A/N: Lol. I'm happy with the response to this. By the way…I already had the second chapter started so even if I didn't get a single review I would've posted it the day after anyways. Heh. Cause' I'm just that…nice. Also...I need to know if you guys would be too against Character death(s).

MaliciaRoxasSasuke: Lol…I think you sorta read my mind. I was gonna do a devil!Reborn cuz it fit him so well then I realized it wouldn't go well with the story. You will see why. Perhaps I will keep that idea in mind for a future fic.

GuiYang: I love cliffies. Hope it made up for the shortness. I sure do hope it's worth hanging around for or I might have just wasted my time XD lol Glad you like it so far.

R3iga1004: Thanks lol R27 is always worth waiting for. xD I wanted the beginning to capture attention but I hope to retain it throughout. R27 OTP. Lol. I like smilies /o/

xRinyukix : Very fishy indeed. But it's not the mansion but what's inside. But of course spirits so wander. Heh. Arigatou :) I'm glad it exceeded your expectations. *Bows*

Ayz283: Thanks :D I can't wait to write it all lol R27 stuff is coming soon…I wanna develop that relationship with obstacles. Reborn isn't often renowned for his affectionate nature until later. First he's gonna be more of a sadistic asshole.

Rating: T-M (Language (Gokudera), Violence, and gore, blood etc all that fun stuff

Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. If I did I would make Tsuna wear boxers with the word "Reborn's" on them. Hell…that's what fanfiction is for lol

Everyone is different. Sometimes it's very exciting; sometimes very scary. – Emanuel Ax
_

The Loveless Spirit

Tsuna clung to his seat like a scared rabbit. 'Oh. My. God.' Tsuna thought. And he wasn't even religious. Gokudera was scowling but underneath that Tsuna could see anxiety.

"I WILL CHECK OUT THE ENGINE!" Ryohei exclaimed, unbuckling his seatbelt, and twisting around Gokudera to get out the door. "Thank you brother!" Kyoko said, beaming. Haru looked pale. Tsuna patted her on the shoulder. "It will be fine," he said, trying to reassure her even when he wasn't feeling all that brave.

"I will protect you Tsuna." Gokudera suddenly said determined eyes on him. Tsuna sweat dropped. "That won't be necessary Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said, smiling at him. He seemed to blush slightly before nodding happily.

"Grr…I can't get any service out here at all!" Haru wailed. 'That's bad…' Tsuna thought, feeling despair. No service meant no help.

Kyoko was biting her lip nervously. Yamamoto laughed cheerfully. "It's all good! Ryohei is probably fixing the engine as we speak." He said, attempting to quell the tension in the van to no avail. Even if Ryohei miraculously fixed the engine, there was still the issue of gas.

Ryohei came back. Tsuna had never seen him look so…down. "I couldn't fix it to the extreme…it looks weird man…like it melted," he said, for once quietly. "Melted?" Gokudera scoffed.

Everyone's hearts sunk. Curious to see if Ryohei's claim was real, everyone climbed out of the van to look. Tsuna did so reluctantly. He still felt the sensation that something wasn't right. It had been there ever since passing the Victorian house and farm.

No one else seemed affected though. They all looked at the engine in the front hood of the van. They were all speechless. Even Gokudera and Yamamoto. The engine was smoking slightly.

It was completely ruined. The metal was melted.

Kyoko and Haru's eyes were wide in astonishment. "Maybe we can get someone at that farm to help us?" Gokudera suggested. Tsuna shivered. He really, really didn't want to go back near that mansion. But it was looking like they had no choice.

When Tsuna looked up at the sky, he saw that it was gray and overcast more so than before. 'Just our luck…rain.' Tsuna thought morosely. Yamamoto looked like he was trying to keep smiling though it seemed strained. Ryohei was practicing his kickboxing as he walked. Tsuna really didn't know how he did that.

Kyoko and Haru were downcast and walking silently. Gokudera was beside him, unusually close but that was how he usually was around him. Their feet kicked up dust from the road, making Tsuna sneeze. "Bless you." Gokudera said. "Thanks." Tsuna grumbled.

It was eerily silent, their voices seemed to echo. It didn't help that the closer they got to the farm and the creepy house Tsuna felt his sense of impending doom increasing. Ten minutes later, Tsuna suddenly face planted having tripped on a rock buried innocuously in the ground. "Tsuna! Are you ok?" Gokudera cried, helping him stand. Yamamoto laughed.

"It's been awhile since you tripped Tsuna…this brings back memories from middle school," Yamamoto said, amused. Tsuna mumbled curses under his breath. "I'm sure it does," Tsuna muttered, disgruntled. Gokudera was about to whack Yamamoto on the head when they noticed the girls were a few feet away looking green.

"What's wrong to the extreme? Ryohei yelled, running back to them. Gokudera, Yamamoto and Tsuna followed more slowly. Haru pointed a trembling finger at something buried in the ground. What they thought was a rock sticking from the ground was actually a half buried human skull. Tsuna paled. He almost threw up when Ryohei dug up the skull and started to play with it.

"Brother! Put that down!" Kyoko cried. "Hahaha…who knew there was a prop like that around here?" Yamamoto laughed. Tsuna sweat dropped. Ryohei shrugged before crushing the skull with one hand. Tsuna watched the dust and fragments fall to the ground, sickened in the knowledge that it wasn't a prop…it was real. Gokudera hit Yamamoto on the head for making Tsuna retch.

They all continued walking, no one talking. While they would like to believe what Yamamoto said, they knew it was implausible.

The mist seemed to thicken around them, the hills rising ominously tall. In the far, far distance Tsuna could make out what they had previously overlooked. Large, dark gray crags of what looked faintly like buildings. But it was too far away to be certain. He shivered, tugging his jacket closer to him.

It felt like his soul was quivering the closer they got to the farm and that eerie mansion. Even now he could see the faint outline of them ahead. 'I wonder why I'm the only one feeling this?' he wondered. While his friends seemed shaken it was more due to the chilly air and their predicament then anything having to do with going to the farm and the mansion.

It was more than it seemed. An unexplainable sadness, and despair seemed to linger there. It was affecting Tsuna' pure hearted, kind nature. Even at a distance it felt as though something was reaching for him. He started when Gokudera put his arm on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Tsuna?" he asked, worry in his eyes. 'I must've let too much show." Tsuna thought, wincing. "Yeah…I'm alright," Tsuna replied, giving him a small smile. Before Gokudera could respond he suddenly snorted. Tsuna, curious, looked around Gokudera to see what caught his attention.

Tsuna laughed. Ryohei was skipping. Down the road.

"Oi! This isn't the fucking Wizard of Oz!" Gokudera shouted. The girls were chortling in amusement from behind them. With this one move, the tension seemed to dissipate. However, Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. Yamamoto had his hands on his knees and was doubled over in laughter, muttering something about flying monkeys. Tsuna wasn't sure.

They hurried to catch up to Ryohei. Tsuna went the slowest, feeling dread in the pit of his stomach. He had always been the one most afraid of things. Even his own shadow as a child. So it was natural he was bullied a lot when he was younger.

But now…he could instinctually tell that his fears for once were valid. He didn't know how or why…but they were. When he finally caught up with the rest, he could see the farm was not that far away. It was just down the road, a mere 10 minute walk away now. "Yatta! We're almost there!" Yamamoto cheered.

'That's not something to cheer about…what if these people are ax murderers from a horror movie or something?' Tsuna thought, shaken. Well…that is if there were any people living at the farm. It looked somewhat deserted.

Tsuna blinked when a drop of water hit his nose. He wrinkled it at the cold feeling. "Oh great…it's raining," Haru grumbled. Storm clouds assembled overhead, looking threatening. The group hurried towards the farm. Tsuna shielded his face from the sudden onslaught of rain.

Wind howled. The long blades of vibrant green grass on the rolling hills around them was flattened by one violent gust of wind. It nearly blew Tsuna, Kyoko, and Haru away. Tsuna pouted. 'Why do I have to be so small?' he thought.

Soon they were running up the dirt path towards the farm house. Tsuna looked over in the semi far distance at the mansion. It seemed darker for some reason…like the murky storm clouds were originating from it. 'Absurd.' Tsuna thought, shaking his head.

They stood under the small porch, panting. Well he, Haru, Kyoko and Gokudera were panting. Ryohei and Yamamoto seemed fine. 'Sports fanatics got all the luck.' Tsuna thought wryly, a smile tugging at his lips. Kyoko knocked on the faded, wooden door with the screen door banging in the wind.

They waited with bated breath but it seemed as though there was no one in there. Tsuna shivered in his drenched jacket, whether from fear, the cold or both he didn't know. He was going to hazard a guess and say it was the latter.

Ryohei was pumping his legs up and down in one spot. Tsuna had a niggling suspicion that he was actually excited. Why? He would never know.

Gokudera suddenly sauntered up to the door, and banged hard enough to almost break it. "Hiiie! Gokudera-kun! You're going to break it," Tsuna wailed, pulling at Gokudera's arm.

Gokudera stopped banging on the door with a tch. Tsuna sighed in relief.

"Guys…look," Haru suddenly spoke, pointing at something near the barn across from the farm house they were standing at. A bobbing glow of a lantern was coming towards them.

Tsuna squinted. He could barely make out the figure of an old man. As he got closer, Tsuna could see that the stooped, old man had short cropped silver and black hair, wrinkled tanned skin, and weary gray eyes. His gaze alighted on them with surprise. "What are you kids doing here?" he asked, suspiciously.

Kyoko stepped up timidly. "Umm…we are sorry to intrude on your property sir but our van broke down and is out of gas…we were looking for some help…we will pay you of course!" she said, with a smile. Tsuna looked her fondly. Kyoko used to be his crush…she could always calm a situation down.

"HAI SIR! WE NEED HELP TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei shouted exuberantly. Her brother however was another story. Tsuna face palmed. Gokudera shook his head exasperatedly.

Yamamoto sent a beaming smile at the old man who looked at them oddly. Haru wasn't even paying attention. Tsuna noticed that her gaze was focused on the mansion a half mile away from the farm. Tsuna didn't even want to look in that direction.

"Ahh I see…I heard banging on my door while I was closing the barn up…there hasn't been visitors in these parts for months…" the old man trailed off, chuckling weakly. "Come on in then," he said, leading them inside. It was dark in the small house, the only Illumination being the candles on the tables and brief flashes of lightening.

The old man eyed Ryohei warily, expecting him to break something and looking relieved when Kyoko put her hand his arm to prevent him from running around. Tsuna though slightly scared, was amused by this. Everyone's teeth were chattering. The old man went into a room adjacent to the door which turned out to be a living room with a ragged couch, an end table with a china lamp, and a faded easy chair across from it. His intention was to light the fireplace which immediately brought warmth and light to the dim house.

"Ah..my name is Fugii Izanagi," the old man, Izanagi said, somewhat awkwardly.

"M-my name is Tsuna, a-and these are my friends, G-Gokudera-kun, Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan, Yamamoto, and Ryohei who is Kyoko's b-brother," Tsuna said, teeth still chattering slightly. His friends were looking around the room curiously. "I see…nice to meet you…make yourselves comfortable," Izanagi said. Tsuna sat down next to Kyoko and Haru on the couch while the others sat on the floor. Izanagi had the chair.

For a few moments awkward silence permeated the air. "So your van broke down? How far away?" Izanagi finally asked, loading a pipe with tobacco. "About a mile and a half away or so," Haru said, shrugging. "I see…there's a mining town called Matsuo about a few miles from here…hopefully the people there will help…if they aren't too scared that is," Izanagi said, puffing on his pipe. 'That must be what those gray buildings were.' Tsuna mused.

Suddenly something caught Tsuna's eye while the others were asking why the townspeople would be scared.

It was half hidden behind a book shelf and a curtain next to the window. It was of a pretty woman with long coppery hair and soft brown eyes with fair skin. Izanagi must've noticed his attention was fixated on something and looked. "Ah…I see you noticed my late wife's portrait," he said sadly. Tsuna tore his gaze away from it. "She's very pretty," Tsuna said softly, looking down at his lap.

Izanagi gave a soft smile at the gentle looking boy.

"You look and act a lot like how she used to," he murmured. Tsuna blushed. "What happened to her if you don't mind my asking?" Gokudera asked, glaring lightly at Izanagi for making Tsuna blush. Haru and Kyoko looked at him reproachfully for asking such a personal question but it was obvious they were curious as well.

Yamamoto and Ryohei leaned forward from their positions on the floor, eyes wide and curious. Izanagi sighed.

"She was murdered by the Obake that haunts Matsuo and this part of the region about 40 years ago," he replied solemnly. Gokudera scoffed. "Obake? A shape shifting spirit? Are you serious?" Haru asked incredulously. Izanagi shot Gokudera and Haru heated looks. Tsuna put a hand on Gokudera's arm to calm him down. Haru just pouted.

"EXTREME! I WANT TO FIGHT THIS OBAKE!" Ryohei shouted, startling Izanagi. Everyone else was used to his random outbursts and didn't even blink. Yamamoto laughed at everyone. "That sounds interesting…but I am sorry for your loss," he said, face turning somewhat somber.

Izanagi sighed. "It happened a long time ago…" he said, staring pensively out the window at the rain. "What form does the…Obake use?" Tsuna asked curiously. He had always thought myths were fascinating even if some of them scared him. He knew that Obake while they can change into anything they wanted they often chose the form that they felt an attachment to.

"To answer that question young man I would have to tell you a story long forgotten by everyone but the elders in this desolate region," Izanagi said, staring at Tsuna sharply. Gokudera glowered at Izanagi for looking at Tsuna like that. Tsuna nodded meekly. "W-would you tell us?" Kyoko asked timidly.

"Might as well…" Izanagi said, setting his pipe down. "This has to do with Rin too," he continued. "Your wife?" Tsuna inquired.

"Hai."

Izanagi cleared his throat before starting his sad tale. The crackling from the hearth was making Tsuna sleepy but he tried to stay awake, feeling this tale was important somehow.

"It was 60 years ago…," he started. "Damn you're really old!" Gokudera shouted before leaning away from the glares everyone shot him. Tsuna groaned.

"Anyways…40 years ago Matsuo used to be a booming mining town, much like the old west used to be in the United States, I used to go there all the time with my Father till I became old enough to do so by myself…I was 20 when I met Rin there working as a barmaid," Izanagi said, pausing to light his pipe again. Tsuna's large, caramel colored eyes glowed inquisitively. He enjoyed old stories.

Izanagi smiled at him gently before continuing. Gokudera glared moodily out the window.

"I was smitten with her the moment I set eyes on her…-Haru and Kyoko cooed excitedly- she had many suitors being the belle of the town at the time…one of them was the Sheriff's son, a handsome, dark, smart, dangerous man by the name of Reborn," Izanagi said, dull eyes lighting up with a long ago fear and anger.

That name sent chills down Tsuna's spine. 'How scary…' he thought, rubbing his suddenly sweaty hands on his still damp jeans.

"He would always try to court her but she didn't like him or the way he would act towards others, she was a very kind soul, always helping others…one day Reborn snapped," Izanagi whispered. Everyone held their breaths, even Gokudera to hear what he would say next.

"The breaking point was when I asked her hand in marriage and she said yes...we were only married for a few years before he killed her then committed suicide," Izanagi said, sighing.

"How awful!" Kyoko cried. Ryohei placed a reassuring arm across her shoulders. Haru looked pale and she had tears in her eyes. Yamamoto wasn't even smiling. Gokudera looked sympathetic. Tsuna bit his lip. That was a sad tale…but apparently Izanagi still had more to say.

"You know that mansion across from here? That's the old residence of Reborn and his family…shortly after Reborn committed suicide his mother died from a broken heart and his Father fell ill and died a year later, but I swear that place has his dark presence waiting to strike us all dead," Izanagi said in a muted voice. "Many people call him the Rovuresu Tama…or Loveless Spirit…because before he died witnesses heard him say," I shall never love again."

"Ever since then late at night after sunset there's always something that haunts the area, dark whispers, the occasional murder, ghostly gun shots, insane laughter after sunset…" Izanagi said.

"Why do you live so close to it? If what you said about him waiting to strike and haunting Matsuo and this countryside is true why hasn't he killed you yet? I mean you were his rival for the love of a woman…" Gokudera asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I cannot move away…this is my family home…I was born here so I will die here…and as for that, I believe Reborn felt that I was punished enough to live as a lonely man with no prospects," Izanagi replied, eyes darkening.

"So this Obake is…Reborn?" Tsuna asked. Izanagi nodded. "That is the form the Obake has assumed…I believe that Reborn's despair and utter fury turned him into a vengeful Obake who takes out his grief on those around him."

Suddenly, Izanagi jumped up from his chair with surprising agility.

"I suggest you hurry and get your van fixed by the people in Matsuo as soon as possible and get the hell out of here before he realizes your presence if he hasn't already," Izanagi said, eyes darting around. Tsuna felt the color drain from his face. The rain still hasn't let up…in fact it seemed to have worsened. The old man sighed.

"But I suppose since the weather is terrible it will have to wait till morning…one of you can sleep on the couch, two on the floor, and one in the chair…the girls get the guest room…I will get some blankets," Izanagi said, looking tired. Tsuna felt bad for him. Here they were, total strangers, and they made him tell a story that was no doubt a sore spot for him even after all these years. Tsuna stood up, meekly giving the old man a hug. He didn't know why he felt a spike of fear when doing so.

Surprised, Izanagi patted him awkwardly on the back. Gokudera looked away jealously.

'Tsuna is like Rin in the story…kind and considerate.' Kyoko thought, smiling. Haru yawned. Tsuna looked over at the uncharacteristically silent Yamamoto and Ryohei who were staring at the dying flames in the hearth. Seems they were more affected by the story than he had thought.

"Thank you Tsuna," Izanagi said, smiling kindly before walking down the dim hallway to get blankets and pillows. "You can have the couch Tsuna," Gokudera said brightly. "Oh that's ok Gokudera-kun…you take the couch," Tsuna said, chuckling nervously. That feeling of fear never left him…in fact it seemed to have increased if possible. "No I insist!" Gokudera protested stubbornly.

Tsuna was eventually cowed into taking the couch, feeling guilty. Yamamoto convinced Gokudera to take the chair. That left Ryohei and Yamamoto on the floor. After Izanagi gave them a pile of blankets and pillows, he made the girls follow him to the guest room.

He came back just as Tsuna, Gokudera, Ryohei, and Yamamoto were settled. He stared at them for a moment, his face inscrutable before saying, 'If you need me I'll be down the hall to the right…the bathroom is next to the kitchen across from my room."

"Thank you! We won't disturb you," Tsuna said shyly. Nodding, Izanagi went over to the hearth to relight the fire then left.

Once they heard a door shut down the hall, Gokudera turned towards Tsuna. "There's something weird about that guy," he whispered. Tsuna was about to reproach Gokudera about his tactlessness when he stopped to think. His unease had tripled when they got to the farm but he had assumed it was because they were so close to the mansion. 'Obake are shape shifting spirits…they usually take on the forms of the deceased more than the living…' he mused before shaking his head.

'Why am I thinking this? Izanagi was kind enough to take us in and help us…'

Gokudera eyed Tsuna curiously when he didn't speak. "Um…well, he was nice enough to help us Gokudera…its rude to think badly of him," Tsuna whispered, slightly uncertain. Gokudera shrugged, resigned to Tsuna's kind, thoughtful nature.

Everyone's breathing eventually leveled out and they were asleep. Except Tsuna. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He trusted his instincts. But the thing was that he had this feeling ever since earlier today when they even passed the farm and mansion.

He didn't know what to think. In the soft light of the flames Tsuna looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. His brow furrowed in confusion. He took out his nearly dead cellphone, and checked the time. It could be the time frames were different from his home and here but they weren't that far away to make that much difference.

They were still in Japan after all!

The clock said it was 5:35 but on his phone it said 11:58 p.m.

Tsuna eventually chalked it up to Izanagi forgetting to change the time but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was wrong. He suddenly wondered if they rolled down the windows to the van or not before shaking the stupid thought away. Staring at the ceiling, he noticed something abnormally dark on it.

'Is that…blood?' he thought in growing horror. He shined his cell phone's luminous glow at the ceiling and choked. It was blood.

'Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!' Tsuna was having a mental freak out.

He scrambled to get up, shakily stepping over Yamamoto and Ryohei, to get to Gokudera. With a trembling hand he shook Gokudera awake. "Mmmpft? Tsuna?" Gokudera mumbled, blinking at him in confusion. "Gokudera…there's blood on the ceiling," Tsuna whispered frantically. "What?" Gokudera said, his eyes sharpening. He looked towards the spot on the ceiling Tsuna pointed at, using his cell phone to light it up

Gokudera's pale skin turned bone white. "Tsuna…help me move the couch," he ordered, shaking. Tsuna looked at him, not comprehending before realization lit up his face. As quietly as possible, they moved the couch back. Once the couch was moved they stared down at the human sized imprint of dried, blackened blood.

They stood there in horrified silence. It was the same size as the old man's body.

"Oh my god…we have to wake the others and get out of here," Gokudera whispered. Tsuna nodded mutely, eyes wide and scared. Tsuna woke Yamamoto while Gokudera woke Ryohei. Gokudera had to hurriedly cover Ryohei's mouth before he could shout anything. "Shh…its dangerous here guys…look at the ceiling and the floor where the couch was," Gokudera whispered.

They turned slowly to look, their eyes widening in shock. "So not extreme…"Ryohei muttered. Tsuna couldn't agree more. Yamamoto had a scary frown on his face. "Let's get the girls," he said quietly.

They creeped down the hall being extra careful when they passed Izanagi's room. Tsuna noticed things he hadn't before. The dust, broken things, how everything seemed untended to for a long time. Tsuna winced when the door to the guest room creaked slightly. Yamamoto and Ryohei woke the girls who blinked blearily at them.

"No time to explain…we have to get out of here," Ryohei hissed urgently. Haru was about to protest when Kyoko stopped her. She had never seen her brother act this way so it was safe to assume he was serious. They hurriedly grabbed their jackets and phones.

They were a few feet from the front door when suddenly the little farm house started to shake. Haru and Kyoko screamed as windows shattered inward. Wind howled angrily as things flew around the room. Darkness started to creep around them before taking the form of Izanagi.

Except it wasn't him. This Izanagi was leering with a dangerous glint in his eyes as the darkness that was him started to morph.

As the group of horrified friends watched, the shadow of Izanagi became taller, thinner, and broad shouldered.

It formed into a slightly transparent black suited man with an orange undershirt, black tie, and a black fedora with a large yellow band around it. Dark eyes glittered with malice under the shadow of the fedora. A smirk adorned the pale, handsome face. A black and green gun was pointed at them.

The Obake's voice was smooth as silk and dangerous as a viper.

"Chaos."

A/N: Heh…long ass chapter no? It's longer AND it has a cliffy. I daresay I outdone myself. Please tell me what you think. I'm proud of this chapter lol R&R :)

-Tragic