A/N: haaa…. Where to begin? Alright, first of all, sorry for missing out the update date last week… I had dance training, had to prepare for school open house, fell sick (still am, kinda).
Now, with all these feeble excuses out of the way, here's the next chapter I'm already working on the next one, so I can probably upload it soon. Anyhow…. Enjoy~
Disclaimer: The World Is MINE *slapped over the head by a leek*
Miku: Don't go around copying my song titles! *leek smack*
Beta: English-illiterate (Thank her! My fic will probably be a mess of spelling errors if not for her)
Shout- outs!:
Tomoe-Chii: and I like writing him! Defiant Tsuna keeps on making me smile at his antics and try and keep up… and well…. 1827 *smirk* heh, I see. Hope you enjoyed the mild fanservice~ I'm updating now….. sorry for being late, *sweatdrop*
Alanamechling: XD yeah, you go, Tsuna! Nana… well, she still plays a major role in this fic nonetheless.
Sousie: updating. *laughs* well, enjoy!
Tsunasoraceillover: Thank you! *cannot express her happiness* hope you enjoy this chapter too!
Many many thanks to followers/ favouriters- Tanaka Yue, Tomoe-Chii, Verlorener Engel, cross-over-lover232, khr1410, stealtagracia, SnowyLife12, Smally, Lotori, Okami Endless, Narqissa, shinayukihibari1990, Rozelia13, bunnykins15, umbreonblue, thegreatandillustriousLEADER, alanamechling, Chains of Abyss, tsunasoraceillover, myrddin767, blackraven623, Love-is-Cyanide
I really hope I didn't miss anyone out.
Chapter 3
A shadow of a man, I'm nothing less
I am holding on, still holding on
And every now and then life begins again
I am holding on, still holding on
-Crawl by Breaking Benjamin
Underground Dealings
Now, everyone had bad days. Everyone. And this, Tsuna reflected, was one of his worse.
His head throbbed like - damnholyshitfhack-, he felt like throwing up his stomach, there were several bullet holes in the wall, he was missing school and being held at gunpoint, telling his new tutor- a baby, for God's sake- all about his meagre knowledge about mafia.
Yeahhhhh. Best (WORST) day ever.
EVER. Period.
"...and that's all I know about Vongola and the multiple scandals and dramas surrounding its current existence."
Reborn 'hmm'-ed and nodded. "This isn't in the reports." He muttered.
"Who gave you the write up on me?"
"Iemitsu."
"Figures. He hasn't been home since we shifted to Namimori for our safety when I was four and the other time he taught me to defend myself, Mom busted his ass with a frying pan for letting me handle a gun." Tsuna smiled faintly. "He'd probably be too embarrassed to say anything about it."
Reborn snorted. That idiot.
"You still haven't told me what happened to the other heirs."
Reborn shoved the pictures at him. "It isn't pretty," he warned, teeth clenching.
Tsuna frowned. "Geez. You'd think they would defend themselves better, being mafioso and all. But no, last one standing is the defenceless school boy." He rolled his eyes and tossed the photos back.
Reborn raised an eyebrow. "Hm. I had expected you to be a cowering, pathetic dame mess. I'll just step up your training then." He pointed his gun at Tsuna, who ignored him in favour of digging through his pockets for his phone.
"But first, tell me about these assassins."
Tsuna gave a muted cry of triumph and grabbed his iPhone. "Wait and see," he told Reborn, smirking deviously as he composed a new text message and hit 'send'. "I have a meeting tonight."
Reborn 'tch'ed and shot at Tsuna anyway. (The bullet hit the wall beside him again.) Then he hopped off the bed and out the window to scout the area.
The naked light bulb swung in little, hypnotising circles, flickering in time with the others, which altogether gave the warehouse an ominous air.
Thugs filled the room, several lounging in the shadows, others standing or sitting stiffly, openly bristling as they glared at the other in a show of hostility, and fewer egoistical ones lazing carefreely, hands lingering on a weapon, mostly blades.
An amused, snide chuckle slid in from the doorway as it opened a crack. "Stop throwing the goddamned testosterone around," the voice's owner said and stepped into the light, locking the door behind him, which squeaked rustily as he did so.
He was small, and slim, but the black tank top under the unzipped orange-stripped-white hoodie hugged his body enough to show sinewy muscles and his black cargo pants which were tight-ish and bore a few rips complimented his lean legs, which, though thin, looked like it could and would pack a powerful kick. He had to be strong enough, to stand up to the demon prefect like that and even claim his place beside him as vice-president of the Disciplinary Committee.
"Jealous, hun-bun? Looks like puberty didn't and won't be visiting anytime soon." The one lounging easily in the corner teased, voice saturated with fake arrogance (though some was real), form slacked and hunched casually, with ash dripping from the unlit cigarette hanging from two fingers.
"I'm going to make you wish you'd bit that tongue off, Kuro."
Sawada Tsunayoshi, or as the crowd of yakuza better knew him, Ankoku, sauntered over to the last empty chair and sat down.
Ankoku, with a bark worse than his bite- when he wished- sitting before them, unveiled and ready to start the meeting, to deal out the bloodshed. Gone was the mask of Sawada Tsunayoshi that most of the town saw, with the gentle but cynical smiles and wild but fairly enforced sense of justice belaying the beast underneath it all.
The air charged, they looked to their unanimous leader with barely reigned-in eagerness, grudging respect for him buried under the impatience in their eyes.
The teen smirked. "Good evening."
The meeting had started the minute he stepped in; he was not going to waste any time on the pleasantries.
"How are the border patrols coming along?"
"It's working fine, yo. We could step up the securi..."
Reborn stared from where he was watching, concealed in the shadows behind a trashed couch. Meeting... this was one strange meeting. A strategical one, between the twelve yakuza groups in Namimori itself, discussing tactics to maintain territory, keep the drunkards and druggies off the streets, enforce a new no-stealing law, punish the ones that dared break their laws, and assassins.
"How many should we expect these months?"
"No more than twenty, they've stop sending in so many, but the Ferriro family have gotten smarter, they'll probably try to come incognito, be on your guard."
"Wanna increase our weapon stock?"
"I've been thinking about that, want to set up our own shop that services and cleans and provides ammo? Who here can sneak in some of the special stuff."
"I've been fuckin doin it for years now, should be fine if you want to increase amount, but more man-power'll be needed. Take it off my fuckin tab."
"Sure sure. The rest of you, normal amount, more if you are thinking of holding special events, the usual, just tell me what the situation is, or whatever."
Rustles of notes filled the air as Tsuna collected a bundle of money from each leader of the yakuza groups.
Reborn did naught but stare.
How deep was the heir of Vongola in these yakuza matters? Immersed enough in it to be their leader, it seemed. He was going to have to slaughter the incompetent fools who were stationed here as spies and guards.
He'd thought Tsuna was a normal student, average in everything, with a poor attendance record and a diploma in normalcy.
This Sawada Tsunayoshi he'd encountered was an enigma.
Rounding up the brutal, bloodthirsty yakuza, leading them and extorting money and favours from them, this teenager could make a fine leader. He'd have to get to work on his attitude, though.
Reborn pulled his fedora lower, shading his eyes, and, concealing his presence, he walked out.
He dialled a number and waited.
"Hey-"
"I had information that Sawada Tsunayoshi is a normal civilian."
"But he is! The mafia is too dangerous, I sent him and Nana-"
"Sawada Tsunayoshi is the ringleader of all the yakuza groups in Namimori."
"...SAY WHA-"
"You are a horrible father."
"Don't say that!"
"Hmph. You obviously haven't taught him any manners."
"You're just sulking because he snarked you, aren't y-"
"Continue and I will fill you with lead."
"Bu-"
"I have my ways, as a number-"
"One Hitman, yeah yeah. Stop cutting me off! And have you told Nana my message?"
"...I don't see her."
"Wha? But, Rebor-"
"She isn't anywhere in town."
"Could an opposing famiglia have-"
"I'm sure Tsunayoshi would have said something by now if his Mom was missing."
"Yeah. By the way, get him his guardians quick."
"Has Xanxus escaped?"
"Precautionary method... The Ninth senses something ominous."
"On it."
The line went dead and Reborn let Leon transform back and climb onto his fedora.
He did not turn at the footsteps.
"You heard that?"
A hum of affirmation.
"So where is Sawada Nana?"
"Answer me."
"I think..." here Tsuna appeared to choose his words carefully. "We should leave that question for another time."
But Reborn knew better. The sentence had been carefully scripted- so much so that he could tell it was a lie. Tsuna was trying to hide the tremor in his voice.
What horror had befallen Nana, for Tsuna to get this tensed over the mere mention of his mother?
What sort of trauma had he suffered?
Reborn walked after the silent teen without a word.
He could very well guess.
But for now, it would stay a guess.
BANG
"WHAT THE FUCK DID I EVER DO TO YOU?"
"I wanted coffee, not this crap."
"It IS coffee! Gah! Are you trying to kill me?!"
"Good observation. And you know, this is NOT coffee. It is a disgusting violation of the sustenance of the Gods."
"Ambrosia. Greek mytholo-GAHHHH- IT'S JUST COFFEE IN A CAN!"
"Brew the coffee. Now."
"I don't HAVE a coffee making machine."
"Get one now."
"Get it yourself! I'll be late for school!"
BANG
"PUT THAT ROCKET LAUNCHER DOWN- HOW'S THIS, I BUY YOU COFFEE FROM THE SHOP DOWN THE STREET OKAY?"
"Dame-Tsuna." BANG "A mafia boss never loses his cool."
"Well fuck me if that ain't a bazooka- LORD ABOVE PLEASE SAVE ME!"
BOOM.
.
...
... my life is screwed
.
.
A/N: Haha… poor Tsuna.
Tsuna's "yakuza name" is Ankoku, which means, on Google translate (so it may be wrong), darkness, shadow, obscurity & opaque.
hoped you liked it. Ja ne~