: Pull the Trigger :

First Shot, Warning

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

Author's Notes: I'll admit I've been kind of distracted by the new arc lately, but man, am I late or what? Nevertheless, a big thank you to anyone still willing to continue and I hope you enjoy this after such a long wait.


Warning Seven: November Eleventh

It had been a week since the whole fiasco with Kano and still Hiroyuki couldn't get it out of his mind. His father had cleverly avoided most of his questions, too, and that had left him irritable right up until the archery competition a few days ago. Namimori Middle had taken fifth, earning them a slot to enter the Prefecture Tournament in spring. He could finally breathe easier, knowing he hadn't disappointed his teammates.

Everything was at long last winding down. The club would probably be practicing non-stop, but that didn't mean he couldn't be relieved in the meantime. The only thing weighing heavily on his mind now was the mystery surrounding his father. What was the man hiding?

Flipping a page in the magazine he was reading, he shook his head to clear it and mumbled about leaving well enough alone. He was glad he was the only one in his room at the moment. If anyone saw him talking to his self they would surely start thinking he was crazy. Well, if they didn't already. Losing interest in his sports magazine altogether, he tossed it aside and rested on his stomach for a while, thinking of nothing but tomorrow.

Tomorrow was his birthday, November eleventh, and his father had promised it would be one day he would never forget. What was that supposed to mean, anyway? A birthday he would never forget, he wasn't sure if that would be a good or a bad thing when coming from his father's point of view. Rolling over onto his back again, he stared up at the ceiling blankly and forced himself to think of anything but his father. It was in vain, because his thoughts always kept coming back to what his dad could be hiding and why.

All the questions in his mind led back to the conversation he had been able to have with his father nights ago, the day after he had been released from the hospital. At the time he had been too preoccupied with explaining to catch it, but with a clear head and nothing else to keep him busy, he couldn't help but wonder how his dad had known what he had been planning. Even Emiko hadn't known what his true intention with the explosive had been, hadn't even considered it was for attention, to make someone question what was going on and call the police.

It would have been too obvious if he had tried calling them on the rooftop and he knew he wouldn't have had time afterwards. Calling them beforehand had been out of the equation, too. He had made sure to think of all of that, long before he put his plan into motion. And yet his father had guessed everything right down to the letter and more. Sure, Emiko had known he hadn't wanted anyone to get hurt, but she hadn't seen or understand as much as their dad had in that one moment of conversation. Just who was that man? Did he even truly know? The answer was a startling and crystal clear no.

"Hiro, phone call!"

"Coming, mom!" Hiro quickly bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Who is it?" Kyoko just smiled and handed over the phone. "Hello?" His mother ruffled his hair affectionately before heading back into the kitchen to no doubt finish dinner. He watched her go with his own small, irreplaceable smile.

"Yo, took you long enough. Slowpoke," a reassuringly familiar voice teased. It succeeded where Hiro couldn't and got rid of the funk he had been in most of the evening.

"Daichi," he said with exasperation, though it was faker than any actor's. "What are you doing calling me at -" He glanced down at his watch to check the time. "At a quarter after seven? You're the one who took too long." It was true. Daichi usually always called at seven if they weren't over the one another's house at the time. This schedule of sorts had been going on for years, though if something came up unexpectedly they never held it over the other. Well, not for too long, anyway.

With Daichi calling later than normal, he already knew something was up. "Yeah, well, that's sort of the thing." His friend's annoyed tone didn't escape him, either. "I -" There was a moment of hesitation as Daichi seemed to change tactics, murmuring a low, "I wanted to wish you an early happy birthday." Yes, something was definitely going on.

Now just to figure out what. "What, why?" The blonde shifted so he was leaning against the closest wall, readying himself for a long conversation if it came to that. "Won't you be at school tomorrow to wish me that?" He bit back the 'you'd better be' on the tip of his tongue because he really had no right to say that. Especially if something was going on that he wasn't being told at the moment.

"Actually, no, I won't." Hiro could imagine his friend rubbing nervously at the back of his neck and sighed, knowing already that he couldn't get mad. His best friend wouldn't be saying that if there wasn't a good reason. He would have to be patient and wait to be told. Daichi would do that for him, he had to do the same for his friend. "Mom's going to be out in Kantou for an investigative report. For roughly a month. So I'm staying with my uncle in the next town over."

For a moment it felt like a lead weight had settled in the pit of his stomach, but Hiro shrugged off the feeling and concentrated on talking instead. Talking some sense into his friend seemed much more appealing than making himself sick with worry. "Aren't you going to miss too much school if you do that? Why don't you ask your mom if you can stay with us? Call it returning a favor."

Daichi laughed and it was enough to settle the nerves and anxiety Hiroyuki hadn't realized were building to an almost unbearable level until they were gone. "Nah, don't worry about it. I haven't seen my uncle in forever, it'll be good to catch up. And I'll be at school, get that whole skipping thing out of your head. I just need a day to settle in, unpack, and then I'll be back to bug you, Hiro-chan."

The blonde crossed his arms, balancing the phone between his neck and shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. So you're commuting? How long will that take you?"

"I don't know," his friend replied in such a way that suggestion he did know how long it would take. Stupid friends who like to withhold information. "But that's my problem, not yours. Seriously, ease up before you get too many permanent worry lines and I can't tell if that's your face or a basset hound's reflection in a mirror."

Good old Daichi, trying to make light of any situation. Hiro couldn't help but grin, looking away from the spot he had been staring at for well over five minutes. "So you're staying with your dad's brother then? I thought you usually went to your aunt's when your mom was out of town. Isn't she closer?"

"Well, yeah, but she's going to be out of town, too. Something about working overseas and banking." Even Daichi seemed skeptical about the excuse, so Hiro felt justified in his own suspicions. For one thing, last he had heard Reiko's sister had been working at a ramen shop. Since when did that involve banking? Then again, maybe the strange woman had finally gotten that promotion she had been hoping for. "Anyway, I'll give you your present the next time I see you, okay? Sorry I'm going to miss out on all the fun tomorrow. I was looking forward to it, but then this happened."

"It's okay," Hiro assured, back to holding the phone with his left hand. "And hey, you had better call me tomorrow and let me know how things are going over there. Deal?"

"Deal," promised Daichi without even pausing. "And you had better tell me how your birthday went. I want to know what my present has to live up to and all that."

"Sure, sure." Hiro laughed, lowering his head so he could stare at the floor. "You just want to know if I get any candy, am I right? And speaking of that, I still have that pocket knife, you know. Remind me later and I'll give it back."

"I will, now go eat dinner, Hiro. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Sleep well," the blonde answered back, a little uncertainty coloring his voice. Whenever Daichi went to his uncle's, he always came back sadder than he needed to be. He knew his friend needed to talk with someone about his father's accident years ago, but that didn't make it any easier to see his friend sad.

"I'll be fine, Hiro. What did I tell you about worrying?" Although there was only teasing in that voice, the young Sawada could tell Daichi was uncertain as well, but much more certain that he wanted it that way than Hiro could even hope to be. "So wish me good night and say it nicely."

"You're an idiot." And he hung up, because it was what he normally would do. He had the feeling Daichi would be fine and that was enough for him.

- XI -

Arriving home later than expected, Hiro was surprised that no one was home. It was his birthday, where was everyone? Then he thought of Emiko and her constant reminders throughout the day and came to the conclusion he was supposed to be somewhere. Though the where completely escaped him at the moment.

"Are you Sawada Hiroyuki?"

The blonde turned to see who was addressing him, still distracted by where he should have been, and found a little boy looking at him. There was such expectance in the stare that Hiro was taken aback. "Who are you? Are you lost, kid?" He was prepared for anything but the foot that suddenly collided with his face. An ow just didn't do it justice either. "What the hell was that for?"

"Answer the question," the kid stated coolly, readjusting the odd looking hat he wore. "Or are we not speaking the same language?" When Hiro opened his mouth to speak, he found no words capable of replying to that. Is this kid just naturally this bratty? "Sorry, what was that? I don't speak idiot. I should go find a translator. Is your father home?"

Hiro bristled at the indirect insult to his dad. He may not know the man as well a normal son should, but that didn't mean he would take a comment like that lightly. Keeping his temper in check, he reminded himself this was a kid he was dealing with, one who couldn't be older than six. He brushed off the harsh words as if they were nothing. "Oi, kid. Shouldn't you be at home, getting tucked into beddy-bye?"

Well, maybe he hadn't completely brushed the jibes off like they were nothing. Though it only earned him another kick to the face for his troubles. "What the hell is your problem, demon child? Leave me alone!"

"Are you Sawada Hiroyuki?" the little boy repeated, tilting his head innocently to the side as if he hadn't resorted to violence to get his way. This kid, Hiro thought, has some serious issues. For seemingly no reason at all, the blonde was kicked in the shins.

"Ow, what was that one for?"

"The sooner you learn I can read minds, the better off you'll be. Now shut up and answer the question. It's really not that hard to do. Even for an idiot like you."

Not bothering to point out how impossible it would be to shut up and answer at the same time, Hiro muttered a sulky, "Yes." He usually didn't mind kids, but this one was getting on his nerves. "Now can I ask how you knew my -" His question was cut off as his face suddenly decided to become better acquainted with the sidewalk, the kid having yanked at his tie to overbalance him. He let out a muffled oof as the boy even had the audacity to sit on his back, getting comfortable and everything. "Get off me!"

Any and all protests were ignored as the kid crossed his legs, humming a pleasant little tune. "Allow me to introduce myself. But first, I suppose a happy birthday is in order." Hiro would have been more inclined to consider that sincere if the kid wasn't sitting on his back. "That out of the way, I am Reborn. Learn it well, ragazzo. From today onwards, I will be your new home tutor."

Taking a moment to absorb that information in its entirety, the blonde was left blinking slowly at the ground, wondering if he had heard correctly. "You're … a tutor?" He vaguely recalled a story about a girl who fell down a rabbit hole and dreamed up a backwards world. Hiro was beginning to think he had fallen down a rabbit hole and hadn't even realized it. "Yeah, I'm dreaming. Hold on a sec." He shifted and pinched himself on the arm, wincing when it felt real enough. "… Huh."

"Would you like me to shoot you and see if this really is a dream?" The kid sounded too hopeful. Hiro immediately declined. "Well, your loss. Now are we going to stand around all day or am I wrong in assuming you have a party to attend?"

Figuring it would be too much trouble to object and tell the kid to go home, Hiro settled on a shrug and explaining he didn't know where he was supposed to be. In response, the kid dragged him off to some place Hiro wasn't sure he wanted to go.

- XI -

"Happy birthday, Hiro my boy!" The blonde couldn't help but laugh a little as his grandfather caught him in a hug. He had only stepped through the front door to the bowling alley and already he was being ambushed. Then, since that wasn't enough, he was handed over to his grandmother who gave him an equally tight hug before shooing him off in the direction of his parents.

Kyoko lit up when she saw him, enveloping her son in a hug well-warranted after such a long wait. "What took you so long? We were starting to get worried you wouldn't show up."

"I did tell him he was supposed to meet us here," Emiko pointed out. "I don't see why you and dad were so damn worried." Their parents gave her a look that said, point blank, watch your language, but she studiously ignored it. "He would have gotten here eventually."

Hiro wasn't convinced of her nonchalance, though. He could tell she had been concerned, but in her own, purely Emiko way. After the incident with the Phantom Thief, they had both become more cautious. That one experience alone had taught them a lot.

"And here I am," agreed the blonde, if only to divert his parents attention to him. "Hey, dad, I've got a question for you." He wasn't sure why his father looked so nervous all of a sudden, but it was an interesting development. "Would you know this kid?" He held up said kid who was currently attached to his leg, having hitch-hiked a ride. "Because he says he's my home tutor." The exchange of looks between the kid and his dad was enough to pique his interest further. "Is there something I'm missing here?"

For a split second, it looked like Tsuna had something to say, but it was quickly ruined as Emiko blurted out, "Hey, wait a minute, why don't I get a tutor?" Hiro was curious about that, too. Were his grades really that poor that he was the only one that needed a tutor? Last time he had checked, he had been getting average, to-be-expected grades. What more did his parents want?

"Quite the opposite," the kid finally spoke up, unlatching himself from the blonde's leg and hopping up onto Emiko's shoulder. "I am here to tutor you both." Now that wasn't what Hiro had expected at all.

"Can we talk about this later?" Tsuna interrupted. "Now that Hiro's here, why don't we bowl? That was the plan, let's stick to it." No one argued, though Hiro wished he had when all was said and done.

And like the girl who fell down the rabbit hole, all he could think was: curiouser and curiouser. Would the strangeness never end? The answer was an obvious no, it would not. Mostly because an hour later his dad was sneaking off with the little boy. Albeit the kid looked more like a little girl now, what with the kid's black hair pulled back into a ponytail and no hat in sight. Hiro was kind of suspicious of where the kid had gotten the kimono from, though, since he was positive the boy had been wearing casual, everyday clothes earlier. Then again, stranger things had been happening lately. Why would a little boy pretending to be a little girl be any different?

- XI -

The first thing Tsuna did when he finally found himself alone with Reborn was lock the door. It probably should have seemed weird to be in a bathroom, a men's bathroom, with a kid who currently looked like a vulnerable little girl, but Tsuna had been in weirder situations. This was nothing on his weird scale. "What were you doing confronting him on your own like that, Reborn? We talked about this! You were supposed to wait until tonight when I could have been there to properly explain."

"Waiting is boring." The kid seemed unfazed by the scolding, but a gun slid out from the large, bulky sleeves of his kimono to be pointed at the offending man in front of him. "And knowing you, you probably would have backed out if I hadn't acted on my own." Tsuna looked away and it was enough to confirm the kid was right. "You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"Look, Reborn, these are my kids -"

"I noticed. They're just as stupid as you." The dark haired boy smirked at the tensing of the other's shoulders. "I heard about what happened with the Phantom Thief. Interesting, that you would hire him on. I hope that comes with a good story?"

"Later," ground out Tsuna, not yet done discussing Reborn's actions. "I want to know what you thought you could accomplish by doing what you did, first."

"I thought I explained that." Reborn pretended to be confused. "Or did I leave something out?"

"You told him exactly what you told me all those years ago! He thinks he has a home tutor! Reborn, come on. You're not making this any easier to tell them about … about -"

"Huh, really?" Tsuna twitched, hating the sarcasm in that voice. "If you had really wanted to tell them, why wait until I arrived? You know me; I'm not going to wait around for you."

Catching Reborn's gaze with his, Tsuna tried to explain. "I wanted you to be here when I told them, is that too much to ask? I want you to be the one to teach them, to protect them when they need someone the most. I want -"

Reborn held up a hand. "You want me to be a bodyguard, is that it? I refuse. I said I would teach them, not abide to their every whim. Find someone else."

Frustrated, Tsuna finally said what he had been holding back, "I want it be you, Reborn. You've always been there for me and I want that to hold true for my kids. Can't you just …?"

"Like I said, I won't be a bodyguard to a bunch of idiots and your kids are not you, Tsuna. What makes you think I will bend over backwards for them? They aren't my boss. Then again, neither are you." That was true, since Tsuna had long ago found out that it was only because Reborn chose to stand by the Vongola that he held any sort of obligation to the Family.

The best Tsuna could hope for was Reborn's help in teaching his children. He sighed and extended a hand to the gun-wielding child. "All right, fine. I will ask nothing more than that you teach my children, as you taught me. Nothing more."

The gun disappeared back out of sight and the kid accepted the hand extended to him, shaking it once before letting go. "Pleasure doing business with you, boss." Tsuna nearly laughed at the flippant way it was said, but caught him self in time and just smiled instead. It seemed they would be doing this Reborn's way no matter how much authority Tsuna could have claimed. "Now, let's go have a talk with those idiots you call your children."

- XI -

"You're what?" Hiro's jaw would have hit the floor if Emiko hadn't elbowed him in the stomach right then, snapping him out of it. "You can't be serious, dad! Emiko, check his temperature! Maybe the kid poisoned him or something."

The kid in question sat harmlessly on their father's desk, an oval desk they had never seen before. Hell, the place in general was one they hadn't seen before, but their mother had been perfectly at ease with the situation, walking off arm in arm with Haru to go exploring. Hayato had followed morosely after them, their father wishing for some 'privacy' for the conversation they were about to have. And Hiro could see why, his dad was nuts, off his rocker, completely insane. It seemed their father would have to retire early so they could admit him to the loony bin.

"Oh, but it's true," the little boy insisted, which might have been taken to heart if it hadn't been said in such a bored manner. Hiro was also a bit put off by the pressed, highly expensive suit the kid was wearing. Was that Armani? Maybe this wasn't so far-fetched, after all.

What was he saying? His dad a mafia boss? How was that even possible? "This is crazy!" He threw his hands into the air, ready to give up and just accept everything as fact because this had to be a dream. Glancing over at Emiko, he was relieved to see she found this all as absurd as he did. At least there was someone else who was partially sane in this room.

"Dad, is this supposed to be a joke?" Emiko spoke up at last, confusion evident. "I mean, it would make sense, sure, but -" Wait, what did his sister mean it would make sense? "Why couldn't you tell us about this earlier? I can't believe something as stupid as 'against tradition' or whatever." Apparently they weren't as in agreement as Hiro thought; they were skeptical about two completely different things.

The blonde swore he heard Reborn mutter something about one of them being not as stupid as the other and immediately felt insulted. "I refuse to believe this. Any of this." To be honest, what he couldn't believe was what he had just said. But this was a dream, it had to be, so what did it matter? Hiro closed his eyes this time as he pinched his arm, hoping against hope something had changed and he would finally wake up.

Emiko took it upon herself to slap her brother upside the head. "Oi, get a hold of yourself. You're the one acting like a crazy person, nii-san."

The blonde turned his anger and confusion on her instead. "How can you accept this? We're not mafia, Emiko. We can't be!"

"Why can't we?" she asked, affronted, which only served to confuse her already confused brother more. "Dad said we are, so we are. Don't you get it, nii-san? This is why we were targeted by that Kankun guy. We're next in line to take over the clam family, of course!"

Hiro was under the impression his sister watched too much TV or read too much manga. It was corrupting her brain. "Do you hear yourself, Emiko? Dad didn't even say that! We're being targeted because we're related to him, that's all." He backtracked and slapped himself on the forehead. "But that doesn't mean I believe any of this, really." That was a weak excuse; even he had to admit that.

"As amusing as all this," cut in Reborn, "your sister is absolutely correct, ragazzo."'

"My name isn't ragazzo, it's Hiro. Understand? Use my name, please." That out of the way, Hiro went on to address the more important issue. "And what do you mean my sister is right? Right about what?" This couldn't be happening. If it was true, if all of this was real … sure, it really would explain a lot, but the repercussions, he didn't even want to think about them.

"I thought it was obvious. You, ragazzo," the kid pulled out what looked like a family tree, tapping it with a green pointer where Hiro's name was listed, right before Emiko's, "are first in line for the Vongola's esteemed title of Eleventh." Reborn didn't so much as hesitate, stating the truth like the cold, hard fact it was. "Emiko is second and then there are two more candidates after her. You know, in case something comes up unexpectedly." The tone implied it wouldn't be a pleasant something. "There are more minor candidates as well, but we won't include them."

"But right now neither of you are in the actual running for boss," Tsuna assured. "The person who takes my place must meet certain qualifications."

"And that's where I come in," continued Reborn, the un-excitement rolling off him in waves. "I'm here to teach you those qualifications so maybe the next generation won't be as … splendidly stupid."

"Reborn!" reprimanded Tsuna instantly, flushing red. "You're here to -"

"Protect them and love them and be the father you can't seem to be apparently? Hardly. I'm here to teach, no?" And that was that as far as the kid was concerned, or so it seemed, because their father stopped trying to say otherwise.

Fed-up with everything, Hiroyuki looked towards the window, desperately wanting to be anywhere but here. "I'm going for a walk," he announced, turning abruptly and making his way to the door. His father called him back, but he didn't hear him, already halfway down the hall.

- XI -

Hiro was officially lost. He wished he had brought his cell phone, but no good there. He had left it at home and hadn't had time to grab it. Not with some kid dragging him unceremoniously to a party that should have been more fun, would have been more fun if his best friend had been there. Then again, being carted off to an underground base kind of ruined the night. Especially after he found the reason his dad needed a base in the first place was because he was a mafia boss. He was pretty sure normal parents didn't tell their kids on their birthdays that they were going to be inheriting a mafia. Definitely not going to be forgetting this birthday any time soon, guess he was right about that.

Giving up on finding a way out of the maze of hallways, Hiro slid down the nearest wall and rested, drawing his knees up to his chest and placing his chin on top of them. He felt more alone than he had ever felt. Emiko had already accepted this crazy stuff, why couldn't he? Maybe because he was thinking more towards the future, while she was living in the here and now. He could see what she couldn't. If they really were the kids of a mafia boss, a famous one at that, they were going to be targeted more and more. Kano was only the tip of the never-ending iceberg. He didn't want to live a life like that. He didn't want to be mafia.

"Hiro?" The soft unmistakable voice of someone he didn't want to see right now had him glancing up, cursing the way his eyes were no doubt shining. He hated how easy it was for him to cry sometimes. "Hiro." There was no question, only understanding as the person took a seat beside him, pulling him into a sideways hug. The blonde didn't protest, allowing it if only because he didn't want to be alone.

"What am I going to do, Hayato-occhan?"

"You're going to do what you know is right. That is the answer of a Vongola."

Hiro couldn't say he understood, but he nodded anyway and took a deep breath. He had something he needed to do. It was something that could probably wait until he had proper control of emotions again, but he didn't want to miss this chance. "Can you take me to see my dad, please?"

"If that's what you want. Follow me."

The blonde accepted the hand that helped to pull him back up onto his feet and then trailed after the other man quietly. The labyrinth of halls and rooms went by in a blur as they walked deeper into the heart of the base. The place gave off a feeling of mystery and deception the further they went, which never seemed too far off from being disturbed. Hiro didn't mind that feeling, but there was something underneath, a misplaced something that was bothering him quite a bit. It was familiar somehow, but he wasn't sure how that would be possible.

"Boss, I found him. He's fine. Though he has something he wants to say." The young boy sighed and stepped into the room willingly. As soon as he saw the room had an extra occupant, he quickly stepped back out. He was muttering to himself when Tsuna stepped out of the room to join him.

When a hand landed on his shoulder, Hiro jumped. He calmed down when he noticed it was his dad and then looked away, a shot of anger running through him. "How could you let him in on this when you didn't even tell me?" He could understand Hayato, the man was best friends with his father, but Nico? That stupid Vancillo punk, what was he doing here?

"I could have killed him," his father said with such seriousness that Hiro was staring, wide-eyed, at the man he had thought he had known once upon a time. "But I didn't. He asked for redemption and I granted it to him. So far he's held true to his word and we'll see how it goes, but he's an assassin, Hiro. I think it goes without saying he can't be trusted."

Hiro was relieved to hear that his father thought the same as him. At least there would be no misunderstandings if they both knew where the other stood. "Okay. And dad, about …" Tsuna smiled and patted his son on the shoulder encouragingly. "I don't want to be in the mafia, but I don't want Emiko getting caught up in something she doesn't understand. So I guess …" I guess if it's for her, I could.

"If that's what you want to do, Hiro, do what you think is right." His father's smile turned sadder than he had ever seen it. "I won't force you to do this, though. It might just be better if you choose not to accept."

"But I will," Hiro said resolutely, knowing if he didn't say it now he would change his mind and he would regret it for the rest of his life. "My only request is that you pick me before you pick her."

"Then that will be my birthday present to you," conceded Tsuna, closing his eyes so he didn't have to see the determination he had once seen in himself. "Just promise me one thing." When he opened his eyes again, they were burning with an inner flame that fascinated and enthralled. "The day you become my successor, I want you to destroy the Vongola. The one thing I could never accomplish, even to this day."

If Hiro was shocked, he didn't let it show. "I will," he promised, because he knew it was the right thing to do. He may have been caught up in something he didn't fully understand either, but he knew what his father was trying to say. His dad was tired of living a life he didn't want and Hiro couldn't refuse getting rid of what had caused so much pain. What he was getting himself into, though, only time would tell.