Chapter 23

Himeno was dumbfounded on what was happening right now. No one has ever been able to penetrate through her cylinder barrier of Sky flames. No one, not even her parents could. It was something that she has created herself if she is close to getting knocked out by an opponent and is also a way as to not get interrupted if she starts her healing to get more energy. Anyone who has half a mind would not dare try to enter unless they want to get incinerated.

But Tsuna was more persistent than others. He managed to penetrate her barrier while her consciousness was elsewhere exploring his memories of the past, on how he came to be the feared boss of an elite mafia family. But she still has some questions she wants answers to. So before she could forgive him or not, there are things to deal with first, starting with stopping her flame rampage.

Closing her eyes, she began to lure her flames back to her control. She remembered Deathgazer's teachings well. In all of her trainers, Deathgazer was the one who taught her the most important thing that she needed to learn, and that is self-control. All she had to do was to control her emotion before the flames. The flames get energy from her outraged emotions, so all she had to do was to calm herself down.

Tsuna noticed the flames slowly receding around them which was a good sign. Outside, Byakuran frowned to see the work he has done disappearing. To think that a simple move by the renown Vongola Decimo could subdue her in a little under half an hour. Everyone watched with relief as the cylindrical barrier disappear as it revealed Tsuna using his mantle and wrapping it around the two of them. Yuni smiled weakly as she saw Tsuna's idea succeed. He had tried the rain flames to try and calm it down as he used the mantle around himself to get through the barrier.

As they reached the ground, Himeno opened her eyes and pulled herself from Tsuna and pushed him away with her head down, not showing her eyes. "H-Himeno…?" Tsuna called.

"Don't think I've forgiven you. I want answers after this," she said sternly, not even looking at the man. Tsuna looked rather hurt at the girl's words, but he knew that she is still hung up on the whole 'true reason' problem.

Julian came to her and handed her the belt that she entrusted him. "You will need this," he said, not meeting her eyes.

Himeno could see why he did so. "Juls, this is not your fault," she stated.

"But I didn't do anything—" Julian was cut off by a whisper from Himeno.

"Keep my so-called father alive until I disintegrate your Dad to bits, will you?" she asked. Julian stuttered, but complied. He knew better than to not grant her request. It just goes to show that she let the fact that she was kidnapped by her best friend's father down into just being kidnapped by a white haired psychopath.

"So, the little Vongola Eleventh has gotten control of her emotions at last," Byakuran said coming down using his Sky flame powered boots with a sinister grin. "But it's a drab for you, eh, Tsunayoshi-kun? To think your own daughter would stay away from you like that, all because you abandoned her in some mere hospital." He let out.

"That was because—"

"Because of what, Decimo-san?" Himeno stated. Everyone looked at her as she took out one of her box weapons, which was a katana coming out of her seventh box. Julian stepped away, feeling a negative aura around her. "Because you left me to be cared by other people and didn't even bother to know what happened to me?" the sky flames on the katana grew fiercer, and anyone who half the brain would stay away from her and her destructive flames, seeing tints of black in it.

"Himeno…" Tsuna trailed off, Byakuran was still rather amused. Tsuna only managed to send her back to reality, but he hasn't subdued her rage.

"Did you know what has been happening in my life?" she shouted, as she was approaching Tsuna. "For the first eight years, I thought I had a real family! I never cared why they didn't resemble me in some way! Then I find out when I chose my desired profession that I was nothing more but an adopted child abandoned inside a hospital like garbage, leaving only a stupid ring!" the said ring glowed bright orange which was hidden under her white tank top. "I tried so hard to erase that fact from my life, but it always bites me in my dreams!" the flames on her katana started to get stronger, and she started to attack Tsuna with her sword when she suddenly changed target and hit Byakuran with a slash. Her eyes screamed bloody murder, "And I know mostly that it had something to do with you!"

It was then when Tsuna knew that she had barely forgiven him, but she also had a feeling that Byakuran had a hand in it. Byakuran on the other hand, laughed, "Oh, the little princess' head is somehow getting cleared? Interesting recovery~" he said as he took out a box weapon. Using his ring, he let out his Sky Dragon.

"Don't call me that crap!" she said as she lunged at the dragon that came to attack her with full annoyance. She hated being regarded as a princess even though it shows when her name is divided to make new words. A princess is weak, where people tell her where to go, how to dress, how to act, and is forbidden to do almost anything that relates to the outside world. Sure a princess has elegance and every material she asks, she gets. But that was about it. A princess has no freedom like hers. A princess doesn't fully make her own choice, but she can. "I am never ever going to be one!" she shouted as she sliced the dragon into a perfect symmetry, her eyes full of rage fixated at the white haired man.

Stowing away her katana, she opened her second box revealing her Sky Gauntlets blazing with Sky flames due to its concentration on her fists. Giving Byakuran an uppercut, she released her strength into the gauntlets to ensure great damage. "I will never forgive you for destroying my life!" as she said that, she lashed to him as he was ascending to the air, hitting him in various places at a time.

Byakuran dropped to the ground, unmoving for a while. Himeno panted as she tried to regain her energy. She looked at the unmoving body, but she sensed that something was terribly wrong. Based on how she punched the man hard, it surprised her that the man was not suffering from any bleeding at all. 'What the heck is this guy made of? Steel?' she thought.

Himeno was shocked to see that Byakuran managed to stand up; what with the beating she had done to him. He was laughing maniacally as if he has lost his mind. "Well I'm impressed!" he mused. "To think you are that strong for your age…just like your father alright! But I'm afraid I will have to make you an assassin on manual control…" he said as he stood up properly this time, wearing a smirk on his face. He took out some sort of open box weapon with a smirk on his face. "My little spider would have done the job right about…"

Himeno somehow felt a crawling sensation behind her neck, and then felt that the thing that had crawled on her bit her hard. She touched the bitten part and screamed in pain.

Before the others could come to her aid, Byakuran spoke, "Don't even come close…"

Tsuna gritted his teeth in suppressed anger, "Byakuran…"

"You bastard! What did you do to her?" Gokudera demanded.

Byakuran only smiled sinsterly, "Now, attack your so-called family," he ordered.

Julian looked at his father. Then it struck him, "No good! Dad has her under control!" he shouted. Everyone looked at him, "That spider's bite controls the victim!"

As fast as it was said, Himeno's eyes turned orange pale and lighting her flames brighter than before. She was suppressing a word out, that came out as, "Run,"

In no time at all, the agent that was once known as Himeno turned into a lean mean killing machine, slashing and killing anyone who would dare go in her way from her target, namely, Tsunayoshi Sawada.

Gokudera was one of the first who covered for Tsuna. Using his flame arrow, he fired it directly at Himeno, only for the girl to dodge every one of them despite the rapid continuations of the attack. Himeno's face was pale. "You have to do better than that, Gokudera-san. Or are you just hesitant in putting a scratch on me?" she guessed. It struck Gokudera hard. It was true. Their main motive right now was to restrain Himeno while at the same time, not harming her to some extent.

Himeno smirked, "Guess I was right…" she said before she disappeared in front of Gokudera in a flash, surprising the man. The next thing he knew, the girl was above him and shot a powerful Sky Ray on him using her rifle. Gokudera turned his shields above him, but her attack was too fast and only hit the sides of the shields before they united to protect him, earning him a sick bed in the hospital.

Yamamoto was the second one to go to her, only to be toppled over by her when she replaced her gauntlets for her katana and clashed with his. She did one swift move of sliding her weapon where it is really vulnerable and went behind him quickly and hitting him at his neck, making him unconscious.

Himeno was about to attack the other guardians, but it had seemed that Byakuran sent his wreaths again to the other members of the Vongola, making Tsuna a vulnerable target with no one to protect him, besides Julian.

"Step aside Julian. Let me kill him," she said with a cold voice that even Julian hasn't received from her. It was some sort of a cold voice mashed with a killing intent.

"Himeno snap out of it! You've been falling under his control twice in a row now!"

Tsuna looked at his broken daughter. He never knew that he would cause her so much pain just by sending her away for her safety. He only wanted what was best for her, and he has to pay the unnecessary price for letting Byakuran get a hold of her first. He grabbed Julian's shoulder, which made the boy's head turn, "Decimo-sama…" he started, but Tsuna just shook his head and went forward, right in front of Himeno.

Himeno blankly smirked, "I see, personal surrender. You must really have a soft heart for a mafia boss," she ridiculed.

Tsuna looked at her in the eyes. "It's me you want to kill." He stated. "If it makes you feel better, then kill me,"

The others who were conscious looked at Tsuna as if he grew two heads.

"Dame-Tsuna! Have you gone insane?" Reborn seethed, not wanting to see his student die before his eyes.

Tsuna didn't look at his tutor, but fixated his eyes into Himeno's. He could see from her that it was full of rage and doubt, add to that the annoyance she feels while being controlled. What was more, she was trying to regain her control to her body, as if not wanting to kill him…yet. "I'm the source of her hatred all these years. I believe that killing me with her own hands would satisfy her rage and disappear," he theorized.

Reborn was right. He was loosing his mind. How could he think so simply about this and accept his death by the hands of his own daughter? Somewhere from the back of his mind, there must be something that he forgot to teach his student specifically. Oh yes, STAY ALIVE NO MATTER WHAT OR YOUR FAMILY WILL BE DESTROYED EVEN IF IT IS YOUR CHILD WANTING TO KILL YOU.

Himeno's hand was shaking as if trying to gain control of her own self once more, or that she was hesitating, Tsuna couldn't fathom. He smiled at his daughter, "Go on Himeno. Do it. I've been a terrible parent, and now I want to pay the price," he said in such a gentle voice.

Himeno closed his eyes as she clutched the katana on her hands. One swift move and the man in front of her would be dead, and she will be in peace. But will she obtain that peace? She wasn't sure anymore. The rage that has gone at the back of her head was slowly returning, but she didn't want another rampage to go about. Once was enough. What else would she gain should she kill the mafia boss?

Tsuna only looked at her with calm eyes, as if accepting the fact that he would be killed by his own child. "Do it," he said.

It was then when she lost herself completely. The only thing that she could do freely was watch and listen to her surroundings as she slashed her katana towards her biological father.

The next thing she knew, there was blood and a scream, but the scream came from her very mouth, "NO!"

Cliffhanger! So how was it? I know it's short and it has not a lot to go on and I hadn't been able to update for almost two months (Is that right?). But I can tell you, this is about done. Give me until next year before April? I have a lot of things on my mind right now, and a lot of unpublished fics. I have been doing my best to update as soon as I get some inspiration.

Review! I'm open for scene suggestions this time around!