AN: I nearly decided not to update. Probably bad idea, but I was in a bad mood. Anyway, Kyoko's hair is ten years later version because I want it like that. Any person who objects is handing a kick in the groin and an personal escort off the story. I told you, bad mood right now. Blame it on my little brother's pet beetle 'Skippy'.

Beta: Unbeta'd

Chapter 17: Oven Mitts and Underwear

Moaning, Tsuna buried his head in his hands, upset. Even with Gokudera and Yamamoto's awkward attempts of comfort, He still was scared shitless of school.

It wasn't anything personal. But some of the things they 'taught' in school...were a little traumatic. It wasn't anything like the things his tutors, when he had just been a normal normal human, had taught him.

Now that he thought of it, Education in the 1690s...it wasn't exactly 'healthy;, mentally or physically.

And from what he figured, the apprentice-master system had been destroyed. That was good news. From what he heard from his old friends, it was more common for the apprentice to turn out as more of a punching bag than an apprentice for the master.

More than one person had died before they had ended their apprenticeship.

He was thankful for the fact that the teachers weren't allow to perform corporal punishments. Why people didn't think of that in the 1690s, he couldn't figure. It would have save more than one of his old friends from a beating.

So deep was he in his thoughts, he completely missed the approach of a rather pretty girl along with her friends.

"Umm, Sawada-san. I've like to welcome you to the class" said the girl nervously snapping Tsuna out of his thoughts.

"Eh? Well it's nice to meet you...Err, what's your name?" asked Tsuna, eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and nervous tension.

The girl had lovely orange-brown hair that fell to her shoulders and curled at the tips. Her eyes were the color of caramel and her skin was fair. She looked young, about the same age as Yamamoto and Gokudera, 14. Her friends were the same age.

She was wearing what seemed to be the female version of the uniform. A white dress shirt was visible under a black vest, with a red bow tied neatly at the collar. She wore a black and grey checkered mini skirt that stopped at her thighs, showing off boot clad legs.

Perking up, the girl smiled and said "My name's Sasagawa Kyoko, but just call me Kyoko-chan. Everyone does. And these are my friends!"

Pointing to the wavy haired girl with cynical eyes next to her, Kyoko said "This is Kurokawa Hana. Don't think much of her insults, she doesn't really mean them"

"Kyoko!" admonished the wavy haired girl.

Her hair was dark, like a raven's breast, and separated at the center before falling in gentle waves. Her eyes were a greyish cobalt blue and her skin pale.

She too wore the female version of the uniform, except she wore a black blazer instead of an vest.

"And I'm Miura Haru! Just call me Haru-chan, desu" interrupted another dark haired girl, "I'm new here too, Sawada-san! I transferred here from Midori Middle School two weeks ago, desu. I hope we become good friends!"

Her hair was dark brown, like dark chocolate. Her eyes were the same color, just slightly lighter in color, and large. She had olive skin and dimples.

She also wore the female version of the uniform, with a few changes. For example, she had exchanged the grey and black checkered skirt for a tan version of it. She had a blazer instead of a vest, just like Hana.

Grabbing an odd looking violet haired girl by the shoulder gently, Haru introduced her, "And this is Chrome-chan, Dokuro Chrome."

"Hi..." the violet haired girl said, looking down at her boot clad feet.

She was rather odd in appearance, reflected Tsuna. Her hair was an purple color and tied at the top of her head in a spiky, short ponytail. Like a pineapple, though Tsuna curiously perplexed by the oddity of the hairstyle.

If that wasn't enough, she wore a black eyepatch on her right eye, with a skull on top. Her left was visible, and a stunning dark purple. She wore the uniform like Kyoko.

They were friendly, Tsuna thought, before glancing at Yamamoto and Gokudera who were watching silently. Yamamoto was smiling, satisfied, and winked when he caught Tsuna's gaze. Gokudera, on the other hand, was scowling at Haru, who was scowling in return, but nodded in encouragement when he saw Tsuna's questioning gaze.

Smiling cautiously, Tsuna was confused just how to start an conversation, that wouldn't be awkward. Thankfully for his nonexistent social skills, Yamamoto decided to give him some help.

"Neh, Kyoko-chan, your brother's the boxing club captain isn't he?" asked Yamamoto casually.

Boxing? Was that the strange fighting that Knuckle, one of his old friends, had done before he 'turned to god'?

"Yeah, Oni-san's a little energetic though.." said Kyoko.

"More like being an hyperactive idiotic boxing addicted monkey"retorted Hana.

"Ano"said Tsuna, "What's boxing?"

Because he really wanted to know. Knuckle didn't talk about boxing much.

"Well.." said Kyoko, "It's two guys fighting in their underwear with oven mitts on."

Tsuna blinked, "What kind of sport is that?"

Strange, Knuckle hadn't seemed like the type to do that kind of activity.

"I honestly don't get it either" said Kyoko. Both remained oblivious to the amused and exasperated looks of their friends.

After a long tiring, traumatic, depressing, but overall nice day, Tsuna left school with Gokudera and Yamamoto trailing besides him. As they walked through Namimori, Tsuna marveled at it.

Yamamoto's tale had not left Tsuna's mind. Had this once beautiful town been razed to the ground, devoured in flames? He could say he knew the people, after all this was his first day here, but he couldn't help but mourn the people that could have walked besides him.

For even though he had been in this town for less than 24 hours, he had met and talked to one ,or perhaps more, descendants, the survivors, of the bloody massacre that had razed the town to bits.

Looking at the gorgeous sunset, Tsuna couldn't help but smile. It was a beautiful sunset, a ball of light against a blood red sky, the color of a rose petal.

He could see the clouds drifting by, stained by purple and reds. The setting sun spread rays of yellow and orange across the land, bathing it in one last warmth, leaving in one beautiful burst.

The final act and the beginning act. Even for a being so close to the gods themselves, he could no more understand the universe than the smartest of men.

"Ma, Tsuna. Do you like Namimori?" asked Yamamoto, looking straight ahead. Gokudera opened his mouth to say something, but shutted it almost as soon as he opened it.

Tsuna thought. He thought of the people. Of kind Kyoko with her boxing brother, Of mature Hana and Energetic Haru, and he thought of Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"I don't" Tsuna heard himself say, causing a frown from both Yamamoto and Gokudera that they quickly tried to hide. "I love it."

And they smiled and smiled. They didn't stop smiling when they arrived at the base, and didn't stop for a week. Maybe they could have smiled more if the woman hadn't come.

Review. Favorite. Follow. Summer has started so it means no school. I'm going on a brief break (a week or 2) before going on an update schedule that's going to be like 1 chapter per 2 days. If I'm generous, 2 chapters per day or 1 chapter per day. But that depends on number of reviews *hint hint*