Chapter 9 – The Accident
He was four around the time the accident happened.
It was a cold day in February, the wind was howling and the air could cut straight through you if you didn't wear enough clothes. The streets were empty and no children played outside. Namimori didn't really know very harsh winters, but this year was different from most years. Whenever Tsuna thought back at that cold February, he would smile sadly because it made sense that it was the coldest February that Namimori ever knew.
It made sense because the accident occurred then and there.
He remembered walking down the street with his mother, father and younger twin brother. Their father was talking happily to their mother and Tsuna was holding hands with Tezuka while they ran ahead of their parents. Sometimes their mother would say how inseparable the twins were, but mostly she said to whomever asked, "those are my boys, I love them, though I wish Tsuna could be more like Tezuka."
They were nearing a playground, and because of the cold weather, it was empty. It didn't stop the Sawada family though. Tsuna played with Tezuka on the swing while their parents sat at a nearby bench smiling and huddling close to each other.
"Hey Tezu, did you like the gift that I gave you for your birthday?" Tsuna asked while he almost flew in the air. His brother laughed in joy, "yeah Tsu-onisan, I still have it on, look," Tsuna looked sideways and noticed Tezuka fingering the medal that he gave him for his fourth birthday. Tsuna received a soccer ball from Tezuka, though he really didn't like soccer, but he smiled when he received it because he didn't want Tezuka to be sad.
A gust of wind slapped Tsuna across the cheek. He looked around in surprise. Then it happened.
Black and white swam around him and Tezuka. The swimming figures became men with suits on, encircling the boys. Tezuka cowered in fear. Tsuna stopped swinging and clutched at his brother's shoulder. He was scared, but he would protect his brother if he could.
One of the men faced their father. Their father held their mother's hand. It looked like he would explode in anger, but when the stranger pointed backwards to Tezuka and himself, Iemitsu calmed down slightly.
Tsuna could make out little of what they said to each other, "we want the half rings that you have Iemits-, lying won't he-, think of your childr-," the stranger sounded serious.
His father looked like he wanted to answer, but he looked in agony because the boys were captured. When he opened his mouth to speak, he closed it. Suddenly raindrops fell down. Iemitsu smiled.
The stranger was the one distressed now, "get the children!" The stranger shouted to his subordinates, but to no avail because all men in suits fell down clutching at their chest. Iemitsu's smile faltered when the stranger ran towards Tezuka and Tsuna.
Suddenly the man pulled a gun and aimed it towards the boys, "not one step closer Iemitsu!" The stranger was middle aged. Tsuna could feel the anger in the stranger's dark eyes.
"Let my boys go you bastard!" Iemitsu yelled. A shade shimmered into existence next to Iemitsu, and another one and another one.
"Nono sent us Iemitsu-san," one of them said. He wore a blue shirt underneath a dark suit. All men looked in their fifties to sixties, but they looked strong and determined. Tsuna wondered who they were.
The stranger aimed his gun next to Tsuna's temple and put an arm around Tezuka. This stopped Iemitsu and the older gentlemen.
Tsuna felt scared. The mouth of the gun was burning against his head. If he didn't know any better, the gun was already fired. Was he dead now? His father didn't cry, so the stranger couldn't have pulled the trigger yet.
Tsuna wondered if he could save Tezuka if he used that. His father and the stranger were yelling towards each other. The old men looked sharp and waited for an opportunity to strike.
"Use it Tsunayoshi-kun."
Tsuna's eyes darted around when he heard that. A voice echoed around, but no one looked surprised, like they didn't hear it at all.
"The stranger will kill you if you don't do something, do it, now!"
And Tsuna listened.
A warm feeling began in his chest. It grew and grew until he felt flames trying to escape from beneath his skin. No one made a move, entirely unaware of what Tsuna was doing. Tsuna closed his eyes and focused on all the happy memories that he had. He remembered playing with Tezuka in their room, he remembered their father throwing and catching him in the air, he remembered his mother kissing him on his cheek on his birthday. The flames erupted when he opened his eyes.
One of the old men widened his eyes when he looked at Tsuna. He had a red shirt on instead of blue. No one else seemed to notice what the old men noticed. Tsuna didn't notice it either.
The barrel of the gun was still pointed towards his temple. He concentrated the flames to his feet and arms. With one swift strike he buried his elbow into the stranger's ribs. The gun fired. And the next moment happened all at once.
One of the old gentlemen appeared between the stranger and the boys, shielding Tsuna and Tezuka from harm. Another old gentlemen overpowered the stranger. His father ran towards him and his brother, scooped them up and ran towards their mother.
Tsuna didn't know why, but he felt eyes on him as he was a carried by his father. When he looked who it was he found Tezuka looking angry at him. Tezuka was never angry with Tsuna, but he seemed like he wanted to hurt him now. It made Tsuna sad to see his brother look at him that way. Was it the strange warm feeling that made Tezuka mad at him? He couldn't feel it at all now. He felt really tired.
Tsuna yawned. Their mother took Tezuka from their father and both walked home with the odd old gentlemen walking behind them. One of the old gentlemen had the mean person from before on his shoulder. The mean person didn't move. His skin was pale too.
They were almost home. Tsuna looked around. He noticed one of the old gentlemen, the one with a red shirt on. Tsuna looked at him and smiled warmly when the old man looked back. The old man widened his eyes before returning the smile.
{The Accident}
"I hate you no-good Tsuna!" Tezuka yelled in their shared room. Tezuka threw a tantrum a few hours after they came home. The old gentlemen and their parents were still talking downstairs.
"What did I do?" Tsuna asked surprised. His brother's words hurt.
"You know what you did!" Tezuka threw one of Tsuna's stuffed animals, a lion, on top of a closet that neither of them could reach.
And that was how the rest of the night continued. Tezuka refused to sleep, threw toys around, yelled and called Tsuna 'no-good'. Tezuka went almost as far as to hit his brother.
When a knock came on the door, Tezuka immediately stopped making a mess of their room.
Their father stepped in with an old man that Tsuna had never seen before. He had a kind face and wore a brown suit. Tsuna looked at the old man's eyes and found them soothing, as if they were the same as his own. The old man smiled at Tsuna.
"Tsuna-fish, Tezuka, this is my boss from work," their father said very proudly. The old man proceeded to step further into the room. He gave a warm smile to Tezuka and then to Tsuna. Tsuna's eyes locked on the older man's.
"Coyote, is this the one?" The old man said without looking away from Tsuna. The person with the red shirt walked in and nodded. Behind him the other old gentlemen were present and stepped into the room as well.
"Tsunayoshi isn't it?" The old man asked warmly. Tsuna nodded. The atmosphere felt soothing, when before Tezuka's anger kept it in lock. The old man's eyes were like a sea full of kindness that lit up the previous situation away.
The two stared at each other, one assessing the other, one not aware that he was being assessed.
Meanwhile Tezuka tightened his fists. "Why is Dame-Tsuna getting all the attention?" Tezuka thought resentful, "It's not like he saved us, he only shoved the mean person away," Tezuka's mood got worse with every second that passed as his brother and their father's boss looked at each other, fascinated by one another. "No, it's not fair! I don't want to be left behind! My grades are better than Dame-Tsuna's, I'm better at sports than Dame-Tsuna! He's a failure and useless!" All kinds of thoughts spiraled in Tezuka's mind. Something raged inside his mind, something that crept to his stomach, limbs, hands, fingers, toes, everywhere. It burned against his skin. His eyes began to hurt.
"It's not fair!" Tezuka yelled out as his eyes began to soar with rage. Tears streaked his face, "it's not fair!" He yelled again.
All eyes were suddenly on Tezuka. Iemitsu looked at his other son in awe. Timoteo couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nono's guardians were in shock.
Coyote's mouth hung open. He could have sworn that Tsunayoshi was the one that emitted the Dying Will Flames.
But now, right in front of his very eyes, Sawada Tezuka was burning with high density Dying Will Flames. His eyes were colored lightly red and on each of his hands a small flame burned. Maybe it was Tezuka earlier on; maybe Tezuka surprised the kidnapper while Tsunayoshi gave a nudge with his elbow.
"My boy!" Iemitsu shouted while he smiled in joy. He ran towards Tezuka, took him by the armpits and threw him up in the air. Tezuka's flames had become less and less until he cried no more and smiled as well.
Timoteo and his guardians gathered around Iemitsu and Tezuka. Each one of them sent a praising word. Timoteo ruffled the boy's hair while he gave one of his kind smiles.
Tsuna just sat there on the ground. He looked up at Tezuka who was smiling happily. Tezuka looked back at Tsuna for just a second. Tezuka moved his mouth silently, but Tsuna fully understood what he said, "you'll always stay useless Dame-Tsuna."
{The Accident}
"What are you doing here Tsuna?" Takeshi Yamamato asked weakly.
Tsuna chose to ignore Yamamato. Earlier on he couldn't walk without the attacking feeling that wouldn't leave him alone. Only when he arrived in the underground room did the feeling stop.
Silence followed, but he felt in peace in the almost dark room with the baseball player, with the person that his brother manipulated. He looked at Yamamato's eyes, at his battered body, looked at the blue flame that slowly distinguished inside him.
"I'm going to do something I shouldn't," Tsuna narrowed his eyes, paused and moved his hands towards the startled Yamamato.