'll fucking kill you!"

Ashlynn staggered as he jumped at her swinging the chain whip slashing welts at her side as the weapon pinched her skin then charged in with the small ax and wildly slashed at her. Ashlynn used her hand with the smaller chakram cutting into his arm as she pulled away the ax and tossed it further down hill and received a punch into her face for the trouble sending her wobbling back. Ashlynn spat out blood and swept at his legs as he charged her again, it hit him but he used the moment while airborne to crack the whip into her back making yet another tear in the sailor uniform. Ashlynn grimaced but didn't bother to look at any of the incisions. She twirled the smaller chakram at his turned back and her eyes narrowed as it barely buried into the man's skin. She had put much more force into that than it was showing for her effort.

"W-What the hell?"

"You'll notice," Yann ground coldly as he cracked the whip at her. "That my body is more durable than the average human being~. Some things just don't hurt as much for me as they would for you."

"How convenient."

"Very. But obviously not for you." They sidestepped each other and move to hit at each other's backs; Ashlynn making more than just a shallow cut across the side of Yann's shoulder and in return received another punch in the face. She hated those because it made her step away with her eyes closed for a moment and that was all Yann needed to swat her large Chakrams away and lifted her up with a hand closed around her neck. Ashlynn froze before clawing with what was left of the smaller chakrams since Yann hadn't pulled them off and kicked in hopes she could get him to release her.

He chuckled darkly as he tightened his grip. "You're death would have been so much more simple if you hadn't come sneaking on the side. Heh, wouldn't even be involved if you hadn't come here. But now I'll make sure that you're death is as slow and excruciatingly painful as possible before I present your bloody head to Mukuro.

Ashlynn's panic came back full force as he tightened his fingers pressed around her neck to where she could see black spots in her vision and her breath was coming out in short spasms. She could feel tears pooling in her eyes.

"Look at you~. Such a pathetic person. You got lucky so far but there will be no one that will come to save you from your end. Hehehe. This will be for you, Sanem."

Ashlynn gasped as one of her hands clawed at the hand around her neck while the other dropped to her thigh.

Yann snickered. "Are you beginning to give up? That's no fun at all. I want you to scream and beg for mercy; not that I'd actually give it to you... !"

Ashlynn tore the pistol out of its holster on her thigh and fired three shots blank range into Yann's face, his blood splattering hers and the front of her uniform. Ashlynn fell to the ground a bloody mess and crawled away with her hand cradling her neck as she gasped for air. It seemed, as she looked at Yann, that while he was supposedly more durable not even he would survive from being shot three times in the face.

With shaking legs Ashlynn stood up and trudged to retrieve her weapons then bring herself back up the hill.

"...Y-Yann...? Is... that you, Yann...?"

Ashlynn looked up from the ground and found that she was coming up to where Sanem was laying crying and shivering. Her dismembered legs were lying right in her way so Ashlynn walked around them as she got closer to Sanem.

"...Yann...h-honey...? Is...she dead...Did you...did you get...her..?...You...you bitch..! You killed him...you killed my Yann...!"

Ashlynn stood over her head and pulled the trigger twice and watched as the woman's glaring eyes lost their life and turned cold and unseeing. She toiled up the hill and emptied her stomach against the wall with tears escaping her eyes. She just killed two people. They...they were going to kill her...but...but...She sniffled and used the wall as a support and continued on towards the largest building she could see in the distance and she just may be able to climb up the side of the rising wall to the roof. She'd rest when she got to the roof. That way she wouldn't have to see two dead corpses in her line of vision.

As the building came closer Ashlynn found it would be much more simple to walk (after she had taken off her shoes to get rid of her socks now soaked in blood and threw them away before slipping her shoes back onto her feet) along the top of the wall instead of staggering up the side of the hill that had quickly turned into a cliff face and after a few moments of vertigo from being do far up wit barely anything that would give her purchase Ashlynn marched on one foot in front of the other until she came to the end of the wall and leaped from the edge of the wall onto the roof o the main building of Kokuyo Center. She stayed there laying on her back on the rooftop no longer than fifteen minutes before going through the doorway that no longer had a a door to the stairs and started checking the top floor for any sign of Fuuta, Birdy, Hibari, and Tsuna's group.

She stopped in place and swore she could hear talking. Were they really on this floor even though in the series that had found Mukuro in the cinema? Was this an illusion?

...No. There was talking again. Ashlynn pressed her ear to the floor and could make out voices but couldn't make any sense of the words. She stood back up and stomped as hard as she could through the flimsy supports of the floor and jumped in through the hole and launched her chakram.


"Hiiiiiie! What was that!" Tsuna cried. They had just left Yamamoto who was beaten real badly to watch over Lancia's body when they heard three gunshots then a pause before two more shots sounded before the area descended back into silence. Tsuna felt an ominous shiver go down his spine. What if the real Mukuro had attacked the hostages because they had defeated Lancia?

Reborn's face was stony. "Looks like Ashlynn ran into some trouble. Especially if she had to resort to using a gun."

"What! Ashlynn is here too! What is she doing here!" Tsuna yelled worried. "And since when did she have a gun!"

Bianchi answered with an equally stony expression. "Since White Day. Dolly taught how to use and care for it but Ashlynn has quite the aversion to actually using it. To hear shots now; either her opponent had a firearm and shot her or she shot them instead."

"But why isn't she here with us? How come she didn't come through the main entrance?" Tsuna asked. Gokudera and Bianchi shrugged not knowing the answer.

Reborn answered. "She had just caught up when we entered through the front entrance. I believe she waited a minute or so before she started to make her way around to the back. I'd say from the distance from where those shots came from she's a little more than half way before she was stopped. Probably was ambushed."

"That's not too far from here is it? Let's go back and find her! What if she's really hurt?" Tsuna turned back but was stopped by a kick to the back of his head.

There was a shadow over the top half of the hitman's face with only a frown shown. "Ashlynn will meet us when she meets us. We have a more pressing priority with Mukuro. Remember you have a time limit, Tsuna. Let's go."

"But-" Tsuna tried to argue.

Gokudera placed a hand on his Boss' shoulder. "Ashlynn's pretty strong so I wouldn't worry too much, Juudaime. We'll see her soon, I'm sure of that."

"Gokudera-kun...alright. We'll keep going."

They entered the shambled building and checked around on the first floor and found that all the staircases were destroyed and thus impeding on their path.

Bianchi shook her head. "This one is no good either."

"Mukuro is most likely going to be on the upper floors so there should be a working flight of stairs somewhere." Reborn nodded.

"Eh?" Tsuna looked down at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well Tsuna, it's easier to defend the base if he narrows down all possible attack routed, right?" He waited until Tsuna nodded to show he understood. "On the other hand, he's cut off all possible escape routes for himself. He must be very confident in winning."

"Now I'm even more worried..."

"It'll be okay Juudaime! Let's find a working stairs!"

And once again they searched the bottom floor for a way to get to the upper levels of the building. "This one's no good."

"Neither is this one~."

"...another broken one."

"Juudaime! I found one! It's the emergency ladder." Gokudera pointed down the hall they currently were in and they walked over to the only way that would get them up to the second floor. They froze as the sound of whirling caught their ears and when they looked to the left where there was another hallway and standing in the middle of it was Chikusa fiddling with a yo yo. "It's you!" Gokudera stepped forward and threw a pack of bombs into the space between them and the enemy.

"Eh? A smokescreen?" Tsuna asked as smoke clouded everything.

Gokudera stepped forward. "You go on ahead and leave this to me, Juudaime. I'll take care of this guy."

"Gokudera-kun!"

"Hayato wait! Listen to me." Bianchi called. "When you were struck before it was Shamal's trident mosquito that saved your life. The virus he gave you needs time to complete its job. Until then there will be side effects, Hayato. You will suffer painful attacks. Knowing this are you still going to do it?"

Gokudera lit a cigarette. "Goes without saying. It's the reason why I'm here."

"Very well. Let's go Tsuna." Bianchi moved to the ladder with Reborn.

"But-"

"Please go on ahead Boss!" Gokudera grinned. "Once this is over we;ll go have some fun."

"R-right! We'll do that. Please be careful Gokudera-kun." Tsuna gave one last look before climbing up the ladder to join Bianchi and Reborn. 'Gokudera-kun...I don't want to see you hurt...please be careful!'

"Looks like he's not in the bowling alley on the second floor. There's stairs over there so we'll go up to the third floor." Bianchi murmured.

Tsuna nodded. "It should be the cinema next."

They walked on and Tsuna opened the double doors of the cinema auditorium that no longer had the seats but the stage was still intact. It was hard to see a bit since there were only a few lights that were on and possibly the only ones that still actually worked. And on the stage there was a couch with a person in Kokuyo Junior's green uniform sitting in the middle of it with his elbows propped on his knees.

"I'm so glad that we could meet again~." The person greeted. His blue hair was short but styled so there was a tuft of spikes at the top of his head resembling a pineapple. His red and blue mismatched eyes watched them carefully as the door slammed shut behind them.

"Hiiie! It's you! Is this where you were held?" Tsuna yelled then turned his head to explain to Reborn and Bianchi. "Ahh, when we were separated right before we fought Lancia. I found him in the forest. He's a Kokuyo student and one of the hostages."

The boy on the couch smiled. "Come forward slowly if you will. I would like to get to know you better, Tenth Boss of the Vongola Famiglia."

Tsuna paused. 'Eh? But how..how did you know that...?"

"You were deceived Tsuna! That there-" Bianchi scowled.

"That's right." The person looked up. "I am the real Rokudo Mukuro."

"No way!" Tsuna shouted and froze.

"Tsuna-nii."

Tsuna gasped. "Fuuta! Birdy! Are you alright?"

Birdy nodded teary-eyed but neither she or Fuuta moved any closer and Fuuta didn't even respond. "Tsuna-nii."

Bianchi sighed in relief. "You two come along behind us. It could get messy."

Fuuta nodded and took a reluctant Birdy's hand and slowly made their way to the double doors. Bianchi reached a hand out to Fuuta's shoulder but stopped and looked down at her stomach where a three pronged trident was shoved into her stomach. Birdy gasped and pulled away from the boy in horror.

"Bianchi!" Tsuna yelled as the woman fell to the floor. "Bianchi hold on! Fuuta! What on Earth are you doing!"

Fuuta didn't reply, instead he charged Tsuna with the trident piece.

"Wah! Fuuta! Oi..what's wrong with you? Put that down Fuuta!" Tsuna stepped back.

Reborn wrapped up the wound on Bianchi's stomach while Birdy held onto the cocoon state Leon. "His mind is being controlled, Tsuna."

"What! No..no way! Fuuta! Wake up! Stop it!" Tsuna shrieked running away from the controlled boy.

"Kufufufu~." Mukuro watched as Tsuna tried to break through to the boy.

Tsuna shrieked as he was pulled back towards the double doors by his neck and gasped as he was released and a whip was thrown into his face. "What! What is this!"

"That's the old whip that Dino gave to you remember? Use it to fight back."

"Hiiie! Giving me something like this! What do you expect me to do with it! I can't fight Fuuta!" Tsuna argued.

Reborn just stared. "Do whatever you want with it. But if you don't fight then you are going to die. We don't have any more of the dying will bullets Tsuna so you're on your own."

"Kufufuu, what will you do now Vongola Juudaime?" Mukuro asked as Fuuta charged at the boy again and raised a brow when Tsuna side stepped him and ran with the whip in his direction. "Oya? Straight for me eh?"

"I have no choice but to! Yahhh!" Tsuna swung the whip in a downward arc catching his own feet and hitting himself in the face with the handle as he tripped over his tied feet. "...Ouch..."

"Kufufufufu fufuhahahahaha! You continue to surprise me Vongola Juudaime. Oh, look, you better watch out...there is still danger." Mukuro chuckled.

Tsuna looked behind him and squealed. "Hiiiiie! Fuuta got tangled up too! No, Fuuta!" Tsuna pushed the trident out of the struggling boy's reach. 'This is really bad...how can I help Fuuta out of this...?...Wait... He has the same eyes...as Lancia...'

'How many times have I woken up...' The man, Lancia, had confessed to him. 'Remembering nothing while corpses lay at me feet...'

Tsuna gritted his teeth as he remembered when he saw Fuuta in the forest shortly before he met the real Mukuro the first time. 'Could Fuuta have also suffered Mukuro's mind control and was forced to do something he didn't want to...?...The guilt he must have felt...Then...Fuuta...'

Tsuna gasped as Fuuta reached for the trident again and brushed his fingers over the weapon then pulled the trident into his small hand and lunged forward at Tsuna. "Uuuuuuhh!"

"It's not your fault."

Fuuta halted just inches away from slamming the trident into Tsuna's stomach. Mukuro frowned, no longer amused by the turn of events.

"You haven't done anything wrong, Fuuta. None of this is your fault. We're your friends and we were worried about you. So let's go home, okay Fuuta?" Tsuna told the boy.

"...T-Tsuna-nii...Nghh!" Fuuta grabbed at his head and whimpered dropping the trident to the ground as he fell backwards in a faint, blood dripping from his nose. The trident lay on the floor for a moment before it disappeared.

"Oi! Fuuta!"

"Fuuta-kun! Tsuna-nii!" Birdy screamed.

'Oya~? The one to break the mind control was most likely to be him. To break them away one had to say what the recipient wanted to hear the most...' Mukuro shook his head. "Now, now, see you've gone too far. Looks like he's suffering from a clash of wills. That and he hasn't slept at all within the last few days. Kufufu, we came here to Japan to find the whereabouts of the Vongola Juudaime, but we didn't know where to look specifically. Then we heard a useful rumor that Fuuta-kun here had met you and would recognize you as the Tenth Boss so we caught him and the little Bird with him. But, he invoked the 'Omerta' and persuaded the girl as well to keep silent. Furthermore he closed off his heart and subsequently lost his ranking abilities. Even while under mind control neither would say anything about the Vongola. Such a troublesome child."

"What did you say!" Tsuna cried pulling Fuuta into his arms and inched back to the doors and laid the boy next to Bianchi and Birdy.

Reborn's face was grim. "So left with no other choice since Fuuta and Birdy refused to tell you, you used the list of Namimori Junior's fighting strength ranking list that Fuuta had made before, to flush out Tsuna and his family, right?"

"Of course, the Vongola Juudaime is in front of me now. I'd say the plan worked out perfectly."

"How could you. How could you do that to an innocent like Fuuta and Birdy!" Tsuna yelled. "Rokudo Mukuro! Just what do you think people are!"

Mukuro smirked. "Kufufu. Toys, I suppose."

"Don't screw around! You bastard!"Tsuna hurtled forward with the whip.

"Oya?" Mukuro stood up from the couch with a long staff that had the reappeared three pronged trident piece attached to the top and jumped off the stage as a blurred image passed over his right eye. "Do you really think that you could go hand-to-hand- combat against me?

"Uwaaaaah!" Tsuna whipped his weapon as Mukuro passed him. He heard the sound of something breaking through the roof and metal hitting metal and turned around to see a spinning wheel be tugged back across the room on his right as the weapon disappeared into the dark.

"Oya?"

"What? What the Heck happened?" Tsuna wondered.

Reborn's voice carried across the room. "He struck multiple times with the edge of the trident the moment the two of you crossed paths."

"As expected from an Arcobaleno. But none of them got through to him. Interesting." Mukuro commented with his right eye flaring with a Dying Will Flame.

"You okay, Tsuna?"

Tsuna started. He knew that voice! "A-Ashlynn!"

"Ashlynn?" Mukuro tested the name on his lips. "I'm afraid that I don't recognize the name from the list."

Reborn smirked. "I would think not. You only had the list of the fighting strength of the Junior high school. Fuuta never made a ranking list for the high school students because there was only one person he knew from the mafia that attended there so no one saw the need for making one."

Ashlynn stepped forward into the meager light showing that she obviously wasn't a Junior high school student and couldn't possibly be on the list. Tsuna and Birdy gasped when they got a good look at her: Her ponytail was a mess with pieces escaping the tie, dark bruising and blood splatters smeared on her face, there was more red on the front of her ripped uniform than the white that was supposed to be there along with blood and dirt staining the arm guards and bracelets she wore on her wrists, but the worst were her legs; they were completely red with blood with gashes and pinches covering the expanse of the limbs.

"Ashlynn! What happened!" Tsuna yelled. He knew they should have gone to look for her when they heard gunshots. They might have been able to prevent her from looking like that.

"Onee-chan!" Birdy whimpered. There was a lot of blood.

Ashlynn tilted her head as she calmly walked forward with her eyes solely on Mukuro. "I didn't go through the front entrance after you and came across two people in Kokuyo Junior high uniforms when I was going around the perimeter. Yann and Sanem were their names. It was very annoying fighting the two of them while they double-teamed me. Sanem kept giving Yann back his throw away weapons. And then Yann went flipping berserk."

"Kufufufu. Were?" Mukuro simpered turning to face her.

Ashlynn nodded. "Yes. Were. I'm afraid two of your lackeys will never be able to get up on their own two feet again. And now here I am interrupting your crowning moment of Awesome. Sorry about that~." Though she really wasn't feeling all that sorry.

Mukuro grinned turning his head to look at Tsuna. "Such a loyal and humble subordinate Vongola Juudaime~. I bet you're very proud. Kuufufu."

"His eye..there's a Dying Will Flame..." Tsuna murmured.

Mukuro tilted his head. "Oya? You can see it, can you? This power is the 'Fourth Path', a hand-to-hand combat skill that I learned from the path of Asura."

Tsuna repeated the words. "Path of...Asura...?"

"Do you know of the Six Paths of Reincarnation?"

"The cycle of Death and Rebirth you mean?" Reborn queried. "When people die they are reborn into different states. The State of Hell, The State of Hungry Ghosts, The State of Animals, The State of Asura The State of Humans and The State of Heaven. Which State will you go to after your death?"

Mukuro blinked the flame away and flipped a few strands of hair away from his face. "My body has already been through the Six Paths to Hell in my previous lives and the journey's have been carved into my memory. Thus I have attained all six combat attributes from each path through Hades realm."

"What are you saying?" Tsuna asked. Ashlynn found herself a little disappointed by the fact there wasn't a Seventh level of Hell. But if he died more than would Mukuro walk those paths a second time?

"If that's true, then you are quite the monster aren't you, Mukuro?" Reborn chided.

Mukuro shrugged. "You are one to talk. Cursed infant of the Arcobaleno. Now then, shall I show you another skill? Here I come~." Mukuro's right eye blurred again as he used the bottom of the trident to tap the wooden floor beneath his feet.

Tsuna shrieked as the floor crumbled while Mukuro was raised upon a pillar. He clung to the platform he was on and searched in panic for the others as large chunks of the floor collapsed into a demonic red light. He screamed as the platforms and supports beneath everyone crumbled into nothing sending them falling down into the abyss. "No! Fuuta, Birdy! Bianchi! Reborn! Ashlynn! Hiiiiiiie!"

He fell to the ground with a stinging sensation on his cheek and found the floor back to normal, Reborn was in front of him and Ashlynn tuned her back on him as well to face Mukuro. Tsuna gaped when he saw the through the tatters of her uniform and the tank top and found more gashes with blood barely scabbing over. "A-Ashlynn?"

"What you just saw was an illusion, Tsuna. Had to literally shock you out of it." Ashlynn told him softly.

"W-what? An illusion? Are you serious!"

"Kufufu, so you were able to see through it, Arcobaleno. You as well, Ashlynn-kun, very impressive that you 'shocked' your Boss out of his stupor. Well done."

Ashlynn didn't fight the tugging of a small smile at her lips. "Now don't go on doing that Mukuro-kun. You're making me blush~."

Mukuro inclined his head with a growing smirk. "That was the first path: The State of Hell. A skill that enables one to break another's mind in spirit by exposing them to an unending nightmare.'

'Scary..' Tsuna shivered.

"Hmmm, I believe I have figured out your relationship from observing you: The Arcobaleno is monitoring the Vongola which would explain your presence here?" Mukuro theorized.

"That is incorrect." Reborn declared. "I am Tsuna's Home Tutor."

"Oh, I see. That is very unique. But is the teacher going to attack? I wouldn't mind if you stepped in even if I have to battle all three of you at the same time."

Reborn shook his head. "That is against the law."

"Against the law? Kufufufu. That is the reply of a true, proper, traditional mafia member." Mukuro idly twirled his trident.

Reborn continued. "Furthermore, there is no need for my involvement. At least not unless you defeat Tsuna. But I'm not too worried about that happening."

"Oi, Reborn!"

"Ho? What a beautiful trusting relationship between student and teacher. How amusing. Very well then." Mukuro's eyes blurred twice. Once to summon a horde of poisonous snakes into the area and the second back to the Path of Asura as Ashlynn lunged passed the space between them and brought her chakrams down to strike him.

"Hiiiiiiiie! Snakes!" Tsuna cowered directly in the middle of where the snakes had been dropped. "W-wait- Are these illusions too?"

Mukuro ducked under a horizontal slash and blocked the kick aimed at his head while parrying the other chakram. He used his body weight to force her back and would have stabbed her if she hadn't moved to the side and snapped a bolt of lightning at him. He shook his hand into a fist at the slight numbing sensation. "Those are genuine poisonous snakes. If you truly do not believe me then feel free to go ahead and try to get bitten."

"N-no way!"

"The skill from the third state: The State of animals. A person driven to death is able of summoning living creatures that will kill the enemy. Come now Arcobaleno, your student is in danger. Is that okay? Will you stand by and watch?" Mukuro asked the infant hitman parrying against chakrams sending a few sparks when the metal met each other.

"Don't be too sure of yourself Mukuro. I am an exceptional Home Tutor, you know?" Reborn smirked.

Ashlynn ducked out of the way as a weapon from the double doors whirled over her head at Mukuro. He smacked it back over her head with the trident. She hopped back a few steps to the sides so she could see Hibari and Gokudera supporting each other as they walked into the room. Gokudera lit a handful of dynamite and sent them to the snakes that were closing in to bite Tsuna.

"Boss! Please take cover!"

Tsuna coughed stumbling out of the smoke and was relieved to see the two boys come into the auditorium. "Hibari-san! Gokudera-kun! You both, you're both okay!"

"Do you understand Mukuro? There is no reason that I would be bringing up Tsuna alone." Reborn informed the male.

"I've paid you back now." Hibari told Gokudera and let him fall to the ground. "Now we are even."

"What is this? One after the other coming in from the outfield? What is Chikusa doing I wonder." Mukuro swiped away the chakram heading for his head, Ashlynn pulled it back by the wire and sent him an amused look when it occurred to her that the look on his face must have been a pout for interrupting the conversation.

Gokudera moved to lean against the wall. "If you are talking about the spectacles yo yo freak with the crazy animal freak then they are both currently taking a nice break together."

"I see..."

"I-incredible Gokudera-kun! Are you alright?" Tsuna called to him.

Gokudera looked away. "Yeah...I'm fine...I wasn't the one that defeated them though. That was all him."

"Have you prepared yourself" Hibari caught his weapons from Ashlynn.

"What's this? How frightening." Mukuro turned his attention to Hibari. "But please do not get in the way of me and the Vongola right now. You shouldn't be up and about anyway...how many bones in your body have I broken?"

Hibari stared back at him. "Are those your final words?"

"Kufufufufu, you say such interesting things. Wouldn't it be better if we made a pact? No? No choice then.. I shall have to dispose the two of you first. It will be over in a moment!" Mukuro stormed forward and met Ashlynn and Hibari with his trident against tonfas and chakrams.

Tsuna could only gape as the three wound around each in what he could only describe as a dance. Where Hibari-san would attack Ashlynn would support him and for some reason he could hear her fingers snapping, and when Ashlynn moved in to slash with her chakrams Hibari would move to Mukuro's other side and attack him while his focus was on Ashlynn. It was going so fast he could barely keep his eyes trained on all of their movements. 'Amazing! Ashlynn and Hibari-san are so strong!'

"Fnn, Ashlynn and Hibari work very well together...This may be the first time that they have worked together against a common enemy at the same time." Reborn observed with no problems.

"Just how long is an instant for you?" Hibari asked slamming a tonfa at Mukuro and frowned when it didn't hit the boy's torso. The same with Ashlynn until she snapped her fingers at Mukuro's hands and there was a small spark that made him pull back before evading Hibari again.

Reborn nodded. "Don't underestimate them, Mukuro. They are still growing. Even now they are getting stronger."

"So it would seem" Mukuro agreed. "If they weren't injured then the outcome of this battle would have been questionable."

Hibari and Ashlynn froze as blood dripped out of wounds they hadn't remembered suffering from. Mukuro chuckled. "Fun while it lasted I will admit. But this is becoming a waste of time. I'll finish you off quickly now." Mukuro's eye blurred once more and cherry blossoms started to appear in the light hangings of the ceiling, their petals falling gracefully above them to the floor below. "Kufufufu. Come kneel before me."

"No! Hibari-san! Ashlynn!" Tsuna screamed as both staggered on their legs and began to fall at Mukuro's feet.

They stepped with the other foot at the last second and slammed each others weapons respectively into Mukuro's chest. Reborn smiled.

"Oya?"

Gokudera scoffed and held up a small medicine bag. "A bit naive aren't you? I got this from Shamal before we came here. The prescription for Sakura-Kura disease."

Hibari stepped in to hit him again sending him crashing across the floor. Mukuro coughed out blood from the blunt trauma to his body. Ashlynn blinked as the Sakura disappeared but moved to keep Hibari steady on his feet and moved away from Mukuro's body to be closer to the double doors next to Birdy and Fuuta. He stared at the blood still smeared across her face and the red that took over the white of her clothes. But once the prefect was as settled as he could be he finally closed his eyes and fully passed out. Birdy crept forward with worried eyes and buried her face into Ashlynn's shoulder where there wasn't too much blood. Ashlynn patted the girls head keeping an eye on Mukuro's un-moving body in the distance.

"It's finally over Tsuna. However you were perfectly useless during the fight with Mukuro. You had to be save by Gokudera bombing away the snakes while Hibari and Ashlynn combated with Mukuro."

"Leave me alone! I just want to go home, Reborn!" Tsuna cried. "Eh? Ashlynn and Hibari-san! Are you two alright?"

Reborn shook his head. Obviously they weren't. "Ashlynn's covered in blood and Hibari was fighting unconsciously since about halfway through that fight. He must have been very upset that he lost before."

"Hiiiiiie! We have to get everyone to the hospital quick!" Tsuna grabbed the sides of his head.

"Don't worry Tsuna, a team of the Vongola's best medical squad is on there way to this location."

Gokudera stood up with his hand covering his stomach. "That's good to know."

"G-Gokudera-kun! You should take it easy! Sit back down!" Tsuna worried over the boy.

"That medical team will not be of any use to you." Mukuro sat up with a gun pointed at them. "Because no one here will be alive for them to help."

Gokudera moved his body to shield Tsuna's. "You Bastard!"

"Kufufufufu. Arrivederci~." Mukuro pointed the end of the barrel against his head and shot himself.

Tsuna stared in shock as Mukuro fell back to the ground the gun falling out of his hand. "He...he really did it. But...but why...? How could...How would he do something like that?"

"Maybe he would have rather died than be captured again." Reborn guessed. "Or..."

Tsuna froze as a shiver rolled down his spine. '...What...? What is this feeling...?..it's...it's...it feels like Mukuro...But...Something is really wrong here.'

Ashlynn narrowed her eyes in Bianchi's direction. She slipped her gun out of its holster and pressed it into the younger girl's hands and moved her lips to murmur into Birdy's ear. "This isn't over just yet. If you can, take Fuuta and get off of this floor. Go upstairs and hide. Do not come out until I come for you. Can you do that, Birdy?"

She nodded and went to Fuuta making it seem like she was only checking on him and while everyone wasn't looking she half carried half dragged the boy out of the auditorium to hide.

Bianchi gingerly propped herself into a sitting position. "...So he's dead. Thank goodness. Hayato, will you lend me your shoulder? I don't think I'll be able to walk out of here on my own."

"Eh? Do I have to? Che, fine, just...just for today, okay?" Gokudera sighed and walked over offering his arm for his sister to grab onto.

Ashlynn found that she had absolutely no idea what to do. Should she allow things to play out as they are supposed to and be assured that Tsuna wins..? Or try to keep Mukuro from scratching anyone else and risk herself being possessed and used to fight against Tsuna?

"Gokudera-kun! Don't go any closer!" Tsuna yelled.

"What? Oh, it's alright Juudaime. My injuries are fine enough to help her out of here. C'mon, give me your hand."

Bianchi smiled and plunged the trident end of Mukuro's weapon past her brother's face scratching him along the cheek.

"What the Hell!" Gokudera fell back.

"My." Bianchi stared at the hand holding the piece of the trident. "What came over me...? And why do I have this?"

"What are you doing, Bianchi? The one you just cut is your little brother, you know." Reborn tapped her nose and flipped out of the way when Bianchi slammed the trident into the floor where he had stood before.

"Is this more mind control?" Gokudera grimaced.

"No. Not mind control. It appears that she is being possessed by something."

'...This uneasy feeling...it's Bianchi...but then again it doesn't ...feel like it's really her...Ah...' Tsuna stared at her eyes. "Rokudo...Mukuro...?"

"Kufufufu, so we meet again Vongola Juudaime~." Bianchi lifted her face as her right eye flashed red and kanji blurred into the iris.

"That is impossible. It shouldn't exist..." Reborn accused.

Tsuna screeched. "How! How did you...! Your body is laying dead right over there!"

"There are still things I have to do in this world. So I have returned from the very depths of Hell."

Gokudera moved in front of Tsuna. "Leave this to me Boss! Rin! Byou! Tou! Sha! Kai! Jun! Retsu!"

"M-magic? Gokudera-kun since when...? Uwaaaah! It's working!" Tsuna cheered as Bianchi fell to the ground holding her face. Tsuna kneeled in front of her and sighed as she was still breathing but seemed to be asleep. He looked up as Gokudera joined him.

"Don't worry Juudaime. I'll take care of everything."

"G-Gokudera-ku-No! Mukuro!" Tsuna scrambled out of the way as Gokudera swiped at him with the trident. His right eye now shining red with kanji. 'What! What is going on here! Gokudera-kun is possessed now! Reborn! What do we do!"

Mukuro's voice sounded through Gokudera's vocal chords. "This is a first. No human has ever been able to sense with one look that I am possessing somebody. You are truly fascinating Vongola Juudaime."

"Fnn, there's no mistake now. He pretended to commit suicide by shooting himself with that bullet...The possession bullet is forbidden. Where did you come by it?" Reborn demanded.

Mukuro smiled with Gokudera's face. "Ah, so you noticed. Yes, this possession is due to that very bullet."

"Y-you mean like the Dying Will Bullet?" Tsuna asked.

"That's right." Reborn affirmed. "The possession bullet as its' name implies is a bullet designed to allow someone to possess another person's body and control it. It's said that this particular bullet was founded by the Estraneo Famiglia. To handle it well requires a very strong spirit and also a virtuous affinity with the bullet. But the use of it was so inhuman that the mafia world declared it forbidden, and destroyed its stock and manufacturing instructions."

"It cannot be compared to mind control because it is not control but complete possession- From the top of his head to his toes. They are all under my power. In other words this body now belongs to me." Mukuro dug his finger across the skin of Gokudera's neck and looked at the blood that was on his fingers from the scratch.

"Stop! STOP IT!" Tsuna screamed.

Reborn hummed. "You were also able to ensnare Lancia because of this bullet. Why do you have the possession bullet and how did it come to be yours to use?"

"Let me just say... that they rightfully belong to me. Now I will be taking over your body now Tenth Boss."

"So this was your objective?" Ashlynn asked speaking for the first time in the conversation.

"Not exactly an objective. But really a means to the end. Once I have taken over the one who is to take over the Vongola then my revenge will be at hand." Mukuro tossed the trident in the air to Bianchi's body who caught it as Gokudera fell to the ground in a quiet heap.

"Make sure to not be cut by that trident, Tsuna, Ashlynn. Or you will allow him your body to be possessed." Reborn warned them.

"You know quite a bit, Arcobaleno." The possessed Bianchi meandered to Hibari leaning against the wall and scratched his hand with the weapon. "But you are right of course. Because even if it lands the tiniest of scratches it will be like saying 'I will possess this one'."

"Oh no! Hibari-san! No way!" Tsuna yelled as Hibari forced himself to his feet but took no more than three steps before he crashed into the ground.

"Hmmm, it seems that this body cannot be used. And he could actually fight like this? What a frightening man indeed; Hibari Kyouya." Mukuro allowed the body to fall to the ground as he stopped the possession off it. Tsuna yelped as both Bianchi and Gokudera stood with trident pieces of the trident in their grasp and red shining from their right eyes.

Tsuna despaired. "What! Both at the same time!"

"And not just them." Ashlynn worried her lip as two people walked in through the double doors. "We'll have to deal with them too. Possessing four people at the same time...a little much?"

"And that's not all~!" Gokudera lit and aimed dynamite in their direction. This was immediately followed by Bianchi's poison cooking attacking all three of them. Mukuro's voice carried from each possessed person. "This is the State of Hungry Ghosts...a skill to steal the abilities of others.

The bodies of Ken and Chikusa laughed attacking Reborn. "You better start worrying for your own life Arcobaleno~."

"Fnn, even when possessing another's body you can still use all of the combat traits from Hell." Reborn threw off his coat to catch the onslaught of needles from Chikusa's yo yo's with the cloth. "You better think of something Tsuna or you are going to die here. And Ashlynn won't be able to hold out forever to help you. She's exhausted her limit already."

"A-Ashlynn..."

She shook her head, eyes hard. "What am I supposed to do, Tsuna? Sit down and watch while they attack you? Not happening."

Bianchi switched with Ken and Chikusa to fight against Reborn as Gokudera crossed his arms. "If possible, I would rather you be unharmed. So it would be better if you just surrendered yourself."

"No..no way!"

"Tsuna!" Ashlynn yelled snapping a spark at him then ducked out of the way as Ken thrashed his arms wildly at her. "It's an illusion! Snap out of it!"

"Hiiiiie! A-Ashlynn! Above you!"

She didn't have the time to run out of the way as Chikusa leaped into the air and moved to plunge the trident at her. She slid her chakram against the metal and sent an experimenting shock through their weapons. Chikusa's hands gave off a burning smell but that still didn't stop him from overwhelming her with attacks from both the trident in one hand and the yo yo spitting out needles in the other. Ashlynn froze as the trident nicked part of the skin on her neck and looked down in horror trying to see any sign that Mukuro would take over her. Chikusa fell to the ground in a wreck and struggled to raise.

Ken shook his head. "This always happens. For how many times now? Hmm, it doesn't matter if I can possess and control a body. If the body has been broken, it still can't move."

"Y-you mean that even if they are injured and can't move any more...you'll still force them to move? But when they're pushed beyond their limit they fall down because their injuries wont allow them...Is that why you couldn't possess Hibari-san?" Tsuna gulped.

"Kufufufu. It looks like Chikusa can still move a little. It is fine though since I cannot feel any pain."

Tsuna tried to throw off Ken who was now chasing after him. "What are you saying! That body belongs to your friend, doesn't it!"

"Incorrect. Since the moment I possessed him the body belongs to me and I can kill and break it at my own leisure. Hmmm..? Now there is something interesting." Mukuro turned his gaze with Chikusa's body to Ashlynn. "I cut you so that should mean that your body is mine to control. But for some reason I cannot even come into your mind. Care to explain Ashlynn-kun?"

Though she didn't show it Ashlynn was beyond relieved for two reasons. One: She wouldn't be used to fight against Tsuna and Reborn. Two: Mukuro wouldn't find that she had knowledge of this world. She shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. "I have an idea of the reason why but not very sure. But I'm not going to tell you what it is."

"Oya? So mean, keeping secrets."

Ashlynn beyond exhausted forced herself to cut off Ken who was gaining on Tsuna. "With good reason. The moment I know for sure then both Tsuna and Reborn will be getting the means that keeps you out."

There was a reason why she wore only two bracelets besides her chakram ones for today though to be honest she had decided on it at the last second before leaving her apartment. The triple Obsidian and the three Angel stones that she had purchased from her first summer festival with Ran. Obsidian was a stone associated with Hades; the God of the Underworld. It was meant to ground and protect from enemy's whether they were seen or hidden. As a black stone it symbolized self-control and resilience and protective energies. It was once even said that it could be used to create invisibility though she hadn't had any success with that endeavor. Then the tree Angel stones: Angelite, Mangano Calcite, and Seraphinite: A focus of peace, gentle enrgies that associated with angels, and protection from the angelic realm.

There was a point that she could get them to Tsuna without it seeming suspicious. there would only be one shot for it to work but she would end up having to pull herself out of the remainder of the battle. She would take advantage of the time now while they went off during the dialogue to carefully break apart the stones from the strings.

"But...that's not right." Tsuna said still not okay with the fact that Mukuro did not care for the bodies of his 'friends'.

Ken, Bianchi and Gokudera's bodies stepped forward and Tsuna grimaced as he saw more and more blood leaking from their injuries. "You really do not have the time to worry about others seeing as you are facing certain doom yourself. Your friend as well, I can see she's forcing herself on her feet to help you through this. They are loyal to you but you just do not have what it takes to join the mafia. Kufufuu. I just remembered. During the fight with Birds you were ready to stab yourself to save your girlfriend, weren't you?...Is this okay, Juudaime? If your friends are harmed any further you won't have any friends back when I am done. Now be good and surrender yourself to me and I will allow them to live."

"R-Reborn! What should I do!" Tsuna pleaded.

He shook his head. "Do what you will Tsuna. I am not to help you. Figure something out on your own."

"W-what! But haven't you always helped me! Don't abandon me now Reborn!"

Reborn struck him across the head. "Don't give me that pathetic squeal. Listen to me Tsuna. You, and nobody else, are the Tenth Boss of the Vongola. Vent your true feelings Tsuna. And that will be your true answer."

"..T-true...feelings?"

"Kufufufu, even the teacher is impatient and about to give up. His true feelings are, 'I want to run away,' or 'I can't run away because of my friends,' isn't it?

Tsuna's bangs covered his eyes. "...want to...I want to...Defeat Mukuro..."

"Oya? That was unexpected."

"I will not lose to such a cruel person! I want to defeat you Mukuro!" Tsuna resolved.

Ashlynn gasped as Leon shot up into the air. "Leon?"

Reborn tipped his hat. "He's finally merged with his wings. It is the same back then...When Dino became the 'Bucking Bronco'."

"So this is your doing, Arcobaleno?"

"Nope. He is the shape-changing chameleon, Leon. He emerges with wings when my students grow stronger. He is my partner. In other words when he goes into his cocoon stage it means that my student will face a trial."

"Is it this a joke! What on Earth is going on!" Tsuna cried.

"Fnn just watch. He is about to disgorge a new item. Something special for my student -That's you- to use. During Dino's time he disgorged the 'Bucking Bronco Whip' and Enzio."

"What!" Tsuna sputtered. "You mean to tell me that Enzio is Leon's child!"

'...That's kinda gross that Leon is puking it up...' Ashlynn crept closer to Tsuna and Reborn a strand of gem pieces tied in a string.

"I am beginning to grow tired of this. Your little break is over now." Ken's body rushed forward and sliced Leon in half.

"Fnn, not to worry, Leon is a shape-changer and it seems that the item was already brought out." Reborn motioned to the two items that smacked Tsuna in the face. It was a little ridiculous that Ashlynn actually snorted at Tsuna's face as he asked how wooly mittens were going to help him in this situation.

"Who knows? Just put them on. Mukuro is coming."

'B-But-!"

Ashlynn prepared herself. "Tsuna, this is the mafia and apparently we can use magic. Now put the stupid gloves on and we'll figure what to do from there!"

"Hiiiiie!"

"Kufufufu, even at the very end you guys are so amusing~."

Tsuna fuddled with the gloves and gasped as a bullet fell out of the material. "There's a bullet."

"Fnn, must be a special one. Toss it here." Leon changed into a gun in hands.

Ken, Bianchi and Gokudera stampeded. "I will not allow you to shoot that!"

Reborn evaded them easily and snatched the bullet from Tsuna's fingers. "I've never seen a bullet like this before. We'll have to shoot it to see what it does."

"What I said about having you unharmed? Forget it. Can you make it in time Arcobaleno?" Gokudera said as Reborn cocked the gun as he unleashed dozens of lit dynamite at Tsuna and the bombs exploded leaving nothing but smoke to the vision.

"...Oya...? My what a truly loyal subordinate you have. She took the hit for you." Mukuro observed where Ashlynn held herself over Tsuna's body, her own was covered in charred marks and burns. She breathed a sigh in relief that Tsuna was okay and that she had been able to slip Tsuna the strand of gems and hoped that from them he would have extra protections and energies helping his mind from Mukuro. Ashlynn wavered and fell weakly to the ground beside Tsuna and winced when the ground touched the marks on her back.

"Ashlynn!"

"Hmm, there doesn't seem to be any effects from the so called 'special bullet'. That's all then...the finale came too quickly. now to possess the Boss while there is still breath in his body." Mukuro said.

Tsuna stared unblinking as Mukuro walked closer with the possessed bodies. 'The bullet...Reborn, he shot it...I felt it...but it didn't work...And now we're all going to die...because I can't do anymore...Everyone...I'm so sorry...'

'Sheesh, that Tsuna! Leaving clothes everywhere before he goes out to play!' Maman chided.

'M-Mom?..Is this a dream...? I can hear Mom...'

'Tsuna left his test in the Duty Diary! Geez, only two points out of a hundred?' Hana flipped through the student log for duties.

'...Ah, that was my Japanese test...didn't want to bring it home...so I hid it...Wait a minute...why can I hear Kurokawa bad mouthing me?...Now Haru... Kyoko...Onii-san...Lancia...?...Eh? Reborn? What's happening? Why can I hear them...?'

"What you are experiencing now is real time. You're hearing rebukes from everyone. My rebukes do not have to be said, right?"

Tsuna gritted his teeth and his hand flashed out to catch the trident aimed at his torso. The gloves covering his hands glowed before the changed shape. From wooly mittens with the number twenty-seven on them to black and white form fitting gloves with an X on the back of his palm. Tsuna broke off one of the prongs from the weapon. "Mukuro...even if I am dying I will defeat you! I will not give up!" Tsuna declared as a flame burst appeared at his forehead.

"That aura on your forehead. The bullet did hit you after all. But you seemed more fired up when you fought Lancia earlier."

"That is because the rebuke bullet brings out the calm Dying Will in Tsuna. It is a completely new bullet -different than the Dying Will Bullet- with new powers." Reborn told him.

"Hmph, even so you are still no match for my skills and your body will be mine!" Ken jumped into the air and positioned to drop kick the boy but Tsuna moved only a few inches out of the way and held his hand to Ken's face and knocked him across the room towards the stage.

"Not done yet!" Chikusa ran up and released the needles from his yo yo's in a hailstorm. Tsuna just stood there. 'This...is an illusion...Chikusa cannot be forced to move anymore anyway...so it is not real and neither is he...The real one...Right there!'

Tsuna slammed his face into Chikusa's real body and sent him flying as well. Neither of Mukuro's 'friends' got back up again. The tridents in Chikusa's possession flew and embedded itself into the wall.

"Impossible. He wasn't able to see through the State off Hell before!" Mukuros' voice sounded from Bianchi as she and Gokudera rushed in as well.

"That must be one of the effects of the bullet and caused the dormant blood of the Vongola to manifest itself. The Dying Will Bullet works by using the pressure he faces during a crisis to externally remove his body's limiters. While the Rebuke Bullet causes him to become aware of hidden willpower and removes those limits from within. At the same time it also releases the limiters on his internal sense. In Tsuna's case that would be the skill he displays sometimes to 'see through others,' a trait that is possessed by the Vongola bloodline. It becomes Hyper Intuition. The gloves have other uses as well and will have to see more. And I believe you will have a much harder time trying to take over him. Ashlynn slipped him the items that kept her from being possessed when she saved him from the blast." Reborn talked as he checked over Ashlynn's injuries while keeping an eye on the battle.

"That may be. But can you really strike me while in the bodies of your friends? Can you do it?" Gokudera slammed his elbow into Tsuna's face and Bianchi kicked him in the stomach when Gokudera moved out of the way. "You can't can you? Kufufu, you make such a nice sandbag~."

"You are wrong Mukuro." Ashlynn sat up despite Reborn telling her to lie back down. "The way you are attacking with his guard up, it is draining Bianchi and Gokudera. So Tsuna is not really fighting with his own body; rather he is protecting both of theirs."

Tsuna moved around Gokudera and hit the back of his neck, the boy gasped. "This body! It won't move!"

"Fnn, straight for the nerve that will cause paralysis, no doubt also from his intuition." Reborn began to smile as Tsuna did the same to Bianchi and caught the two before they fell to the ground and carried them to Reborn and Ashlynn.

"Show yourself Mukuro. You're still alive aren't you?" Tsuna trained his eyes back to Mukuro's real body as it lifted himself back to a standing position pulling the trident piece back onto the staff.

"Pfft. Your battle sense and movements have improved remarkably but you are still pushing your luck. Out of the six paths I possess there is still another I haven't shown you remember?" Mukuro raised his hand to his eye.

Reborn answered. "The fifth path. The Path of Humans."

"Correct. This world that we live in is the State of Humans. Furthermore, among the six states it is the ugliest and most dangerous world. I am not being cynical. Because I hate this world I hate this skill the most. If possible I would rather not to have to use it...The State of Humans is really such an ugly State." Mukuro dug his fingers right into his eye and squished it and revealed a new kanji and his aura turned black.

"Watch out for that aura, Tsuna." Reborn warned.

"Do you see it? When a fighter emits an aura from their fighting spirit, it represents a burst of prowess from the spirit in other words; their Strength!" Mukuro shot forward swinging the trident and when Tsuna grasped onto it Mukuro punched him in the gut launching him into the air then waited as Tsuna fell back down spinning the trident. "You and I. The difference in strength is insurmountable!" Mukuro swung his weapon like a bat and sent Tsuna slamming into the wall.

"Kufuhahaha~! Is this the extent of your strength?"

"Of course it's not."

"What!" Mukuro gasped. "His aura exploded?"

"Ah, I see. The X gloves are made from the same material as the Dying Will Bullet and are able to light the Dying Will Flame as well. Besides the energy of the Dying will is different than the regular aura that can be seen by a select few people. The Dying Will is a compressed energy that has its own destructive energy. Recall that Ashlynn snapped her fingers and sparked lightning at you. Her snap was thunder while she controlled where the lightning went." Reborn said forcing Ashlynn back to her side when she tried to get up to see.

Tsuna lit his gloves with the Dying will flame and shot forward and positioned himself behind Mukuro who took in a sharp intake of breath. He grabbed the trident in his hand, burnt and bent it before kicking Mukuro back. This continued a few more times until Mukuro got up shakily and started laughing.

"Kufuhahahahahaha! All of this is a delightful miscalculation. If I can take over your body then I will not have to scheme and gather resources. I can go on and barge directly into the family."

Reborn's eyes darkened. "So your goal was conflict with the mafia?"

"Kufufu, oh no. I am not as petty as that. I plan to take possession of every important person in the world set them against each other and change this ugly world into a sea of blood. A world of War. Does it sound cliche to you?"

"Yes. Yes it does." Ashlynn deadpanned.

"Perhaps. But the first has to be the mafia that will be annihilated."

"So you have a grudge?" Tsuna asked.

Mukuro shook his head. "Oh I don't plan on talking any further. You will become part of me soon enough."

Tsuna stood still again as Mukuro sent a shadow of himself to charge him. "It's another illusion...!"

"Yeah and he hid a rock in it. Don't let your guard down Tsuna." Ashlynn propped herself on her elbow. "Tsuna! From above!"

"I know." Tsuna propelled himself into the air behind Mukuro again and drop kicked back into the ground and waited.

He coughed. "So this is the power of the Vongola. Kill me, finish me off."

"No! Don't turn your back on him Tsuna!" Ashlynn yelled but was too late as Mukuro held Tsuna's wrists from behind and headbutted the boy from behind and dug his knee into the boy's back let go to kick the boy in the direction of the closest wall right where the embedded trident had its points jutting out of the wall.

Mukuro dropped his guard confident of his victory. "Kufufu, look where I've thrown you Juudaime. There is no way you can defend yourself or propel in mid-air. You will perish because of that ridiculous kindness of yours but no worry. I shall fix that."

"Now Tsuna!" Reborn yelled.

At the last possible second a brighter flame emitted from the X gloves and Tsuna used the thrust of the flame to still himself before the trident hit. Then shot forward faster than before grabbing Mukuro's face, cleansing him of the ugly black fighting aura and threw Mukuro into the ground. The trident in the wall smashed into pieces.

"...It's over." Ashlynn sighed.

"Yeah...Oh! That's right! Everyone's wounds!" Tsuna panicked his Dying Will disappeared and the gloves reverted back to mittens.

Reborn clicked shut the Leon transformed. "It's alright. The Vongola's medical team has arrived. It seems that they were able to get to Lancia in time to give him an antidote."

"Thank goodness. Um, what about Mukuro? He's still alive, right?" Tsuna stepped towards the boy's body.

Reborn scoffed. "So soft."

"Don't go any closer to him! Byon!"

"Hiiiiiiie! Y-you two!" Tsuna cried pointing Ken and Chikusa crawling across the floor. "But why? Why go so far for him? Mukuro possessed and used you."

Chikusa coughed. "Don't talk as if you understand."

"Yeah. This is nothing compared to our suffering back then." Ken agreed.

"Back then?" Ashlynn asked.

Ken snorted. 'We were guinea pigs tested on for our own family's ambition."

"I thought so. You are of the Estraneo Famiglia that created the forbidden possession bullet." Reborn crossed his arms.

"You only call it forbidden because it was convenient for you. Thanks to that our family was labeled as brutes and were horribly persecuted by the other mafia families. The moment we stepped outside there were guns pointed at us and were gunned down. It just made the leaders of the family more desperate to make more weapons to survive the onslaught. Our friends died one by one. It was Hell on Earth every day." Chikusa confessed.

"But then," Ken continued, "all by himself he destroyed that miserable life. I remember that he was one of the really quiet ones that didn't stand out. I think it was the first time that we had ever heard his voice. He allowed us to join him and he led us out of there. We had a place to belong! We can't let you destroy that!"

"...But I as well...I will not keep quiet when my friends are danger...because that is where I belong..." Tsuna lowered his face.

"Che." Chikusa laid his head down on the wooden floor.'

Tsuna jumped as the double doors slammed open and three figures filed into the space and made quick work of the space between the door and the stage where Tsuna, Reborn, Mukuro, Ken and Chikusa were. "The medical team?"

"No. They're not." Reborn stiffened. "What a quick appearance. Vindice: they are the enforcers of the commandments of the mafia world and trial those who cannot be trialed by law."

Ashlynn felt her blood freeze as the three passed her and each captured the three boys with collars chained around their necks and pulled the three to them before turning their heels and walking back the way they came. The one holding Mukuro paused and looked straight at her though all three had bandages covering their faces and top hats covering their heads. There was no skin to see anywhere as it was covered either by the large coats or bandages. She gulped as the man (or woman) stood there, just staring, then suddenly the person dragged Mukuro following his colleagues out of the auditorium. Ashlynn released a breath she hadn't realized she held. She gulped again.

"Hey! W-wait!" Tsuna yelled.

"Don't Tsuna. It will be too troublesome to mess with them. Leave them be." Reborn stopped him.

"But what will happen to them? And Lancia?"

"Their crime will be put on trial and be punished, even Lancia. Nothing light, we don't live in a kind world...Ah, the medical team is here."

"..."

Ashlynn allowed the men to lift her to her feet but shook her head at the gurney. "Not yet. There are two others: Children, on the floor above us. One is unconscious and the other is expecting me and won't trust anyone else. Just help me upstairs and then you can put me on a gurney."

After checking with Reborn two men helped her upstairs and Ashlynn was nearly knocked over as Birdy shot forward in tears. She rubbed the girls back. "Are you hurt at all?"

Birdy shook her head.

Ashlynn kissed her forehead. "It's alight. It's all finished. We'll be home soon."


So while I was thinking of just where in the events that I could have Ashlynn find Tsuna and Mukuro, a situation came to mind because it would be just Tsuna's luck that one of his friends would walk in at the wrong time (And also a picture on Deviant Art), not knowing what had been happening leading up to that point, and then a great misunderstanding will be made for our amusement~.

-~-~-~-~-~-~Omake~-~-~-~-~-~

"You're nothing to be afraid of so long as I have your hands!" Mukuro chuckled darkly holding the other boy's wrists behind his back.

Ashlynn burst through the double doors of the auditorium. Everyone freezes. Then Ashlynn turns red, 'Eeeps', covers her eyes and runs back out whence she came. "I'm sorry!"

"A-Ashlynn!" Tsuna cries.

"I'm sorry!" The girl called out.

Tsuna tries to raise a hand to coax his friend back into the room to help him when he realizes that Mukuro still has his wrists. And the implications of what that might have looked like to Ashlynn who just got there crossed their minds and both Tsuna and Mukuro quickly step away from each other.

Tsuna coughs. "Ashlynn?"

"I'm sorry!"

"Ashlynn!"

"Dammit Tsuna I said I was sorry!"

"B-but, it's not what you think! This is just a misunderstanding!"

"Oh? And just what am I thinking Tsuna!"

Mukuro chimed in. "You're sorry?"

"Yes!"

~-~-~-~-~-~End~-~-~-~-~-~

Yeah, that's kinda it...and kinda lame...I should have the readers write one and I'll upload them...maybe. Haven't fully decided on that either. I just wanted to share the 'deleted scene'.

Some notes~:

'Arrivederci' - 'Goodbye' in Italian

It was compressed into one chapter because the event was supposed to take the expanse of half a day. Remember when Reborn says Tsuna has a time limit? That is because in the Manga Tsuna received orders from the Vongola Kyuudaime (Don Timoteo) that Tsuna had twelve hours to defeat and capture Mukuro and his gang while also rescuing any hostages. If Tsuna ran away then he would be labeled a traitor and hunted down. If he succeeded then Timoteo would send him a hundred years worth of tomatoes at daybreak.

Mukuro's laugh amuses me~

Sanem: is Turkish for 'idol'

Yann: French. Breton form of 'John'

And their sole purpose was to fight and die for this chapter. How depressing~

Kinda felt that the fight with Yann and Sanem was a little short and Ashlynn won because Sanem wasn't very observant of her surroundings and paid very dearly for it and Yann attacked in fury~. Still, it's a fight scene without totally being dependent on the manga for pointers.

Something that I really don't like with Fan fiction is that for some reason there won't be a question mark and an explanation point at the same time when I want to put down someone (Usually Tsuna) yelling a question. It's either one or the other and it usually picks the explanation point... or whatever is typed first.